A minor Red Sea naval skirmish in which an Italian destroyer was lost while failing to damage a British convoy, illustrating the limits of divided Italian naval tactics.
Key Facts
- Date
- 20–21 October 1940
- Location
- Red Sea, near Harmil Island
- Italian destroyers lost
- 1 (Francesco Nullo, beached)
- Merchant ships damaged
- 1 (slightly)
- British ships disabled
- HMS Kimberley, hit by shore batteries
- British rescue vessel
- HMS Leander towed Kimberley to safety
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Italian naval forces in the Red Sea sought to interdict British merchant convoys supplying Allied operations. They deployed a flotilla of destroyers in two separate groups to improve interception chances against Convoy BN 7, though this division sacrificed the concentration of force needed to overcome the British escorts.
On the night of 20–21 October 1940, Italian destroyers attacked Convoy BN 7 but failed to sink any merchant vessels, causing only slight damage to one ship. HMS Kimberley torpedoed the destroyer Francesco Nullo, which was beached on Harmil Island. Italian shore batteries on the island then hit and disabled Kimberley.
The Italian attack achieved no meaningful result and cost them the destroyer Francesco Nullo. HMS Kimberley was towed to safety by HMS Leander. British command at Aden criticised the escorts for insufficient aggression. Italy mounted further unsuccessful sorties in December 1940 and January 1941, none of which disrupted British convoy operations.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent