Italian frogmen crippled two Royal Navy battleships in Alexandria harbour, temporarily eliminating British capital ship presence in the eastern Mediterranean.
Key Facts
- Date
- 19 December 1941
- Attacking unit
- Decima Flottiglia MAS, Regia Marina
- Weapon used
- Siluro Lenta Corsa manned torpedoes
- Battleships damaged
- 2 Royal Navy battleships severely damaged
- Other vessels damaged
- 1 oil tanker and 1 destroyer
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The British Mediterranean Fleet had already suffered severe losses from German U-boats and mines, including the carrier HMS Ark Royal, battleship Barham, and much of Force K, leaving it vulnerable at its Alexandria anchorage in late 1941.
On 19 December 1941, Italian divers from the Decima Flottiglia MAS rode Siluro Lenta Corsa manned torpedoes into Alexandria harbour, attaching charges to two Royal Navy battleships at their moorings and also damaging an oil tanker and a destroyer.
The successful attack severely damaged both British battleships, effectively eliminating Royal Navy capital ship strength in the eastern Mediterranean at a critical moment, further shifting the naval balance of power in favour of Italy and Germany in that theatre.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Side B
1 belligerent