Red Sea Flotilla - Actions

Actions

Several attempts were made after Italy's entry into the war in June 1940 to stage offensive actions against the British Royal Navy and Allied convoys from Massawa. Some of the earliest failed when submarine air conditioning systems intended to reduce temperatures in the warm water of the Red Sea proved dangerous under wartime operating conditions. Leakage of chloromethane refrigerants caused central nervous system poisoning in the recirculating air during submerged operations. Approximately a dozen sailors died aboard Archimede. Perla and Marcalle ran aground while their crews were intoxicated; and the latter could not be salvaged. Galileo Galilei, Torricelli and Galvani struck early; Galilei sank the freighter James Stove off Djibouti before British counter measures forced the submarines to depart the area.

Torricelli was spotted on 23 June while approaching Massawa and an intensive search ensued involving four warships and aircraft from Aden. After a fierce resistance on surface, during which HMS Khartoum was damaged beyond repair and HMS Shoreham was also damaged, the Torricelli was sunk. As a mark of respect for his crew's gallantry, the Italian captain was guest of honour at a dinner at the British naval base. Galilei had also been found on 18 June, captured and taken to Aden on the same day. Galvani sunk HMIS Pathan at the same time that her sisters were fighting and was herself sunk on the following day.

The destroyers based at Massawa attacked the 32-ship British convoy BN 7 with negigible results in October 1940. The convoy's escort beat off the attack and the Nullo was driven ashore and sunk by air attack the following day. On the British side, only the leading transport ship of the convoy sustained minor splinter damage, while HMS Kimberley was crippled by Italian shore batteries with three wounded among her crew, and had to be towed to Aden by the cruiser HMS Leander.

As Italian fuel supplies in Massawa dwindled, so did the offensive capability of the Red Sea Flotilla. Ultimately, the vessels of the flotilla became what is known as a "fleet in being", offering a threat without action, and rarely left port.

In late March 1941, the three large destroyers, Leone, Pantera and Tigre, were to attempt a night attack on Suez but Leone ran aground off Massawa and had to be sunk by gunfire. The delay caused the operation to be cancelled. Instead the two remaining ships joined three smaller destroyers - Battisti, Manin and Sauro, on a final raid on Port Sudan in early April. Engine problems kept Battisti in port, where she was subsequently scuttled to prevent her capture by the British. The Italian ships were spotted by aircraft while en route and came under attack from land and carrier based aircraft. Pantera and Tigre were scuttled on the Arabian coast and Manin and Sauro were sunk by Fairey Swordfish aircraft.

The armed merchant cruisers Ramb I and Ramb II and the colonial despatch ship Eritrea were ordered to escape and reach Japan. Ramb II and Eritrea reached Kobe successfully but Ramb I was intercepted and sunk by HMNZS Leander. The four Italian submarines that had survived were ordered to join the Italian submarine flotilla at Bordeaux, which they all did successfully, despite concerted British attempts to intercept them. All motor-torpedo boats (MAS) were lost, but one, MAS 213 made a successful torpedo attack on the light cruiser HMS Capetown, causing serious damage.

On 8 April 1941, Massawa fell to the British and the Red Sea Flotilla ceased to exist for all intents and purposes. Few vessels of the flotilla survived the East African Campaign.