Battle of the Duisburg Convoy

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Date	November 8 - November 9, 1941
Location	Mediterranean, 30 south-west off Calabria in approximate position 37.08° N 18.09° E
Result	Decisive Allied victory

Combatants

United Kingdom

Italy

Commanders

Captain W.G Agnew

Captain Ugo Bisciani

Strength

2 light cruisers 2 destroyers

2 heavy cruisers 10 destroyers

Casualties

none?

2 destroyers sunk, 5 merchant ships sunk, ?? lost

Mediterranean Campaign
Mers-el-Kebir – Calabria – Spada – Taranto – Spartivento – Matapan – Tarigo – Crete – Duisburg – Bon – 1st Sirte – 2nd Sirte – Harpoon – Pedestal – Torch – Skerki – Sicily

The Battle of the Duisburg Convoy was fought on the night of 8-9 November 1941 between an Italian convoy sailing to Lybia with supplies for the Afrika Corps and a British Naval squadron which intercepted it. The convoy was named after the German steamer Duisburg which was the largest ship in the convoy. The Royal Navy's Force K anhialated the Convoy sinking all the merchant ships and the destroyer Fulmine with no loss. The destroyer Libeccio was sunk the next day by HMS Upholder while picking up survivors.

1 Italian Forces
2 British Forces
3 Battle
4 References

[edit] Italian Forces

Convoy
- 2 German (Duisburg and San Marco) and 3 Italian (Maria, Sagitta and Rina Corrado) cargo ships, (carrying 389 vehicles, 34,473 tons of munitions, 223 soldiers)
- 2 tankers (Conte di Misurata and Minatitlan, carrying 17,281 tons of fuel)

Close Escort under command of Captain Ugo Bisciani
- Destroyers: Maestrale, Grecale, Fulmine, Euro, Libeccio, Oriani

Distant Escort under command of Rear Admiral Bruno Bronovesi
- Heavy Cruisers: Trieste and Trento
- Destroyers: Soldati class destroyers, Granatiere, Fuciliere, Bersagliere and Alpino

[edit] British Forces

Force K under command of Captain W.G. Agnew

- Cruisers: HMS Aurora (flagship) and HMS Penelope
- Destroyers: L Class destroyers HMS Lance and HMS Lively

[edit] Battle

The British found out via ULTRA cryptography that the Axis were about to send a convoy to Lybia. The presence of the Convoy was confirmed by air reconnaissance (Pilot Adrian Warburton). Force K left Malta to intercept the convoy. The British had the advantage of Radar which the Italians lacked. The convoy was surprised at night and attacked. The distant covering force despite being 17 km away did not interfere due to confusion. Force K sank all the merchant ships and the destroyer Fulmine as well as damaging the Maestrale, Euro and Grecale. The British retired to Malta at high speed with ineffective pursuit by the Covering force.