RANGERDANE
|
Fleet Action Report (first 3 scenarios - Marshal Ney's MaltaAdmiral Iachino had just heard the gangster, Winston Churchill on a BBC radio broadcast, say that he was going to make Malta an "unsinkable aircraft carrier". He had been given very clear guidance from Regia Marina Supremo that he must not let that happen! Not an easy feet considering the island already had a British Division well entrenched on it and William Dobbie, the Governor had martialed the civilian population of the island. El Duce had promised Der Fuhrer that Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps would receive enough supplies to drive the British dogs into the Nile. He was also given strict orders to provide better supply rates to the two Italian Infantry Corps in North Africa.
Confounding issues with ADM Iachino, was that his air support was provided by Regia AeroNautica and he had no control over them. Such was the fate of an Italian Naval Officer! Coordination with another service was haphazard at best! It was a point of honor, and disgrace that Rommel had to reinforce General Graziani in North Africa when the Italian 10th Army stalled its advance against the British 8th Army. Now ADM Iachino was not only was responsible for securing Italian supply convoys across the Med. but also the German convoys. The Navy, it seems, was not a priority in the planning effort by Commando Supremo and in actuality, much of an after thought.
ADM Iachino was a professional sailor, in service to Italy during the Great War, long before these two thugs took power. He would prove to El Duce that he had control in the Med and that the gangster, Churchill, could not build an unsinkable aircraft carrier. Even now, Regia Cruiser Task Force 1.1 with support from Destroyer Squadron 16 was approaching the island of Malta.
The British Mediterranean fleet under the command of Admiral Sean Franklin had detected Regia Marina sailings after British intelligence had deciphered intercepted signaling codes using the Enigma machine...
Battle Report:
4 Feb 1941 Early Evening Nautical Twilight (EENT).
Darkness…..Surface Action vic; lat : 35.8586; long : 14.4781
Contact was made with British Destroyer screen East and West of Malta. Regia Destroyer search lights pierced the night and caught British Destroyers silhouetted against Malta. Several salvos from the Cruisers Trento and Trieste dispatched the British dogs to Davey Jones locker. Fighting continued with savage torpedo action in the dark as the Destroyer squadrons engaged each other at range. In all six British Destroyers ( Wren, Imogen, Brazen, Codington, Delight, & Ivanhoe) sunk. After an hour of intense fighting around the Island of Malta Regia Marina silenced the guns of British Cruisers HMS Achilles & HMS Berwick. The Gorizia was caught by surprise as the HMS Royal Sovereign came around the South of Malta as was able to score a lucky hit. 223 Regina Sailors were submitted for the Navy Cross of Honor as they were still fighting flames and explosions when the Gorizia capsized and sank. Destroyers Palestro, Generale, Curlatone, and Leone were sunk in the action. Destroyer Palestro confirmed sinking one British Submarine prior to its demise. Heavy Cruisers Zara and Fiume report sinking Her Majesty' Battleship HMS Royal Sovereign with all hands. Regina Marina has lost contact with the Ambra, last Contact with her was at 0001Able. Signals dispatch signed:
- ADM Iachino
Summery:
British Navy loss:
1 x BB HMS Royal Sovereign
1 x CA HMS Berwick
1 x CL HMS Achilles
6 x DD HMS Wren, Imogene, Brazen, Codington, Delight, & Ivanhoe
1 x SS HMS Salmon
Regia Marina loss:
1 x CA Trento
4 x DD Palestro, Generale, Curlatone, Leone.
1 x SS Ambra
************************************************************
Battle Report
5 Feb 1941
Surface Action…….vic; lat : 35.8586; long : 14.4781
Cruiser fleet Zara, Fiume and Trieste remained on station. ADM Iachino made an immediate urgent request for additional Destroyer support from Destroyer Squadron 17. Contact was made throughout the day with British Destroyer screens East, West and South of Malta. Regia AeroNautica flew cover sorties from Siracusa, Sicily. Strumo 86 and 92 Macchi C.202 fighters flew cover for Savoia Marchetti 79 Patrol Bombers and Picchiatelli 87R2 Fighter Bombers. British aircraft from forward airfields in Banghazi in addition to the fighter squadrons in Malta were radar directed to intercept our fighter cover. The radar fields in Malta must be destroyed. The sky was dark with British aircraft as Regia AeroNautica squadrons fought for their lives. As we watched aerial combat above the fleet, I felt a bit like King Leonidas commanding 300 Spartans against the Persian king Xerxes at Thermopylae and his Army of 500,000 men. When King Leonidas was informed that Xerxes had nearly 100,000 archers, King Leonidas remarked that it was good that they will fight in shade. The British aircraft were so thick above the fleet that it was hard to see the sun in the sky. The Regia Marina was more then capable of engaging the British Navy but with the Allies almost in complete control of the skys concentration on gunnery and navigation was hampered. Cruiser Zara received several bomb hits, one to her navigation system forcing her to steam in circles. Destroyers came to her rescue and provided her an antiaircraft umbrella until damage control parties could bring her under control. The valiant Destroyers of Squadron 17 paid an awful price for there efforts and Destroyers Ascari, Aviere, Bersagliere, and Carabiniere were lost to surface and aerial bombardment. Superb gunnery and several salvoes from the Cruisers Trieste, Bolzano and Zara dispatched the British cruisers Southampton and Forfar to Davey Jones locker. A fitting end to British tyranny in the Mediterranean Sea. Regina Marina has lost contact with submarines Da Vinci & Barbarigo, and I fear they may be lost. Signals dispatch signed:
- ADM Iachino
Summery:
British Navy loss:
1 x CL HMS Southampton
1 x CL HMS Forfar
1 x Barracuda Fighter SQDRON
1 x Sword Fish Torpedo SQDRON
1 x SeaHawk Fighter SQDRON
Regia Marina loss:
1 x CA Zara
2 x SS Da Vinci & Barbarigo
4 x DD Ascari, Aviere, Bersagliere, and Carabiniere
1 x SQD Savoia Marchetti 79 Patrol Bombers
1 x SQD Picchiatelli 87R2 Fighter Bombers
************************************************************
Battle Report
8 Feb 1941
Surface Action…….vic; lat : 35.8586; long : 14.4781
Our Intelligence service in Libya reported a heavy convoy including an aircraft carrier, sailing toward Malta. ADM Iachino made an immediate urgent request for additional Destroyer support from Destroyer Squadron 21. Additionally Contact was made with ADM Karl Donitz for a complete listing of all U-Boats operating in the Med. Four KriegsMarine U-Boats formed a wolf pack West of Malta and penetrated the British Submarine Screen. Korvetten Kaptain Prien remarked that the British submarine screen was tighter then passing thru the Straits of Gibraltar! Throughout the day the British Destroyer screen also pursued the U –boats and released death charge after depth charge. Civilians on Malta were able to gather over 30 tons of stunned fish that washed up on the southern shores as a result of the hammering British Destroyers inflicted on the U-Boats. The Regia AeroNautica flew cover sorties from Siracusa, Sicily and Strumo 86, 87, 92 and 99 Macchi C.202 fighters now flew reinforced cover for Savoia Marchetti 79 Patrol Bombers and Picchiatelli 87R2 Fighter Bombers. However, British fighter interceptors were radar vectored to intercept our bombers and fighters. The radar fields in Malta must be destroyed. Again the British aircraft darkened the sky. The decks of our fleet were thick with the smoke of cordite and deep with anti-air shell casings. The Regia Marina proved again that it was more then capable of engaging the British Navy on the surface but with the Allies in almost complete control of the skies, concentration on gunnery and navigation was hampered. The British aircraft carrier HMS Fencer was attacked at long range by Picchiatelli Fighter Bombers and damaged with long range gunnery by the Battleship Giulio Cesare. The final blow was delivered by U-100. HMS Fencer and all aircraft on board now decorate the bottom of the Mediterranean. Superb gunnery from the Battleship Giulio Cesare dealt British cruisers a trip to the bottom of the Med as the HMS York and Bonaventure sank. Many small fishing craft came out to rescue the British Sailors and many were taught the lessons of Dunkirk again. The British Destroyer fleet continues to present problems but we continue to swat them like so many flies. The Cruiser Bolzano was assaulted repeatedly by wave after wave of British Barracudas with many scoring direct hits. Bolzano's Destroyer escort was sunk and the Bolzano had to disengage and return to Tarento. Two Allied Cargo ships disembarked at Grand Harbour with numerous army and air force personnel and stores, 8 x 3.7 inch anti-aircraft guns, predictors, height finders, replacement anti-aircraft gun barrels, 100 Bren light machine guns and 10,000 rounds of Bofors ammunition. Regia Marina is in Firm control of the Med, however the sea is full of the Allied submarines and the skys are filled with allied aircraft. Respectfully request Regia Marina Supremo Contact the KriegsMarine about lost submarines U- 47, U-70, U-99, U-100.
Signals dispatch signed:
- ADM Iachino
Summery:
British Navy loss:
1 x CA HMS York
1 x CL HMS Bonaventure
1 x CVE HMS Fencer
2 x DD HMS Exmoor and Blackpool
2 x SS HMS Snapper and HMS Triton
2 x LST HMS Transylvania and HMS Dunvegan Castle
1 x Barracuda Fighter SQDRON
1 x Sword Fish Torpedo SQDRON
1 x SeaHawk Fighter SQDRON
Regia Marina loss:
1 x CA Pola
3 x DD Leone Pancaldo, Alfieri, Giosue Carducci
1 x SQD Savoia Marchetti 79 Patrol Bombers
1 x SQD Picchiatelli 87R2 Fighter Bombers
KriegsMarine Loss:
4 x SS: U- 47, U-70, U-99, U-100
|
