Battle of Cape Spada

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The Battle of Cape Spada was a World War II naval engagement in July 1940 near Crete, in which Allied destroyers and cruisers ambushed and defeated an Italian cruiser force in the Mediterranean.


Statements (47)
Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II battle
naval battle
alsoKnownAs Action off Cape Spada
belligerent Regia Marina
Royal Australian Navy
Royal Navy
campaign Mediterranean naval campaign of World War II
casualties significant Italian casualties
combatType surface ship action
commander Ferdinando Casardi NERFINISHED
John Collins
conflict World War II
countryInvolved Australia
Kingdom of Italy NERFINISHED
United Kingdom
date 19 July 1940
followedBy subsequent Allied operations against Italian shipping in the Aegean
location Mediterranean Sea
off Cape Spada, Crete
navalForceType light cruisers and destroyers
near Crete
notableFor destruction of a modern Italian light cruiser
successful Allied cruiser–destroyer cooperation
outcome Bartolomeo Colleoni sunk
Giovanni dalle Bande Nere damaged
partOf Mediterranean theatre of World War II
precededBy early Mediterranean naval skirmishes of 1940
primaryAlliedCruiser HMAS Sydney
primaryItalianCruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni
Giovanni dalle Bande Nere
region Aegean Sea area
result Allied victory
shipInvolved HMAS Sydney
HMS Hasty NERFINISHED
HMS Havock NERFINISHED
HMS Hero NERFINISHED
HMS Hyperion NERFINISHED
HMS Ilex NERFINISHED
Italian cruiser Bartolomeo Colleoni
Italian cruiser Giovanni dalle Bande Nere
strategicEffect demonstrated Allied naval superiority in Eastern Mediterranean
tacticalFeature cruiser HMAS Sydney delivered decisive gunfire
use of destroyers to shadow and engage
tacticalSituation Allied force ambushed Italian cruisers
theatre Eastern Mediterranean
timeOfDay morning engagement
year 1940

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
HMS Kimberley
participatedIn

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