Battle of the Espero Convoy

Battle of the Espero Convoy
Part of The Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War
HMS Orion, c. 1942
Date 28 June 1940 Location Off Crete, Mediterranean 35°08′16.36″N 20°34′37.27″E / 35.1378778°N 20.5770194°E / 35.1378778; 20.5770194 Result See Aftermath
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Australia	Italy
Commanders and leaders
John Tovey	Enrico Baroni †
Strength
5 light cruisers	3 destroyers
Casualties and losses
1 light cruiser damaged	175 killed 44 captured 1 destroyer sunk

The Battle of the Espero Convoy (Battaglia del convoglio Espero) on 28 June 1940, was the first surface engagement between Italian and Allied warships of the Second World War. Three 36 kn (41 mph; 67 km/h) Italian destroyers made a dash from Taranto for Tobruk in Libya to transport Blackshirt (Milizia Volontaria per la Sicurezza Nazionale) anti-tank units, in case of an armoured attack from Egypt by the British.

By coincidence, the Mediterranean Fleet was at sea to conduct a destroyer anti-submarine sweep around Crete and provide cover for three Allied convoys to Egypt, one from Turkey and two from Malta. British aircraft from Malta spotted the Italian destroyers and the 7th Cruiser Squadron turned to intercept them; a running fight took place south-west of Crete, in which the destroyers were impeded by their cargoes and an adverse sea.

The Italian destroyer Espero (Captain Enrico Baroni) was sunk while covering the escape of the destroyers Zeffiro and Ostro to Benghazi; 53 of the 225 crew and passengers were rescued, three of whom died of their wounds. The British and Australian cruisers expended a huge amount of ammunition and the Malta convoys had to be postponed until they had replenished from the eight hundred 6-inch shells in reserve. Convoy AS 1 from Turkey arrived safely by 3 July.