Battle of the Rock Sea
AP Wire, 10th January 1940
MAJOR NAVAL BATTLE OFF GIBRALTAR!!
Italian Navy defeats UK! Surrounds British Possession!
As many of our readers know, last month the forces of Italy made an armed landing using various methods of subterfuge against the British possession of Gibraltar. Despite initial success, their forces were slowly forced away from their goals by British defenders. Now, with a new month upon us, the Italian Commando Supremo has apparently upped the ante in their bid to close one end of the Mediterranean to British ships.
On the morning of January 4th, two Italian fleets set sail from Sicily, with transport ships gliding along not far behind. By the morning of the 5th, all combat ships were at general quarters, and closing on a British fleet of unknown strength. Although the orders of battle for both sides were confused for the first day of battle, we now have been able to obtain a list of combatants;
The Royal Navy contingent consisted of the Battleship Revenge, the Battlecruiser Repulse, the Carrier Hermes, 2 Heavy Cruisers, 4 Light Cruisers, and 5 Destroyers. The Italian naval force contained the Battleship Imperio, 3 Heavy Cruisers: Zara, Pola, and Fiume, 2 Light Cruisers, 4 Destroyers, and 6 Submarines.
Naval strategists around the world will be interested to know that the Hermes' air units found the enemy first, and drew first blood. At approximately 9 AM on the morning of January 5th, a spotter plane launched from the Hermes found the Italian escorts, and directed a squadron each of Skua and Swordfish bombers down onto the Italian destroyers. By 9:30, one Italian Destroyer was sunk, and another was aflame. Not to be outdone, the Italian AA gunners managed to down all of the Swordfish and 2 of the Skuas. With their presence detected, the Italian fleet accelerated, heading straight for the British warships. Late arrivals from Britain meant that the UK ships were slightly disorganized when the Italians reached gunnery range. Seizing the opportunity, the Imperio led the Italian fleet as they crossed the British "T". Shells from the Imperio, the Fiume, and both Light Cruisers found their marks as the Revenge took a pounding. Swathed in smoke, the Revenge fell out of line badly hurt. The Italian destroyers attempted to make a torpedo run on the injured leviathan, but found only large-caliber shells and watery graves for their trouble. Seeing the flagship afire, the Repulse emerged from the smoke to light up the Imperio with her own big guns. Escorts dodged in and out over a period of 3 hours as gunners on both sides tried to find the range. Individual ships engaged each other at distances usually reserved for rifle fire as smoke obscured the battlefield. Unwilling to leave their transports uncovered, the Italian fleet did not press for Gibraltar, but spent the early afternoon sparring with the British ships in an attempt to clear a lane to the beaches. When dusk settled in, both sides had lost 4 destroyers, while the Battleship Revenge was still afloat, and the Fiume was now trailing smoke. Almost no ship was damage-free, save the Hermes and the submarines.
January 6th dawned bright and early, and the Imperio's crew was eating breakfast at their guns when the Skuas returned. Two torpedoes found their mark, but the big ship hardly even slowed. Switching tactics from the day before, the Italian fleet approached the British en masse, using their submarines to pick off individual ships. Having lost most of their Destroyers on the 5th, both sides used their Light Cruisers to feel out the enemy, resulting in heavy casualties on board those ships. Unable to determine what was causing them so much damage, the Royal Navy lost a Destroyer and a Light Cruiser before breaking contact at 1 PM. Still unable to land their troops safely, the Italians were forced to keep their distance from Gibraltar and her shore batteries.
On the 7th, the British fleet sallied forth once more to attempt to drive away the invaders. The Naval Air boys once again led the way, putting two more torpedoes into the Imperio, who now had a visible list to port. Distracted by the air attack, the Italians didn't notice shells from the Revenge falling nearby until it was too late. Packed tightly due to a squall the night before, two Light Cruisers were taken out in a single volley, as a giant explosion lit the morning sky. Passing nearby, the Fiume also took major damage, barely staying afloat. Determined to carry the fight to the enemy, the Repulse engaged the Imperio for the second time in two days. Her shells knocked out the Imperio's #3 turret, but the big ship continued to fight. No longer aflame, but still hurting the Revenge moved into the midst of the Italian fleet, guns blazing. As she became separated from the rest of the UK ships, she found herself the center of a lot of attention. Finally unable to withstand no more damage, the big ship rolled over and sank at 11:15 in the morning. The British fleet had just lost their flagship, and the momentum shifted squarely to the Italians. With the sinking of the Revenge, the British fleet made a fighting retreat, sinking the Fiume while losing two Light Cruisers to further submarine attacks. As night fell, both sides knew that the next day would determine the battle.
Unable to win the battle without attacking the enemy's submarines, the British admiral decided that he would use the 8th to seek out and harass the subs to the greatest extent possible while his remaining big ships went for the throat. His plan got off to a great start, as a dawn air raid caught Italian Submarine #55 recharging her batteries. The three remaining British planes put a torpedo into the 55, but she managed to submerge. Knowing that they were now being targeted, the Italian submariners spread out, opening the way for the British to move in. Knowing that much of the plan depended on her, the Repulse more than did her duty, as volley after volley from her forward batteries turned the Imperio into a flaming hulk, and the Imperio exploded, sending the Italian flagship to Davy Jones' locker at 10:11 AM. The Zara and the Pola, being the last two Italian warships afloat, pulled back to protect the transports, fending off a British slash by sinking a Light Cruiser. Sensing blood, the UK naval forces moved in for the kill. And into a trap.
Seeing their flagship sunk, the Italian submarines responded with a massive torpedo assault. Hit after hit rocked the British ships, as the ones left afloat were ill equipped to fight off submarine attack. They did manage to sink submarine #55, but by 2:20 in the afternoon, there were no British ships left in the area. A huge oil slick marked the Repulse's burial site, and two smoke clouds marked the last vestiges of two UK Heavy Cruisers. The remaining three planes from the Hermes appeared overhead one last time, sending Sub #56 to the bottom, but the Hermes quietly withdrew to the Atlantic while her planes headed for Gibraltar.
Still needing to see their charges safely to shore, the Zara and the Pola moved to engage Gibraltar's shore batteries. Eight 10-inch guns marked the entrance to the Atlantic, and they out ranged the guns on the Italian Heavy Cruisers. The first volley from Gibraltar rocked the Zara, but as the ranged closed, the Italians were able to use their heavier volume of fire to destroy the gun emplacements one by one. Less than an hour before sunset, the last British gun ceased firing--her entire crew dead or wounded. The Zara was badly wounded, but in no danger of sinking. Getting her fires under control, Zara turned for home at reduced speed while the Pola guarded her wards until they hit the beach. When dawn broke yesterday morning, the British defenders on Gibraltar were faced with a new predicament: fresh Italian invaders, and the guns of a Heavy Cruiser.
While their fleet was decimated, the Italians had done what they came to do: reinforce their invasion force. And in the meantime, they had managed to win what is now known as The Battle at Rock Sea.