The Mediterranean Operation
By the Spring, the Kriegsmarine had been reduced to a handful of cruisers, destroyers and auxiliary craft, its main operations now submarine raiding of merchant shipping and mineplaying.
But there was little let-up for the naval war. By the end of June, with the invasion of France ongoing, Italy had joined the war on Germany's side, hoping to carve out a Meditteranean empire for herself.
Italy had been an ambitious, if unsuccessful, naval power since her unification. Unlike Germany, however, she was permitted to retain a navy under the Naval Treaties following WWI. At the outbreak of war, she possessed four battleships, like the
Conte di Cavour, which though built during World War I had been substantially upgraded through the 1930s. Also under construction were the ships of the
Littorio class, of equal weight and arguably superior firepower to the King George V class.
Just as importantly, the Italians had a dominant strategic position in the Mediterranean. The Italian peninsula,Sicily and Sardinia dominate the Central Med, providing plentiful airbases and anchorages. Italy also controlled the North African shore of Libya. The continuing Axis expansion in Eastern Europe threatened an invasion of Greece, while Italian land forces were aimed at the French posessions of Algeria and, of course, British Egypt.
The Mediterranean Fleet had for a number of years been an 'old ladies squadron' of
Queen Elizabeths. However, with the North Sea considered relatively safe, the brand new
Duke of York and
Anson were despatched to Alexandria. While in winter the Med was a considerably better posting, the crews would, by July much have preferred to be in the temperate North Sea than enduring the scorching Egyption heat!
The Mediterranean war got off to a slow start, with destroyers on anti-submarine patrol in the Eastern Med intercepting troopships en route from the Adriatic back to Taranto.
The original Admiralty plan was to wait until decisive superiority could be achieved; two new aircraft carriers were entering service shortly, freeing up more capital ships from the Home Fleet, while a range of Coastal Command aircraft were being trasferred transferred to bases like Malta.
However, pressure from the Army to cut Italian supply lines in North Africa led to a change of plan. The Italian forces depended entirely on food, fuel and munitions from Europe, and the Med Fleet Battle Squadron was eminently suited to denying sea space to enemy convoys.
The Italian fleet decided to risk an engagement, but British shellfire at long range was accurate, and able to penetrate the armour on the Italian
Andrea Doria, causing fire to break out. The Italian fleet disengaged, and damage to Andrea Doria was irreversible; many of the crew were able to escape as the ship's innards burnt out. On the British side, several 15" shells impacted on
Rodney; while her armour held, much of her secondary armament was taken out of action.