Battle of the Duisburg Convoy
Encyclopedia
The Battle of the Duisburg Convoy was fought on the night of 8–9 November 1941 between an Italian convoy
sailing to Libya with supplies for the Italian Army, civilian authorities in Libya, and the Afrika Corps and a British Naval squadron which intercepted it. The convoy was named "Beta" by the Italian naval authorities, but is now often referred to as "Duisburg Convoy" after the German steamer Duisburg which was the largest ship in the convoy. The Royal Navy
's Force K
annihilated the Convoy sinking all the merchant ships and the destroyer Fulmine
with no loss and almost no damage (Lively suffered some splinter damage). The Maestrale class destroyer
Libeccio was sunk the next day by British submarine HMS Upholder
while picking up survivors.
were supplied across the Mediterranean. The besieged island of Malta was a key British base in the Mediterranean from where the British were able to interdict Axis supplies to Libya. Allied aircraft and ships were sinking up to 60% of Axis shipping.
The convoy was protected by a close escort and a distant escort.
Close Escort under command of Captain Ugo Bisciani
Distant Escort under command of Rear Admiral Bruno Bronovesi
Force K under command of Captain W.G. Agnew
); this camouflaged the use of Ultra which came from reading German secret messages. Force K left Malta
to intercept the convoy.
At the same time, a 12 Blenheim
bombers from Malta were dispatched over Cape Spartivento to attack a smaller convoy of two merchantmen escorted by an Italian destroyer. One of the freighters was set ablaze, but the British lost two bombers to the escorts.
The British navy had the advantage of radar which the Italians lacked. Having located the main convoy they took up position with the moon silhouetting the convoy. The British gunnery was directed by radar and they fired from no more than 5,500 yards.
Grecale was hit by Auroras first three salvos and was left dead in the water, with a fire aboard. The British destroyers opened fire on the convoy itself. Aurora then fired on Maestrale, which had already been hit by Penelope. Once the radio masts had been shot away, Captain Bisciani lost much of his ability to direct the convoy escort. Fulmine attacked the British force but was hit by both Lance and Penelope and as a result capsized and sank.
The distant covering force, despite being only nine nautical mile
s away, did not interfere constructively due to confusion, firing some rounds ineffectively in the dark. Although they circled the convoy it coincided with the British movements such that the convoy remained between them. In the course of the battle the British closed with the convoy which took no evasive action and finished them off with guns and torpedoes.
The convoy escort destroyers attempted to engage the British force while using smoke to cover themselves but caused no particular damage.
The British retired to Malta at high speed with ineffective pursuit by the covering force.
All told, Force K sank some 39,800 tons of Axis shipping.
Convoy
A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support, though it may also be used in a non-military sense, for example when driving through remote areas.-Age of Sail:Naval...
sailing to Libya with supplies for the Italian Army, civilian authorities in Libya, and the Afrika Corps and a British Naval squadron which intercepted it. The convoy was named "Beta" by the Italian naval authorities, but is now often referred to as "Duisburg Convoy" after the German steamer Duisburg which was the largest ship in the convoy. The Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
's Force K
Force K
Force K was the designation for three British Royal Navy task forces during World War II. The first Force K operated from West Africa in 1939. The second and third Force Ks operated from Malta in 1941-1943.-First Force K:...
annihilated the Convoy sinking all the merchant ships and the destroyer Fulmine
Folgore class destroyer
The Folgore Class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy in the 1930s. All four ships fought in World War II and were sunk. They were a modified version of the Freccia class destroyers, but had the beam reduced to try to increase speed...
with no loss and almost no damage (Lively suffered some splinter damage). The Maestrale class destroyer
Maestrale class destroyer
The Maestrale class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy and served in World War II. They were an enlarged version of the Dardo class destroyers. They were 10 m longer and introduced new pattern 120 mm guns...
Libeccio was sunk the next day by British submarine HMS Upholder
HMS Upholder (P37)
HMS Upholder was a Royal Navy U-class submarine built by Vickers-Armstrong at Barrow-in-Furness. She was laid down on 30 October 1939, launched on 8 July 1940 by Mrs. Doris Thompson, wife of a director of the builders. The submarine was commissioned on 31 October 1940...
while picking up survivors.
Background
The Axis forces engaged in the war against the British in North AfricaWestern Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
were supplied across the Mediterranean. The besieged island of Malta was a key British base in the Mediterranean from where the British were able to interdict Axis supplies to Libya. Allied aircraft and ships were sinking up to 60% of Axis shipping.
Italian Forces
The convoy included two German vessels, SS Duisburg (7,889 t) and SS San Marco (3,113 t) and three Italian - the MV Maria (6,339 t), SS Sagitta (5,153 t) and MV Rina Corrado (5,180 t). Between them, these cargo vessels were carrying 389 vehicles, 34,473 tons of munitions, fuel in barrels, and their associated crew and troops for the Italian and German forces in Libya. Carrying 17,281 tons of fuel, including gasoline for German aircraft, were the Conte di Misurata (7,599 t) and Minatitlan (5,014 t).The convoy was protected by a close escort and a distant escort.
Close Escort under command of Captain Ugo Bisciani
- Maestrale classMaestrale class destroyerThe Maestrale class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy and served in World War II. They were an enlarged version of the Dardo class destroyers. They were 10 m longer and introduced new pattern 120 mm guns...
destroyers- Maestrale
- Grecale
- Libeccio,
- Folgore classFolgore class destroyerThe Folgore Class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy in the 1930s. All four ships fought in World War II and were sunk. They were a modified version of the Freccia class destroyers, but had the beam reduced to try to increase speed...
destroyer- Fulmine
- Turbine classTurbine class destroyerTurbine class was a class of destroyers built for the Italian Regia Marina in the late 1920s. They were essentially larger versions of the earlier .- Turbine class ships :*Aquilone -...
destroyer- Euro
- Oriani classOriani class destroyerThe Oriani Class were a group of four destroyers built for the Italian Navy in the late 1930s. They were a repeat of the Maestrale class destroyers, but had increased machinery power and a different anti-aircraft armament. The increase in power, however, disappointed in that there was only a...
destroyer- Oriani
Distant Escort under command of Rear Admiral Bruno Bronovesi
- 3rd Cruiser Division: Trento class cruiserTrento class cruiserThe Trento class was an Italian heavy cruiser design of the Regia Marina from the late 1920s. The three ships of the class were named after the three unredeemed cities taken from the Austro-Hungarian empire after the victory in World War I, Trento, Trieste, and Bolzano.The Trentos were the first...
s Trieste and Trento - 13th Destroyer Flotilla Soldati class destroyerSoldati class destroyerThe Soldati class were a group of destroyers built for the Italian Navy during World War II. The ships were named after military professions...
s,- Granatiere
- Fuciliere
- Bersagliere
- Alpino
British Forces
Force K was two light cruisers with six 6-inch guns each and two destroyers with eight 4-inch guns. Both cruiers and destroyers carried 21-inch torpedoes.Force K under command of Captain W.G. Agnew
William Gladstone Agnew
Vice Admiral Sir William Gladstone Agnew was a British Royal Navy officer.Agnew was the fifth son of Charles Morland Agnew and Evelyn Mary agnew nee Naylor. Agnew was educated at the Navy College in Osborne and at Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, joining the Navy in 1911...
- Arethusa classArethusa class cruiser (1934)The Arethusa class was a class of four light cruisers built for the Royal Navy between 1933 and 1937 and that served in World War II. It had been intended to construct six ships, but the last pair, Polyphemus and Minotaur were ordered in 1934 as the 9,100 ton Town class Southampton and...
light cruisers- HMS Aurora (12)HMS Aurora (12)HMS Aurora was an Arethusa-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Portsmouth Dockyard , with the keel being laid down on the 27 July 1935. She was launched on the 20 August 1936, and commissioned 12 November 1937....
(flagship) - HMS Penelope (97)HMS Penelope (97)HMS Penelope was an Arethusa-class light cruiser of the Royal Navy. She was built by Harland & Wolff , with the keel being laid down on 30 May 1934...
- HMS Aurora (12)
- L class destroyersL and M class destroyerThe L and M class was a class of sixteen destroyers which served in the British Royal Navy during World War II. The ships of the class were launched between 1939 and 1942.-Design details:...
- HMS Lance (G87)HMS Lance (G87)HMS Lance was an L-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. She entered service during World War II, and had a short but eventful career, serving in Home waters and the Mediterranean Sea. She was damaged in two consecutive air attacks at Malta in 1942. She was towed back to Britain, declared a...
- HMS Lively (G40)HMS Lively (G40)HMS Lively was an L-class destroyer of the Royal Navy.She served during the Second World War, and was sunk in the Mediterranean in an air attack on 11 May 1942....
- HMS Lance (G87)
Battle
The British discovered through "Ultra" intelligence that the Axis were about to send a large convoy to Libya. The presence of the convoy was confirmed by a Martin Maryland on air reconnaissance from Malta (piloted by Adrian WarburtonAdrian Warburton
Wing Commander Adrian "Warby" Warburton DSO & Bar, DFC & Two Bars was a Royal Air Force pilot during World War II. He became legendary in the RAF for his role in the defence of Malta...
); this camouflaged the use of Ultra which came from reading German secret messages. Force K left Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
to intercept the convoy.
At the same time, a 12 Blenheim
Bristol Blenheim
The Bristol Blenheim was a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company that was used extensively in the early days of the Second World War. It was adapted as an interim long-range and night fighter, pending the availability of the Beaufighter...
bombers from Malta were dispatched over Cape Spartivento to attack a smaller convoy of two merchantmen escorted by an Italian destroyer. One of the freighters was set ablaze, but the British lost two bombers to the escorts.
The British navy had the advantage of radar which the Italians lacked. Having located the main convoy they took up position with the moon silhouetting the convoy. The British gunnery was directed by radar and they fired from no more than 5,500 yards.
Grecale was hit by Auroras first three salvos and was left dead in the water, with a fire aboard. The British destroyers opened fire on the convoy itself. Aurora then fired on Maestrale, which had already been hit by Penelope. Once the radio masts had been shot away, Captain Bisciani lost much of his ability to direct the convoy escort. Fulmine attacked the British force but was hit by both Lance and Penelope and as a result capsized and sank.
The distant covering force, despite being only nine nautical mile
Nautical mile
The nautical mile is a unit of length that is about one minute of arc of latitude along any meridian, but is approximately one minute of arc of longitude only at the equator...
s away, did not interfere constructively due to confusion, firing some rounds ineffectively in the dark. Although they circled the convoy it coincided with the British movements such that the convoy remained between them. In the course of the battle the British closed with the convoy which took no evasive action and finished them off with guns and torpedoes.
The convoy escort destroyers attempted to engage the British force while using smoke to cover themselves but caused no particular damage.
The British retired to Malta at high speed with ineffective pursuit by the covering force.
All told, Force K sank some 39,800 tons of Axis shipping.