Battle of Cape Matapan

The Battle of Cape Matapan was a World War II naval battle fought off the Peloponnesus coast of Greece from 27 March to 29 March 1941 in which British naval forces under the command of Admiral Andrew Cunningham defeated those of Italy under Admiral Angelo Iachino. The British sank the heavy cruisers Fiume, Zara and Pola and the destroyers Vittorio Alfieri and Giosue Carducci, and damaged the battleship Vittorio Veneto. The British lost one torpedo plane and suffered light damage to some ships.

The British forces comprised the main battle fleet, consisting of the aircraft carrier Formidable, the World War I battleships Barham, Valiant and Warspite (flagship), and the destroyers of the 10th Flotilla (Greyhound, Griffin and Stuart), the 14th Flotilla (Jervis, Janus, Mohawk and Nubian), Hotspur and Havock, and a second force under Pridham-Wippell, consisting of the light cruisers Ajax, Gloucester, Orion and Perth, and the destroyers Hasty, Hereward and Ilex (the Vendetta had returned to Alexandria).

(Defender, Jaguar and Juno wait in the Kithira Channel. Decoy, Vampire, Carlisle, Calcutta and Bonaventure nearby)

The Italian fleet was under Admiral Iachino in the modern battleship C. Cattaneo), Fiume and Pola and four destroyers of the 9th Flotilla (Alfredo Oriani, Giosue Carducci, Vincenzo Gioberti and Vittorio Alfieri), and Trieste (Vice-Admiral L. Sansonetti), Trento and Bolzano and three destroyers of the 12th Flotilla (Ascari, Corazziere and Carabiniere), plus the light cruisers Luigi di Savoia Duca Degli Abruzzi (Vice-Admiral A. Legnano) and Giuseppe Garibaldi and nine destroyers of the 6th Flotilla (Emanuel Pessagno, Nicolosa de Recco). None of the Italian ships had radar, although several British ships did.

(other destroyers were 13th Flotilla (Alpino, Bersagliere, Fuciliere, Granatiere), 10th Flotilla (Grecale, Libeccio, Maestrale, Scirocco) with Gradisca separate. Not sure about which Flotillas were with which group for either country)

The interception was made possible by cryptanalysis and Admiral Cunningham is said to have made a surreptitious exit from a club in Egypt to avoid being seen going aboard ship. Additionally, efforts were made to ensure there was a plausible alternative reason for the British to intercept the Italian fleet; in this case it was a carefully directed scout plane.