Action off Cape Passero

Action off Cape Passero
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War
The light cruiser HMS Ajax
Date 12 October 1940 Location Off Cape Passaro, Mediterranean Sea 36°13′19.62″N 15°43′56.71″E / 36.2221167°N 15.7324194°E / 36.2221167; 15.7324194 Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Italy
Commanders and leaders
Edward McCarthy	Alberto Banfi Carlo Margottini †
Strength
1 light cruiser	4 destroyers 3 torpedo boats
Casualties and losses
13 killed 22 wounded 1 light cruiser damaged	1 destroyer sunk 2 torpedo boats sunk 1 destroyer damaged

The Action off Cape Passero, was a naval engagement in the Second World War between the British light cruiser HMS Ajax, three torpedo boats and seven destroyers of the Italian Regia Marina, in the central Mediterranean, to the south-east of Sicily, on the night of 11/12 October 1940.

In Operation MB 6, the Mediterranean Fleet covered Convoy MF 3 from Alexandria to Malta and Convoy MF 4 from Malta to Alexandria. Supermarina had prepared the Strait of Sicily Device (Dispositivo del Canale di Sicilia) with torpedo boats, MAS (Motoscafo armato siluranti, torpedo-armed motorboats), minefields and submarines against ships trying to pass the Sicilian Narrows at night.

The Dispositivo was implemented on the night of 11/12 October and ships were sent to the east of Malta in case the British returned to Alexandria. Three torpedo boats and four destroyers attacked the cruiser Ajax which suffered minor damage. Two torpedo boats were sunk and several torpedo boats and destroyers were damaged.

The next morning, Artigliere, a damaged destroyer, was sunk by HMS York. Supermarina was dismayed by the superiority of the British in night-fighting against some of their best ships and crews. On 13 October, Illustrious, with escorts, detached from the Mediterranean Fleet towards the Dodecanese and its Swordfish bombed the Italian airfield on Leros.