Battle of Cape Matapan

Battle of Cape Matapan
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean
Map of the battle
Date 27–29 March 1941 Location Off Cape Matapan, Mediterranean Sea 35°21′00″N 22°00′00″E / 35.35000°N 22.00000°E / 35.35000; 22.00000 Result Allied victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Australia	Italy
Commanders and leaders
Andrew Cunningham	Angelo Iachino
Strength
1 aircraft carrier 3 battleships 7 light cruisers 17 destroyers	1 battleship 6 heavy cruisers 2 light cruisers 13 destroyers
Casualties and losses
3 killed 4 light cruisers damaged 1 aircraft destroyed	2,300 killed 1,015 captured 3 heavy cruisers sunk 2 destroyers sunk 1 battleship damaged 1 destroyer damaged

The Battle of Cape Matapan (Greek: Ναυμαχία του Ταινάρου) was a naval battle during the Second World War between the Allies, represented by the navies of the United Kingdom and Australia, and the Royal Italian navy, from 27 to 29 March 1941. Cape Matapan is on the south-western coast of the Peloponnesian peninsula of Greece.

After the interception and decryption of Italian signals by the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park (the decrypted intelligence codenamed Ultra),^[1] ships of the Royal Navy and Royal Australian Navy, under the command of Royal Navy Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham, intercepted and sank or severely damaged several ships of the Italian Regia Marina under Squadron-Vice-Admiral Angelo Iachino. The opening actions of the battle are also known in Italy as the Battle of Gaudo.