Operation Grog

Operation Grog
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II

Armour-piercing shell fired by HMS Malaya, in the nave of Genoa Cathedral
DateFebruary 9, 1941
Location
Genoa, Italy
Result British victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom  Italy
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom James Somerville Fascist Italy Ferdinando Casardi
Strength

Royal Navy Force H

Anti-aircraft and coastal artillery
Casualties and losses
1 Swordfish aircraft 5 cargo ships sunk
18 damaged (British sources)
1 training ship sunk
2 ships damaged (Italian sources)
14 lighters sunk[1]
144 killed and 242 wounded
Severe damage to port[2]

Operation Grog was the name assigned to the British naval and air bombardment of Genoa and La Spezia on 9 February 1941, by the Royal Navy's Force H, consisting of the battleship HMS Malaya, aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, battlecruiser HMS Renown, and light cruiser HMS Sheffield screened by ten fleet destroyers including HMS Fearless, HMS Foxhound, HMS Foresight, HMS Fury, HMS Firedrake and HMS Jersey.[3][4]

  1. ^ Bagnasco, Ermingo (2011). The Littorio Class: Italy's Last and Largest Battleships. Seaforth Publishing. p. 191. ISBN 978-1-84832-105-2.
  2. ^ Titterton, G. A (2002). Brown, David (ed.). The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: November 1940-December 1941 Volume 2 Naval Staff Histories Series. Psychology Press. pp. 52–53. ISBN 978-0-7146-5205-4.
  3. ^ Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd). "SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2:HMS RENOWN - Renown-class 15in gun Battlecruiser". Naval-History.Net. Retrieved 9 July 2010.
  4. ^ Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd). "SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2:HMS Fearless(H67)". Naval-History.Net. Retrieved 9 July 2010.