Second Battle of Sirte

Second Battle of Sirte
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of Second World War
British cruisers Cleopatra (making smoke) and Euryalus (foreground) moving into action
Date 22 March 1942 Location Gulf of Sidra, Mediterranean Sea 34°00′N 17°30′E / 34.0°N 17.5°E / 34.0; 17.5 Result See Analysis section
Belligerents
British Empire	Italy
Commanders and leaders
Philip Vian	Angelo Iachino
Strength
4 light cruisers 1 anti-aircraft cruiser 18 destroyers 1 submarine	1 battleship 2 heavy cruisers 1 light cruiser 10 destroyers 1 submarine
Casualties and losses
39 killed 3 light cruisers damaged 2 destroyers disabled 3 destroyers damaged	No casualties 1 battleship slightly damaged

The Second Battle of Sirte (on 22 March 1942) was a naval engagement in the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Gulf of Sidra and south-east of Malta, during the Second World War. The escorting warships of a British convoy to Malta held off a much more powerful squadron of the Regia Marina (Italian Navy). The British convoy was composed of four merchant ships, escorted by four light cruisers, one anti-aircraft cruiser and 17 destroyers. The Italian force comprised a battleship, two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser and ten destroyers.^[1] Despite the British success at warding off the Italian squadron, the Italian fleet attack delayed the convoy's planned arrival before dawn, which exposed it to intense air attacks that sank all four merchant ships and one of the escorting destroyers in the following days.^[2]