Action in the Strait of Otranto

This article is about the World War II battle. For the World War I battle, see Battle of the Strait of Otranto (1917).

Action in the Strait of Otranto (1940)
Part of The Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War

HMAS Sydney in 1940
Date12 November 1940 (1940-11-12)
Location
Strait of Otranto, Adriatic Sea
40°48′19″N 18°41′25″E / 40.80528°N 18.69028°E / 40.80528; 18.69028
Result British victory
Belligerents
  Italy
Commanders and leaders
Henry Pridham-Wippell Giovanni Barbini (WIA)
Strength
  • 3 light cruisers
  • 2 destroyers
  • 1 torpedo boat
  • 1 auxiliary cruiser
  • 4 merchantmen
Casualties and losses
Nil 47 killed
59 wounded
4 merchantmen sunk
1 torpedo boat damaged

The Action in the Strait of Otranto [also the Battle of the Strait of Otranto (1940)] was the destruction of an Italian convoy on 12 November 1940 during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War. It took place in the Strait of Otranto in the Adriatic Sea, between the Royal Navy and the Italian Royal Navy (Regia Marina).

In late 1940, Italian ships had been transporting men, equipment and supplies from Brindisi to the Albanian ports of Valona and Durazzo for another offensive against Greece, during the Italo-Greek War (28 October 1940 – 23 April 1941). On 21 October 1940, Supermarina, the Italian Admiralty, established Maritrafalba to convoy ships sailing between Brindisi, Valona, and Durazzo.

The British conducted several operations by the Mediterranean Fleet from Alexandria and Force H from Gibraltar, several convoys to Greece and Malta, the return of ships from Malta, ship reinforcements to the Mediterranean Fleet by Force H, attacks by carrier aircraft on Sardinian airfields, the Battle of Taranto (11/12 November) and a raid into the southern Adriatic to attack convoys on the Brindisi–Valona route.

Force X, three British light cruisers and two destroyers from the Mediterranean Fleet, sailed north to the Strait of Otranto in the Adriatic on 11 November, catching a convoy of four merchant ships, with two Regia Marina escorts, returning from Valona that night. Force X sank the freighters and damaged an escort for no loss, then rejoined the Mediterranean Fleet.