Operation Abstention

Operation Abstention
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War

Italian destroyer Francesco Crispi
Date25–28 February 1941
Location
Island of Kastelorizo, eastern Aegean Sea
36°09′00″N 29°35′24″E / 36.15000°N 29.59000°E / 36.15000; 29.59000
Result Italian victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom
 Australia
 Italy
Commanders and leaders
Andrew Cunningham
E. de F. Renouf
H. J. Egerton
Luigi Biancheri
Francesco Mimbelli
Strength
2 light cruisers
7 destroyers
1 gunboat
1 submarine
1 armed yacht
200 commandos
200 soldiers and marines
2 destroyers
2 torpedo boats
2 MAS boats
SM.79 bombers
SM.81 bombers
280 soldiers
88 marines
Casualties and losses
5 killed
10 wounded
20 captured or interned
7 missing[1]
1 destroyer damaged
1 gunboat damaged
14 killed
12 captured[2]

Operation Abstention (25–28 February 1941) was the code name of a British invasion of the Italian island of Kastelorizo (Castellorizo) off the Turkish Aegean coast, during the Second World War. The goal was to establish a motor torpedo-boat base to challenge Italian naval and air supremacy on the Greek Dodecanese islands.[3] The British landings were opposed by Italian land, air and naval forces, which forced the British troops to re-embark amidst some confusion and led to recriminations between the British commanders for underestimating the Italians.