This is part one in a two-part series of articles. on the Axis powers’ huge tonnage losses by units operating from Malta between May and November 1941

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After the fall of Crete to the Germans in late May 1941, the Royal Navy regained its ascendancy in the central Mediterranean in a series of successful convoy attacks. Malta’s position between Sicily and North Africa was perfect to interdict Axis supply convoys destined for North Africa. Losses in terms of Axis shipping could, thus, influence the campaign in North Africa and support Allied actions against Italy.

Badge of submarine HMS Unique. Source: NWM Collection

Sinking of the troopship Conte Rosso

Just before the fall of Crete, a Malta-based submarine, HMS Upholder, under the command of Lieutenant Commander David Wanklyn, scored another success. After an Italian convoy consisting of the troopships Conte Rosso, Victoria, Marco Polo and Esperia, packed with Italian troops, was sailing past Syracuse, Sicily, on May 24, 1941, HMS Upholder was in that vicinity, aimed at Conte Rosso and sank the ship. In all, 1,212 perished and 1,520 were saved. 

RAF bombers, FAA torpedo-bombers and RN submarines successes against Italian merchant-ships

On June 3, five Blenheims of No. 139 Squadron from Malta attacked a convoy of six ships, bound from Naples for Tripoli, off the Kerkennah Bank and sank the steamer Montello, with a cargo of ammunition and fuel, which blew up, and the Beatrice Costa, with a cargo of fuel oil in drums, which caught fire. She was later sunk by her escort. 

The air/naval war in the Mediterranean continued when, in July 2, the Italian motor vessel Sparta was hit and set on fire in Tripoli harbour by Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers from Ħal Far airfield, where she sank but was later salvaged. 

The next day, while sailing from Taranto to Tripoli, the Italian steamship Laura C was torpedoed by HMS Upholder near Capo dell’Armi in the Ionian Sea, where she was towed and beached at the mouth of the river Molaro in Calabria but sank at 6pm. 

HMS Upholder (left) and HMS Urge berthed at Lazzaretto, Manoel Island. Photo: NWM Archives

On July 9, a Bristol Blenheim of No. 110 Squadron operating from Luqa airfield crashed on the torpedo-boat Mosto during a daylight raid on Tripoli, where she was beached and later towed to Naples for repairs. 

Seven days later (July 16), the Italian motor vessel Barbarigo, while sailing in convoy from Tripoli to Naples, was sunk at 2pm, 20 miles south of Pantelleria by HMS P33. She was part of a convoy consisting of the Italian motor vessels Rialto, Sebastian and Andrea Gritti and the German steamer Penier, escorted by the destroyers Alpino, Fuciliere and Malocello and the torpedo boats Procione, Orsa and Pegaso. 

On July 22, the German ammunition ship Preussen, sailing in a convoy of four ships escorted by five destroyers, was attacked by Bristol Blenheims from Luqa airfield while sailing from Palermo to Tripoli and blew up when she received a direct hit. Another ship, the tanker Brarena, was hit by incendiaries 80 miles south of Pantelleria. 

The troopships Victoria, Esperia and Conte Rosso. Source: Ufficcio Storico della Marina (USDM)

Sinking of the large troopship Esperia

On August 2, 1941, during Operation ‘Style’, HMS Hermione rammed and sank the Italian submarine Tembien south-west of Sicily, off Tunis, while the cruiser was bound for Malta with troops, together with HMS Manxman, HMS Arethusa, HMS Sikh and HMS Lightning. Five days later (August 7), the Italian cargo ship Nita, which was bound for Tripoli from Naples with a cargo of petrol, was attacked 25 miles south of Lampedusa by six Fairey Swordfish of No. 830 Squadron from Ħal Far airfield and she sank in flames at 1.30am. 

On August 18, the ammunition ship Maddalena Odero, in convoy from Naples to Tripoli, was torpedoed, 17 miles south of Lampedusa and was beached by her crew at Cala Croce. She was attacked by five Bristol Blenheims of No. 105 Squadron from Malta next morning at 10.30am and blew up. Two days later (August 20), the Italian large passenger ship  Esperia, which was sailing from Naples together with the liners Marco Polo, Neptunia and Oceania, was sunk by HMS Unique in broad daylight at 10.17, 11 miles from Tripoli. 

On August 20, 1941, Esperia was carrying 1,170 troops, when she was sunk by HMS Unique. Photo: USDM

Hitler sends U-boats to the Mediterranean

The Kriegsmarine Commander-in-Chief, Admiral Erich Raeder, spoke about his concern at the deteriorating situation in the Mediterranean as the Axis convoys to Libya were being hounded by the submarines and aircraft from Malta. 

At a conference with the Führer on July 26, 1941, Raeder disagreed with the suggestion made by Hitler to send U-boats into the Mediterranean as these were required in the Atlantic. 

“Losses could influence campaign in N. Africa and support Allied factions”

But Hitler insisted that “...it is very desirable to relieve the Afrika Korps with a few German submarines…” and he proposed sending three groups of two vessels each, totalling six in all. The Germans asked to set up base at La Spezia to supply the submarines in the Western Mediterranean and at Salamis, in Greece for submarines in the Eastern Mediterranean. 

The Italian steamship Laura C. Photo: NWM Archives

All the U-boats were to come under a new command in Rome, Fuhrer der U-Boote Italien. The first U-boat to arrive in the Mediterranean was U-371 on September 21, followed by U-97 and U-559 on September 26, and U-331, on September 29. During the next month (October), two other U-boats arrived in the Mediterranean, which were U-75 on October 3 and U-79 two days later (October 5). 

Sinking of two large troopships Neptunia and Oceania

Meanwhile, in mid-September 1941, the submarines of the 10th Flotilla operating from Malta made one of their biggest successes against the Axis convoys sent to reinforce the Afrika Korps in Libya. On September 17, a report was received from Ultra that a large Italian convoy from Taranto, comprising of the troopships Oceania, Neptunia and Vulcania, was on his way to Libya. HMS Unbeaten, HMS Upholder, HMS Upright and HMS Ursula were ordered to sail. 

The Italian troopship Neptunia is seen sinking at about 6.30am of September 18, 1941, after she was hit at 4.15am by a torpedo from HMS Upholder. Photo: USDM

In the early morning of September 18, HMS Upholder (Lieutenant Commander David Wanklyn) spotted the convoy and fired four torpedoes, where two hit Neptunia and one hit Oceania. The submarine dived but later resurfaced again firing two torpedoes against the stricken Neptunia, which sank in eight minutes. Two of the troopships were sunk, while Vulcania (although damaged) succeeded to reach Tripoli. Apart from that, 400 troops out of a total of 6,900, perished.

To be continued.