The Battle of Cape Matapan was a Second World War naval engagement fought from 27–29 March, 1941. Cape Matapan is on the southwest coast of Greece's Peloponnese peninsula. Acting on intercepted signals broken by the Government Code and Cypher School (GC&CS) at Bletchley Park, a force of British Royal Navy ships accompanied by several Royal Australian Navy vessels, under the command of British Admiral Andrew Cunningham, intercepted and sank or severely damaged several ships of the Italian Regia Marina under Admiral Angelo Iachino. The opening actions of the battle are also known in Italy as the Battle of Gaudo.
Ships[]
Italy[]
- RM Vittorio Veneto - Littorio-class battleship
- RM Trento - Trento-class heavy cruiser
- RM Trieste - Trento-class heavy cruiser
- RM Bolzano - Trento-class heavy cruiser
- RM Zara - Zara-class heavy cruiser †
- RM Fiume - Zara-class heavy cruiser †
- RM Pola - Zara-class heavy cruiser †
- RM Duca degli Abruzzi - Duca degli Abruzzi-class light cruiser
- RM Giuseppe Garibaldi - Duca degli Abruzzi-class light cruiser
- RM Niccoloso da Recco - Navigatori-class destroyer
- RM Emanuele Pessagno - Navigatori-class destroyer
- RM Alfredo Oriani - Oriani-class destroyer
- RM Vittorio Alfieri - Oriani-class destroyer †
- RM Giosué Carducci - Oriani-class destroyer †
- RM Vincenzo Gioberti - Oriani-class destroyer
- RM Alpino - Soldati-class destroyer
- RM Ascari - Soldati-class destroyer
- RM Bersagliere - Soldati-class destroyer
- RM Carabiniere - Soldati-class destroyer
- RM Corazziere - Soldati-class destroyer
- RM Fuciliere - Soldati-class destroyer
- RM Granatiere - Soldati-class destroyer
Allies[]
- HMS Formidable - Illustrious-class aircraft carrier
- HMS Warspite - Queen Elizabeth-class battleship
- HMS Valiant - Queen Elizabeth-class battleship
- HMS Barham - Queen Elizabeth-class battleship
- HMS Calcutta - C-class light cruiser
- HMS Carlisle - C-class light cruiser
- HMS Orion - Leander-class light cruiser
- HMS Ajax - Leander-class light cruiser
- HMAS Perth - Leander-class light cruiser
- HMS Gloucester - Town-class light cruiser
- HMS Bonaventure - Dido-class light cruiser
- HMAS Stuart - Scott-class destroyer leader
- HMAS Vampire - V-class destroyer
- HMS Decoy - D-class destroyer
- HMS Defender - D-class destroyer
- HMS Greyhound - G-class destroyer
- HMS Griffin - G-class destroyer
- HMS Hasty - H-class destroyer
- HMS Havock - H-class destroyer
- HMS Hereward - H-class destroyer
- HMS Hotspur - H-class destroyer
- HMS Ilex - I-class destroyer
- HMS Mohawk - Tribal-class destroyer
- HMS Nubian - Tribal-class destroyer
- HMS Jervis - J-class destroyer
- HMS Jaguar - J-class destroyer
- HMS Juno - J-class destroyer
- HMS Janus - J-class destroyer