Raid on Alexandria (1941)
Italian frogman raid on British warships / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Raid on Alexandria (Operazione EA 3) was carried out on 19 December 1941 by Italian Navy (Regia Marina) divers of the Decima Flottiglia MAS, who attacked and sank two Royal Navy battleships at their moorings and damaged an oil tanker and a destroyer in the harbour of Alexandria, Egypt, using manned torpedoes.
Raid on Alexandria | |||||||
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Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War | |||||||
An Italian human torpedo | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
United Kingdom | Italy | ||||||
Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Charles Morgan | |||||||
Strength | |||||||
Mediterranean Fleet | |||||||
Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 6 crewmen captured |
The attacks came at a difficult time for the Mediterranean Fleet, after the loss of the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and battleship Barham to U-boats, the loss of ships during the Battle of Crete and the sinking of much of Force K on an Italian minefield, the day before the human torpedo attack on Alexandria. Ships also had to be sent to the Eastern Fleet.