Unit/ Formation: RM Airmen
Location: Tobruk
Period/ Conflict: World War II
Year: 1940
Date/s: 20 July1940
824 Squadron from HMS Eagle including Captain Oliver Patch RM took part in a night torpedo attack on Tobruk harbour, sinking two Italian destroyers.
Destroyer's Nembo and Ostro Torpedoed by RN aircraft (824 Squadron HMS Eagle) in Tobruk Roads; Nembo hit in boiler-room and Ostro in after magazine - both sank very quickly.
On 19 July 1940 British command, believing that the light cruiser Giovanni delle Bande Nere, damaged during the Battle of Cape Spada, had taken refuge in Tobruk, decided to launch a new bomber attack against the base.[20] Nembo along with Aquilone and Ostro were berthed at the same location as during the July 5 raid. Most personnel was on board steamers Liguria and Sabbia with exception of dedicated air defense crews.
Around 17:00 twelve Bristol Blenheim bombers from 55 Squadron and 211 Squadron RAF bombed the northern part of the harbor, slightly damaging an anti-aircraft battery and the port's facilities, and losing one aircraft.
At 18:56 a seaplane from the 700 Naval Air Squadron launched by the British battleship Warspite appeared to investigate results of the bombing. The seaplane was immediately targeted by anti-aircraft batteries, and shot down.
At 21:54 Tobruk was put on alert again after receiving reports from the Bardia and Sidi Belafarid advanced listening stations. Around 22:30 six Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers from the 824 Naval Air Squadron FAA appeared in the skies above Tobruk harbor and were met with strong anti-aircraft fire.
This forced the planes to make several passes over the area trying to avoid the fire, and also to acquire the targets, the situation exacerbated by a fairly cloudy night.
The British finally managed to sort out their objectives by about 01:30 on July 20 and assumed attack formation at low altitude. At 01:32 steamer Sereno was struck in the stern by a torpedo, launched from a plane, piloted by squadron commander F.S. Quarry, causing her to slowly sink.
At 01:34 Ostro was hit in her stern ammunition depot by a torpedo launched from another plane, causing the ship to go ablaze and sink ten minutes later.
Nembo was hit by a torpedo at 01:37 and sank 8 minutes later with 25 of her crew being killed and four wounded.
The British lost one plane in the attack which crash-landed on the way back in the Italian controlled territory.
The guns from both Nembo and Ostro were later removed and used by Italians to reinforce defenses of Bardia.
Related Royal Marines 'DIts'
References/ Further Reading:
Wikipedia - Italian destroyer Nembo (1927)
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