The Italian Navy in World War IIThis revisionist history convincingly argues that the Regia Marina Italiana (the Royal Italian Navy) has been neglected and maligned in assessments of its contributions to the Axis effort in World War II. After all, Italy was the major Axis player in the Mediterranean, and it was the Italian navy and air force, with only sporadic help from their German ally, that stymied the British navy and air force for most of the thirty-nine months that Italy was a belligerent. It was the Royal Italian Navy that provided the many convoys that kept the Axis war effort in Africa alive by repeatedly braving attack by aircraft, submarine, and surface vessels. If doomed by its own technical weaknesses and Ultra (the top-secret British decoding device), the Italian navy still fought a tenacious and gallant war; and if it did not win that war, it avoided defeat for thirty-nine, long, frustrating months. |
Contents
Building a Navy | 1 |
Punta Stilo Cape Spada and Malta | 45 |
British Harassment and Italian Perseverance | 81 |
Copyright | |
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action Africa aircraft Allied arrived attack August Axis bases battle battleships Bengazi Bernotti British cargo carried carriers Cavallero claimed Clearwater command convoy cruisers Cunningham damaged December delivered despite destroyers early effective effort eight escorts failed February fighters fire five fleet forces four French fuel fuel oil German given Guerra guns heavy Hurricanes Iachino increased island Italian Italian navy Italy Italy's January July June lack late later light losses lost major Malta March matériel Mediterranean merchantmen meters months mounted Mussolini naval needed night North noted November October operations percent port problems protect radar raid range reconnaissance Reel reported Rome routes sank Santoro September seven ships Sicily SME/US submarines success sunk Supermarina supply surface Table tanker Tobruk tons torpedo boats torpedo bombers traffic Tripoli Ultra units USMM vehicles Verbali vessels victory World