Battle of the Strait of Otranto (1940)

Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II

HMAS Sydney in 1940

Date	12 November 1940
Location	Strait of Otranto, Adriatic Sea
Result	Allied victory

Belligerents

United Kingdom

Australia

Italy

Commanders and leaders

Henry Pridham-Wippell

Francesco De Angelis

Giovanni Barbini

Strength

3 light cruisers
2 destroyers

1 torpedo boat
1 auxiliary cruiser
4 merchantmen

Casualties and losses

None

4 merchantmen sunk
1 torpedo boat damaged
36 dead and 42 wounded

The Battle of the Strait of Otranto (12 November 1940) was a minor naval action during the Battle of the Mediterranean in World War II. It took place in the Strait of Otranto in the Adriatic Sea, between Italy and Albania.

The battle occurred when an Allied squadron entered the Adriatic Sea looking for Italian naval targets. Although they did not know it at the time the squadron's real purpose was to help draw enemy attention from a major action against the main Italian fleet base at Taranto. The Allied squadron was commanded by Vice Admiral Henry Pridham-Whippel in the light cruiser HMS Orion, and included the light cruisers HMAS Sydney and HMS Ajax and the destroyers HMS Nubian and Mohawk.

On 12 November, an Italian Navy (Regia Marina) convoy of four merchant ships—Antonio Locatelli, Premuda, Capo Vado and Catalani—were on their way back from Valona, Albania to Brindisi, Italy while escorted by the World War I-era torpedo boat Fabrizi, commanded by T.V.c. Giovanni Barbini and the auxiliary cruiser Ramb III commanded by C.F. Francesco De Angelis. The ships were travelling darkened without navigational lights.

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