Battle of the Gulf of Gabes

Battle of the Gulf of Gabes
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II
HMS Javelin
Date 19th - 20th January 1943 Location Mediterranean, Off Gulf of Gabes Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	Kingdom of Italy
Commanders and leaders
Commander Michael Townsend	Unknown
Strength
2 destroyers	4 Minesweepers 7 merchants
Casualties and losses
7 wounded	4 minesweepers sunk Entire convoy sunk 500 captured

The Battle of the Gulf of Gabes or also know as the Battle of the Tripoli Convoy was a World War II naval battle which took place on the night of 19 January 1943 in the Gulf of Gabes between British and Italian forces. The battle ended with the complete destruction of the Italian convoy and escorting minesweepers.

The British Royal Naval destroyers HMS Kelvin and HMS Javelin were patrolling the area of the Gulf of Gabes off the Tunisian coast blockading the area with their mission as part of a task force, was to cut off supplies to Axis forces during the Tunisian Campaign. Kelvin along with HMS Nubian had forced the Italian torpedo boat Perseo to retire damaged and then sunk the merchant ship the 4,537 ton D'Annunzio on 15 January 1943.

On the night of January 19/20th 1943 Javelin's Type 271 radar detected a number of ships heading directly towards the Tunisian coast by way of Tripoli. Javelin and Kelvin moved to an area of interception and sent star shells into the air illuminating the lead ships. Realizing this was an Italian convoy protected by minesweepers of the Regia Marina the British opened fire and the battle commenced. The Italians under heavy fire, attempted to fight back but little damage was inflicted by them and soon they were burning wrecks. The convoy was then picked off one by one and by the morning of January 20th the destruction was complete. Kelvin had expended 300 rounds of her 4.7 inch guns and Javelin 500 rounds.

The convoy was wiped out; among them the Italian minesweepers RD 31, RD 36, RD 37 and RD 39. The steamer Ennio and two tankers Sportivo and the Fianona, carrying vital fuel were destroyed. Over 500 survivors were picked up the next day and both Javelin and Kelvin arrived safely at Malta the next day.

References

• O'Hara, Vincent P. (2009). Struggle for the Middle Sea. Conway. ISBN 978-1844861026. http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=MOdLMw8Lzv8C&pg=PA210&lpg=PA210&dq=paladin+nubian+petard+campobasso&source=bl&ots=fDcCVg9jLW&sig=oPps5Wi0ppO3xoELUYGyGCgyUyU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Eee1UYDsJ4fH0QXF5oCoCQ&ved=0CEAQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q=paladin%20nubian%20petard%20campobasso&f=false. 
• Langtree, Christopher (2002). The Kelly's: British J, K, and N Class Destroyers of World War II. Naval Institute Press. ISBN 9781557504227. </ref>
• Tomblin, Barbara (2004). With Utmost Spirit: Allied Naval Operations in the Mediterranean, 1942-1945 ,. University Press of Kentucky. ISBN 9780813171982. 
• Whitley, M. J. (1988). Destroyers of World War Two: An International Encyclopedia, Volume 1988, Part 2. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press. ISBN 0-87021-326-1. http://books.google.com/books?id=u4XfAAAAMAAJ&q=Destroyers+of+World+War+2&dq=Destroyers+of+World+War+2&hl=en&ei=J5d2TfaaJZKxhAfzqsCVBw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ6AEwAA. Retrieved 2013-11-08.