Operation Grog was the name assigned to the British naval and air bombardment of Genoa and La Spezia on the 9th February 1941, by a fleet consisting of HMS Malaya, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Renown and HMS Sheffield, screened by ten fleet destroyers including HMS Foxhound, HMS Foresight, HMS Fury, HMS Firedrake and HMS Jersey.[1][2]
The operation was originally scheduled to start on 31 January 1941, but the ships didn't leave Gibraltar until 6 February.
Four destroyers carried out an anti-submarine sweep while the heavy ships carried out a feint to deceive Italian and German observers into thinking they were supporting a convoy.[3]
Genoa harbour was bombarded on 9 February, with the force sinking four cargo ships and damaging 18.[3] A salvo from HMS Malaya landed between 200 to 50 yards short of the Italian battleship Caio Duilio, undergoing repairs in dry dock north of Molo Ciano; no damage was reported.[4] A targeting error by a gunnery officer on board HMS Malaya led to an armour piercing round hitting Genoa Cathedral, the shell failed to explode and remains on display there.[5]
Ark Royal's aircraft attacked Livorno and mined La Spezia.[3]
An attempt by the Italian fleet to intercept the British force failed, and all ships returned to Gibraltar on 11 February.[3]
There were 144 civilian dead and 272 wounded at Genoa as result of the shelling.[4]
References[]
- ↑ Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd). "SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2:HMS RENOWN - Renown-class 15in gun Battlecruiser". Naval-History.Net. http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-02BC-Renown.htm. Retrieved 9-July-2010.
- ↑ Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd). "SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2:HMS Fearless(H67)". Naval-History.Net. http://www.naval-history.net/xGM-Chrono-10DD-23F-Fearless.htm. Retrieved 9-July-2010.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "UK Battleship of WW1 and WW2:HMS Malaya (BB-6)". http://www.acepilots.com/ships/malaya.html. Retrieved 10-July-2010.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Brown, David (2002). The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: September 1939-October 1940. Routledge, p. 51. ISBN 0714652059
- ↑ "Obituary:Commander Henry Hatfield". Daily Telegraph. 4-July-2010. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/science-obituaries/7871480/Commander-Henry-Hatfield.html. Retrieved 5-July-2010.
Coordinates: 44°24′40″N 8°55′58″E / 44.41111°N 8.93278°E
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The original article can be found at Operation Grog and the edit history here.