Battle of Cape Spada
1940 CE.
Shown on the map at 35.693°, 23.721°.
The Battle of Cape Spada (Battaglia di Capo Spada) was a naval battle between the Royal Navy and the Regia Marina during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the second World War. It took place during the morning of 19 July 1940 off Cape Spada, the north-western extremity of Crete. The Italian 2ª Divisione Incrociatori (2nd Cruiser Division) comprised the fast light cruisers Giovanni delle Bande Nere and Bartolomeo Colleoni. In a meeting encounter it engaged the Royal Navy's 2nd Destroyer Flotilla and the independently sailing light cruiser HMAS Sydney and destroyer HMS Havock. During the battle Bartolomeo Colleoni was sunk and Giovanni delle Bande Nere damaged, with minor damage inflicted on Sydney. There were 555 survivors from Bartolomeo Colleoni but 121 men were killed. Capitano di vascello Umberto Novaro was mortally wounded and died on 23 July.
Text from the Wikipedia article Battle of Cape Spada, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.