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Battle of the Messina Convoy

1943 naval battle

Battle of the Messina Convoy
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean and the Second World War
Date 2 June 1943 Location Cape Spartivento, Calabria 37°53′59″N 15°58′7.10″E / 37.89972°N 15.9686389°E / 37.89972; 15.9686389 Result See "Battle" section
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Greece	Italy
Commanders and leaders
Captain A. F. Pugsley Georgios Blessas	Marino Fasan †
Strength
HMS Jervis Vasilissa Olga 1Wellington bomber	1Spica-class torpedo boat 2 steamers
Casualties and losses
None	1Spica-class torpedo boat sunk 2 steamers damaged

The Battle of the Messina Convoy was a night naval action fought on 2 June 1943 off Cape Spartivento, Calabria, between an Allied flotilla composed of the British destroyer HMS Jervis and the Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga and an Italian convoy escorted by the Spica-class torpedo boat Castore. The escort was repeatedly hit and sunk, but the convoy managed to slip away either unscathed or with minor damage depending on the cited source.

On 2 June, during the preparatory stages of Operation Corkscrew (the Allied invasion of the Italian island of Pantelleria), the British destroyer HMS Jervis captained by Anthony Follett Pugsley and the Greek destroyer Vasilissa Olga under Lieutenant Commander Georgios Blessas was carrying out a night search along the Gulf of Squillace. They soon found a small two-steamer convoy escorted by the Italian torpedo boat Castore at approximately 1:45 am. Supported by a Wellington bomber which dropped flares on the target, the Allied destroyers engaged the Italian steamers Vragnizza (1592 GRT) and Postumia (595 GRT), which were carrying supplies and ammunitions. The destroyers lost track of the convoy after the intervention of the escort, Castore, which laid smoke and returned fire. She was disabled and sank before sunrise, but her counterattack allowed the steamers to limp away. Vragnizza and Postumia, both damaged during the action, managed to reach Messina at 16:30 (4:30 pm).^[1][2][3]