Italian Forces

The end of a torpedo bomber

Imperial War Museum

Mediterranean Sea, South of Sardinia, 27 September 1941. Hit by AA fire and crashed in sea, an Italian torpedo bomber Savoia-Marchetti S.79 burning near Royal Navy’s aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal during Operation Halberd, a naval operation arranged in September 1941 to protect from Gibraltar to Malta a convoy of nine merchant ships with a close escort under the command of Rear Admiral Harold Martin Burrough accompanied by Force H, under the command of Admiral James Sommerville. This consisted of the one aircraft carrier (HMS Ark Royal), three battleships (HMS Nelson, HMS Rodney and HMS Prince of Wales) plus five cruisers and 18 destroyers. During the attacks of Italian torpedo bombers HMS Nelson was hit in the bows by a torpedo launched from a S.79 on 27 September south of Sardinia and seriously damaged. On the evening of 27 September Force H turned back and sailed for Gibraltar. The merchant vessel Imperial Star carrying 8,000 tons of war supplies was hit by another aerial torpedo on the 27th and damaged. The convoy arrived at Malta on 28 September and delivered 85,000 tons of supplies. Very probably the photo is related to shooting of S.79 of Lieutenant Deslex, 278th Squadriglia of 130th Gruppo, which attacked the convoy from West while three others Squadriglie attacked from North, 280th and 282nd Squadriglia, and from South, 283nd Squadriglia. Before they could attack, they were chased by six Fulmars of Ark Royal. In this action Lieut. Deslex tried to attack the Ark Royal at sea level, but was shot down by AA fire before having released the torpedo. Victor Sierra