Italian Fleet ambushed off Cape Matapan

28th March 1941: The Royal Navy pretend that 'Air reconnaissance' leads to a devastating attack - concealing an Enigma code breakthrough

The three British warships that played the leading role in the Battle of Cape Matapan. In the foreground, firing a broadside, is HMS Valiant, with HMS Barham and HMS Warspite behind.

The Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto firing upon the Allied cruisers during the action off Gavdos.

The Royal Navy secured a famous victory over the Italian Navy in the Mediterranean on 28th March. The official summary¹ at the time did not mention that ‘Enigma’ decrypts had played an important role in the action, a matter not revealed until many years later:

Air reconnaissance on the 27th March reported a force of enemy warships to the eastward of Sicily steering east. On the morning of the 28th March our light forces sighted one Littorio class battleship, accompanied by cruisers, to the south-west of Crete steering south-east, while air reconnaissance reported two battleships, cruisers and destroyers to the north of this position. On being sighted the enemy turned westward, proceeding at high speed.

Short Sunderland Mark 1, N9029 ‘NM-V’, of No. 230 Squadron RAF Detachment based at Scaramanga, Greece, in flight over the Greek islands. “It was from this aircraft that Flight Lieutenant A Lywood, reported the Italian fleet movements leading to the Battle of Cape Matapan, while flying out of Scaramanga on 27-28 March 1941.

A Fairey Albacore Mark I of No. 826 Squadron, - taking off from HMS FORMIDABLE for the morning strike against the Italian Fleet during the Battle of Matapan, 28 March 1941.