Battle of Skerki Bank

The Battle of Skerki Bank was an engagement during the Second World War which took place near Skerki Bank in the Mediterranean Sea in the early hours of 2 December 1942. Force Q, a flotilla of Royal Navy cruisers and destroyers, attacked Convoy H, an Italian convoy and its Regia Marina escort of destroyers and torpedo boats.

Battle of Skerki Bank
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean

Nicoloso da Recco
Date2 December 1942
Location
Skerki Bank, Mediterranean Sea
37°45′12″N 10°57′12″E
Result British victory
Belligerents
 United Kingdom
 Australia		  Italy
Germany
Commanders and leaders
Cecil Harcourt Aldo Cocchia
Strength
3 light cruisers
2 destroyers		 3 destroyers
2 torpedo boats
4 troopships
Casualties and losses
splinter damage c. 2,200 killed
1 destroyer sunk
1 destroyer damaged
2 torpedo boats damaged
4 troopships sunk

Force Q sank the four Italian merchant ships and one of the escorting destroyers in exchange for minor splinter damage. Force Q was attacked by Luftwaffe torpedo bombers at 06:30 on 3 December, sinking the destroyer Quentin with one torpedo and damaging the destroyer Quiberon. The battle was the first and most significant success for Force Q.

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