1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 The Action off Cape Passero, was a naval engagement in the Second World War between the British light cruiser HMS Ajax, three torpedo boats and seven destroyers of the Italian Regia Marina, in the central Mediterranean, to the south-east of Sicily, on the night of 11/12 October 1940.

Supermarina had prepared the Strait of Sicily Device (Dispositivo del Canale di Sicilia) with torpedo boats, MAS (Motoscafo armato siluranti, torpedo-armed motorboats), minefields and submarines against ships trying to pass the Sicilian Narrows at night.

Convoy MF 3 (Malta Fast 3) sailed on 8 October, with a close escort of the anti-aircraft cruisers HMS Calcutta and Coventry with the destroyers Stuart, Voyager, Wryneck and Waterhen.

The light cruiser, Ajax, the northernmost ship in the line was sailing a zig-zag at about 17 kn (31 km/h; 20 mph), 100 nmi (190 km; 120 mi) to the east of Malta.

[7] As a precaution, Supermarina implemented the Dispositivo del Canale di Sicilia the (Strait of Sicily Device) a plan to attack ships passing the Sicilian Narrows at night with torpedo boats, MAS (Motoscafo armato siluranti, torpedo-armed motorboats), minefields and submarines.

[8][9][6] It was too late for the Italian battlefleet to operate against the convoy but cruiser divisions at Palermo and Messina were ordered to raise steam as a precaution, the Regia Aeronautica was notified and traffic with North Africa was suspended.

Three MAS sailed from Augusta, Sicily to patrol off Malta, the 1st Torpedo Boat Squadron, with the Spica-class torpedo boats Airone (flagship, Capitano di Corvetta Alberto Banfi) Alcione and Ariel and the nearby 11th Destroyer Squadron with the Soldati-class destroyers Artigliere (flagship, Capitano di Vascello Carlo Margottini), Camicia Nera, Aviere and Geniere were sent to patrol to the east of Malta, between 35° 45'N and 35° 25'N.

[9] Captain Banfi, commander of the Italian formation, ordered the flagship Airone to open fire on the cruiser with her 100 mm (3.9 in) guns, followed by her sister ships.

Aviere was battered by a sudden broadside from the British cruiser, forestalling a torpedo attack and was forced to withdraw southwards, severely damaged.

[19] At first light, the cruisers York (Captain Richard Portal) Gloucester and Liverpool arrived to find Artigliere adrift, Camicia Nera having slipped the tow and left.

The Regia Aeronautica made several bombing raids on the Mediterranean Fleet as it sailed eastwards and accidentally attacked Italian ships.

[20] In 1957, Marcantonio Bragadin, a historian and former admiral of the Regia Marina, wrote that the reports of the action gave Supermarina pause, because Ajax had received only superficial damage from the hits achieved by Airone and Ariel in exchange for the loss of two torpedo boats and a destroyer.

The Fulmar and Sea Gladiator fighters of the Fleet Air Arm on board the aircraft carriers, shot down two SM.79bis, a Z.506B and damaged several bombers without loss.

[26] On 14 October, Swordfish from Illustrious bombed an Italian airfield on Leros in the Dodecanese, claiming hits on hangars, fuel dumps and workshops.