Giovanni delle Bande Nere was an Italian light cruiser of the Giussano class, which served in the Regia Marina during World War II.

In the aftermath of World War I, the Italian Regia Marina (Royal Navy) received a group of light cruisers from the defeated German and Austro-Hungarian fleets.

After the French Navy began building twelve large destroyers of the Chacal and Guépard classes, the Italian command responded by ordering the four Giussano-class cruisers.

[5] The ship's armor belt was 24 mm (0.94 in) thick, extending only for the length of the hull that contained the propulsion machinery spaces and the ammunition magazines.

[7] On 7 July, Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and Bartolomeo Colleoni sortied as part of the escort for a large convoy sailing to Benghazi in Libya.

[8] The convoy consisted of five freighters and a passenger liner that were carrying some 2,200 men, 72 tanks, 237 other vehicles, and a large amount of supplies and fuel; these were intended to fortify the planned invasion of Egypt.

II Division, along with the 10th Destroyer Squadron (which consisted of Maestrale, Libeccio, Grecale, and Scirocco) and the torpedo boats Pegaso, Orione, Orsa, Procione, Abba, and Pilo, formed the convoy's close escort.

The convoy arrived in Benghazi the next day, but Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and Bartolomeo Colleoni soon moved to Tripoli to avoid attacks from British aircraft based in Egypt.

The Italian naval command considered sending the two cruisers to bombard British positions on the coast at Sollum, but decided against it; instead, they were to be sent to Portolago in the Dodecanese.

[8] Giovanni dalle Bande Nere and Bartolomeo Colleoni left Tripoli on the evening of 17 July and sailed to the north of Crete, bound for the Aegean.

At around 06:00 on 19 July, the Italians spotted the four British destroyers off Cape Spada of western Crete, which were some 17,000 m (19,000 yd) away; Sydney and Havock were around 60 nautical miles (110 km; 69 mi) to the north.

The Australian cruiser had opened fire from a range of about 12,000 m (13,000 yd) while in the middle of a fog bank; almost immediately, she hit Giovanni dalle Bande Nere near her aft funnel.

[15] Sydney, Hero, and Hasty turned to pursue Giovanni delle Bande Nere while the remaining destroyers finished off Bartolomeo Colleoni and then picked up survivors.

[6][18] Giovanni delle Bande Bere joined the 4th Division on 4 December, and over the following months she escorted several convoys to North Africa, including operations with fast passenger liners.

Unknown to the Italians, the British convoy was escorted by the battleship HMS Queen Elizabeth, along with other vessels; luckily for both sides, neither encountered the in bad weather.

The squadron, which also included the heavy cruisers Gorizia and Trento, along with an escort of four destroyers, was based at Messina and was under the command of Rear Admiral Angelo Parona.

[21] In the ensuing Second Battle of Sirte, Parona made a dilatory approach, first turning north and then describing a large circle to starboard before eventually ordering his ships to fire at 14:56 at the convoy escort that had steamed to engage them, albeit at very long range.

Neither side scored any hits, though Giovanni delle Bande Nere straddled the British cruisers HMS Cleopatra and Euryalus before Parona broke off the engagement at 15:15.

By 16:43, Giovanni delle Bande Nere had engaged Cleopatra and Euryalus for the second time, and she scored a hit on the former, disabling her radio and killing fifteen men.

Soon thereafter, Littorio joined the engagement, which forced the British cruisers and destroyers to fall back, but the Italians still could not see the convoy in the heavy smoke screens.

[22] While withdrawing to port on 23 March, the Italian fleet encountered severe storms, and Giovanni delle Bande Nere suffered damage.

[23] After the ship returned to Messina, it was decided to send her to La Spezia for repairs, and she departed on 1 April, with the destroyer Aviere and the torpedo boat Libra as escorts.