| Operation Grog | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of theBattle of the Mediterranean ofWorld War II | |||||||
.jpg) Armour-piercing shell fired byHMS Malaya, in the nave ofGenoa Cathedral | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom |  Italy | ||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 James Somerville | Ferdinando Casardi | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| Anti-aircraft and coastal artillery | |||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 1Swordfish aircraft | 5cargo ships sunk 18 damaged (British sources) 1training ship sunk 2 ships damaged (Italian sources) 14lighters sunk[1] 144 killed and 242 wounded Severe damage to port[2] | ||||||
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Operation Grog was the code name for the British naval and air bombardment ofGenoa andLa Spezia on 9 February 1941, byForce H of theRoyal Navy, consisting of thebattleshipHMS Malaya, theaircraft carrierHMS Ark Royal, thebattlecruiserHMS Renown and thelight cruiserHMS Sheffield screened by ten fleetdestroyers includingHMS Fearless,Foxhound,Foresight,Fury,Firedrake andJersey.[3][4]
The operation was originally scheduled to start on 31 January 1941, but the ships did not leaveGibraltar until 6 February. Four destroyers carried out ananti-submarine sweep while the heavy ships carried out a feint to deceive Axis observers into thinking they were supporting aconvoy.[5]
Genoa harbour was bombarded on 9 February 1941, with the force sinking fourcargo ships and damaging 18 more.[5] A majority of Italian sources only reported heavy damage to themerchant shipsSalpi andGaribaldi and the sinking of the old civiliantraining shipGaraventa.[6][7] The historian Ermingo Bagnasco also reports the loss of 14lighters and themotorsailerAntonietta Madre.[1] According to the official files of theItalian Navy (Marina Militare), theAntonietta Madre was sunk during theAlliedaerial bombing of Genoa on 23 October 1942.[8]
Asalvo fromMalaya landed between 50 and 200 yd (46 and 183 m) short of the Italian battleshipDuilio, undergoing repairs indry dock north ofMolo Giano (GianoPier); no damage was reported onDuilio.[2] A targeting error by agunnery officer on boardMalaya some 13 nmi (24 km; 15 mi) offshore caused anarmour-piercing round to hitGenoa Cathedral; theshell failed to explode and remains on display there.[9] There were 144 civilian dead and 272 wounded at Genoa as result of the shelling.[2]
Ark Royal's aircraft attackedLivorno andminedLa Spezia. An attempt by the Italian fleet to intercept the British force failed, and all ships returned to Gibraltar on 11 February 1941.[5]
