Last stand of Italian Destroyer Espero ⚓ Ambush against the Espero Convoy (Documentary)
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- Опубликовано: 29 май 2024
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In the summer of 1940, the Mediterranean witnessed the first surface clash between Italian and Allied warships. Italian destroyers, carrying Blackshirt anti-tank units to Tobruk, found themselves in a dramatic confrontation with the Mediterranean Fleet off the coast of Crete.
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0:00 Introduction
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Love your content! One of My favorites! 🔥🔥🔥🔥
@@danielsantiagourtado3430❤
I pay a premium to RUclips specifically so I won't have to watch annoying adverts.
My father was with the 8th Army in North Africa. In later years when he could talk about the war he told us that whoever had created the myth that the Italian Army were cowardly & useless hadn't faced the Italians in battle as at El Alamein the Italians, "fought like tigers" holding their positions until overrun. The italics " " are my Fathers words.
@michaelmorgan9289 Greek here, my great grandfather was in the Albanian front during the Italian invasion. He went MIA (and angry cause relatives sold his property thinking he died). He came back and never discussed about what happened there. I think these people know better. There are many reasons an army may win or fail... Bless your father and his family.
Interesting. My father flew with the Desert Air Force starting in 1942.
That was largely leftist propaganda after the war, aiming to slander and shame the italian military and ridicule the regime. Truth be told, Italy had a powerful navy still set on WW1 tactics (speed, cannons, battleships - no radar, no carriers); the airforce had mostly outdated aircrafts, and the few modern ones, like the Veltro, in too small numbers.
The Savoia Marchetti bombers had insufficient payloads for strategic relevance.
The army was great in numbers, but poorly equipped and light tanks designed for alpine operation in narrow roads - typical WW1 - were no match for the shermans in an open theatre. Italian capabilities were - moreover - completely depleted after the colonial enterprise in Ethiopia ended in 1937 (Italy sent overall 600.000 men there, like the entire Desert Storm coalition of 990).
This said, everything lacked but courage in the italian forces.
Cavalry charges against armored divisions in Ukraine, the 10th MAS, the Folgore, the Bersaglieri, the Ariete division at El Alamein, the raid in Alexandria showed nothing but desperate courage, the one needed to fight hopeless fights.
They had really a hard time during the war, and after when they returned home in a society completely turned hostile versus their sacrifice.
However, everything was missing in the italian military, but valor.
Tesei, Balbo, Durand de la Penne, Vallauri, Amedeo Guillet aka the devil commander, Todaro, Banfi, the Savoia cavalry regiment etc.
Their historical biographics look like fictional material for adventure movies.
They're not in the collective hero pantheon just because they were on the losing side, allied with the nazis and therefore involuntary accomplices of their horrors.
Of which, in 1942/1943, nobody was aware of, by the way.
So three times victims: of the italian regime, of the nazi barbarics, of the cinical communist propaganda when the war was over.
I'm not sure but I heard the italien leadership was the problem and not the soldiers. Don't quote me on this but I think Erwin Rommel said the italien soldiers were very... resilient? Strong? I don't really remember but he praised the italien soldiers and criticised their leaders for being too arrogant and stuff
Congratulations for the analysis. Deep knowledge of the Italiano military History.
Very good, the courage of the Regia Marina is so rarely discussed amid the incompetence of Axis strategy overall. When the battles were fought however, the Italians fought the good fight. I absolutely loved the video, one battle I have been interested in for a while are the various Malta convoys. Operation Harpoon in particular and its highly debateable outcome is a favourite of mine.
I am currently working on the battles of Passaro and Spada!
I think you'll find they were British and Australian ships not 'English' !
The Italians actually fought pretty well in most scenarios, even the disaster of Operation Compass, at low-levels. Unfortunately, the higher ups were stuck in a ridiculous mindset that doomed their war aims.
This simply isn’t true. Italy’s largest contribution to anti-Comintern forces were the innovations of a few high level tactical thinkers like Junio Valerio Borghese. The Italian army wasn’t ready for the kind of kenetic, combined warfare that WW2 inaugurated.
@@dannytallmage2971 The problem with the Italian army, was that they spent all the 1920s and early 1930s upgrading their army... but by 1939, most of their tanks and airplanes were already out of date. They were using 1920s technology, while everything the allies were using by 1940, was new technology. Their planes were too slow, tanks to slow and undergunned. Even the US M2 outgunned most of their tanks.
@@dannytallmage2971 it was the Axis NOT the Comintern.
@@Fatherofheroesandheroines the axis was literally the name for nations that joined the anti-Comintern pact. Please address your ignorance.
@@dannytallmage2971 not in the war it wasn't. Also none of them were natural allies. What I said still stands about the Italians as well, ESPECIALLY Mussolini.
At 7:30 the destroyer Vampire should be labelled HMAS as she was part of the Australian Navy.
Royal Australian Navy. And the CO HMAS Sydney then was CAPT John Collins, later CNS VADM Sir John Collins
Very interesting video, the Regia Marina during WW2 accomplished its job of escorting convoys to Libya, with most transports reaching Africa, but the lack of its own planes was a big problem. The rivalry with the air force was also based on the fact that the navy was staunchly monarchic while the Regia Aeronautica was more loyal to Mussolini, that gave it a lot of resources.
Well all major Axis Powers suffered the fate of conflicts in their Army Branches Germany had the infamous Operation Viking i don't think the italians blundered as bad as this.
Cool video! The contributions of Italy to the Axis are not nearly so well covered as they might be.
Glad you liked it!
British sources often comment that the Italian Navy had the best range finding, and the worst dispersal of their salvos.
There was a case caught on photo of a first salvo straddle of a British ship at over 25000 Yards.
Range is perfect but the shells hit so far for and aft that the ship never got wet.
Great video, Reggia Marina rarely gets any credit for its actions during WWII.
It was an informative and wonderful historical coverage episode about a naval strike between Italy and Britain 🇬🇧 naval forces during WW2..on Mediterranean sea.. Thank you for an excellent (house of history) channel ..for sharing this wonderful epic
Thank you for always leaving such a nice comment!
What’s up with the map of Italian East Africa? It shows most of Kenya, Uganda and the Swahili Coast as part of it, when they were all in fact British colonies.
So rate of fire vs accuracy then. I'm assuming radar fire control wasn't present?
Not yet. 3 years later it would.
Naval content is top tier
English cruisers?, British and Australian if you don't mind
He keeps making this mistake, it’s really off putting.
Great video as always HOH!
Excellent video. Looking forward to the next one
Love your content! Keep up the good work! You're amazing ❤❤❤❤❤
Another great video! ♥
Interesting hearing about the expresso.
Nice. Thanks.
The Logistics or lack of in WW2 is simply staggering
I have no idea how your comment is relevant
Great video about a little known event. The Italians get an undeservedly bad review of their performance at sea. Minor point - English and British shouldn't be used interchangeably. It would be like referring to the US Atlantic Fleet as New York ships rather than American ships.
Plus it annoys the Scots etc. (which is a good thing lol)
@@johnallen7807 well we do all the fighting, after all. haha nah just kidding, it does tend to get the goat of the Welsh, Irish and Scottish descendants of soldiers and sailors though. Actually stopped watching another historian because of this.
It's the "diversity" that gives us strength, not the s**t that Blair talks about! I did an attachment with a Scottish unit and we had to learn Highland dancing under the RSM, they took it VERY seriously!@@davidb8539
I’m always amazed how fast some of these old ships were.
My grandmother's sister was engaged with a sailor on board Espero. When she learned of the sinking from radio, she immediatly got sick and died shortly after from heartbreak, as my grandma use to say. They were supposed to get married in that summer 1940, but he was called back on duty due to war declaration. She was 19 and the boy 21.
Recently I have met one of the nephews of the late sailor, who told me that in his family they tell the same story about this girl dying from sorrow because of their relative's death.
Nicely done video
Thank you very much!
@@HoH---Your welcome. I enjoy a video that often sheds light on little known battles or subjects.
congrats on 200,000 subscribers man!
Thank you very much!
you're weclome@@HoH
The Italian Navy never lacked bravery.
My Grandad was on HMS LIVERPOOL in that battle,he never said to much about the War and sometimes I would ask him about it and he would tell me because I was just a kid,my Grandma told me my uncle Andrew was named after his best friend who died on HMS LIVERPOOL in one of the battles.GOD BLESS YOU GRANDAD.❤
HMAS Sydney suffered a terrifying ending. A year later HMAS Sydney was sunk with all hands lost by the German auxiliary cruiser Kormoran
The video about the Sydney-Kormoran encounter is out for patrons now, and will be uploaded next week!
I was drawn to this video as I recognized Espero from Victory Belles
Right back to the days of Nelson when the only chance a captain had of hitting an enemy was to pay for gunpowder and shot himself, it's not surprising British gunnery was dreadful. Our Challenger tanks were rationed ONE, that's ONE bl**dy round a year. £60 for a practice round. No doubt it has been increased now, probably 2 rounds. Not that we can now make rounds for the excellent rifled gun they are replacing with a drainpipe. Can you imagine what happens to a fin stabilised round at long ranges with a crosswind ? The Americans refused to take part in a shoot off because it was too windy. Christ, I wish I was joking. 38 years, British MOD engineer.
14:20 Please do the Battle of the Three Kings !
Italian navy performed better than the narrative on Italian forces during ww2..however they were dead on arrival it was just how long (unless they had occupied Gibraltar and or the suez)...even if they had waited till 42 to enter..the gig was up as soon as the US entered....the material advantages the allies had was insurmountable..it was never if but always when..of course I certainly understand how hindsight makes it obvious now but not so much at the time
a moving story
Well at least they weren't suck by incompetent Luftwaffe "support"
At 2:15 there is an error on the map, as Portugal is an independent country in 1940, and not part of Spain.
. Expert gunnery, tenacious seamen, coupled with formidable warships, on paper a frightening prospect to overcome. Disorganised though.
They were British ships, not English. There had been no English navy since the 17th century. Also, your map didn't show Portugal. The country convinced Spain to stay neutral in WW II.
Noted! British from now on 😉I overlooked it during the proofreading.
And please do not forget That HMAS Sydney was Australian!
@@benwilson6145 Depends on your zoom. I was zoomed out!
You should feature ex UK field marshal Douglas Haig,ex UK field marshal Horatio Herbert Kitchener & ex US general George McClellan.
Bravery and sacrifice doesn’t care what flag it fly’s under. The brave are just ordinary people behaving in an extraordinary way.
👍👍👍
While I think the Italian Navy gets a bum rap during WW2. But, Baroni going down with the ship wasn't gallant at all. In fact it was stupid. He denied his nation his experience and knowledge. By covering the other two escaping destroyers he more than made up for losing his ship which was outnumbered and way out gunned.
Wouldnt have brought them much as a pow
@@papageitaucher618 After the war he would have been invaluable.
@@Khalifriotell it to all released vets after a war who were struggling to find a job. You are not correct here.
@@Griboslaw Once the Cold War started all those officers were back in uniform leading their respective branches of the German and Italian militaries. Go look it up.
Sirs, you were not there. And you missed to respect a man/ crew they knew they were going to die. Keyboard lions, shut the f..up. And read the history before to say bs.
Your videos are technical and well made, however, you stubbornly persist in not mentioning how a destroyer is desperately outgunned by a cruiser (or light cruiser alike).
A destroyer (short for submarine destroyer - or "cacciatorpediniere") is a light, fast, manouvrable midsized ship designed for antisom operation and escort.
A cruiser is basically a smaller battleship, armored and armed with heavy guns.
It has armor that a destroyer shells cannot penetrate, and a far superior range.
Imagine a 80 kg boxer fighting against a 55 kg one.
The destroyer will get hit before coming at range to launch torpedoes (the best weapons they have) - and any received hit by the heavier shells of the cruiser will cripple it unrecoverably. Trying to duel with shells equally unfeasible, for the same reason.
Imagine a leopard facing a tiger, or a dog facing a bear.
The poor thing just stands no chance.
Not everyone in the public may know that, if you thell the gun caliber in mm for the italian destroyer (so many) and the gun caliber of the british cruiser in inches (much less).
Show the shells in proportion, instead.
No destroyer, for how enhanced, is a match for a cruiser, doesn't matter how "light".
It's even worst than putting a cruiser against a battleship: a different class of warship, and the smaller one has no real chance of damaging the larger one, even if the aim of the big ship is bad.
And the first hit received, the destroyer is finished.
You're supposed to say that, honestly.
Rip
Why „Admiral“ the video called him Captain, and did not mention any promotion posthumously…???
They're British not English ships (notwithstanding the Australians amongst them)
New voice ?
The English ⁉️
The only thing wrong with your video's is that they are too short.
so portugal does not exist its only spain -.-" portugal is not spain
The Army usually creates a bad name for the entire armed forces.
English?
You wrote Poland and Czechoslovakia on the map. At that time, both of these countries had already been conquered by Nazi Germany. Such inscriptions falsely suggest that Poland and Czechoslovakia were in alliance with Nazi Germany.
Both were marked as "Occupied" on the map presented. How could it have been made more clear in your opinion?
@@mbryson2899 Names of the conquered areas at that time should be marked. General Government and Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia.
can you guys stop using the old film look. It looks horrible and is distracting.
What would you rather see?
just don't use it. It just doesn't very look good. You don't to have it. Otherwise, you guys are doing great stuff. :) @@HoH
The frame/background is fine. But having the little white splotches is kinda distracting and necessary. Espcially here where one of your images was a color painting, lol.@@HoH