First Battle of Sirte

First Battle of Sirte
Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War
Italian battleship Andrea Doria, 31 December 1939
Date 17 December 1941 Location Gulf of Sidra, Mediterranean Sea 34°8′4″N 17°57′5″E / 34.13444°N 17.95139°E / 34.13444; 17.95139 Result Indecisive
Belligerents
United Kingdom  Australia Netherlands	Italy
Commanders and leaders
Andrew Cunningham Philip Vian	Angelo Iachino Guido Porzio Giovanola
Strength
5 light cruisers 14 destroyers	4 battleships 2 heavy cruisers 3 light cruisers 13 destroyers
Casualties and losses
1 killed 2 destroyers damaged	None

The First Battle of Sirte was fought between forces of the British Mediterranean Fleet and the Regia Marina (Italian Royal Navy) during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War. The engagement took place on 17 December 1941, south-east of Malta, in the Gulf of Sirte. The engagement was inconclusive as both forces were protecting convoys and wished to avoid battle.

In the following days, two Royal Navy forces based at Malta ran into the Italian Minefield T off Tripoli and two British battleships were disabled by Italian manned torpedoes during the Raid on Alexandria. By the end of December, the balance of naval power in the Mediterranean had shifted in favour of the Regia Marina.