Pola was actually technically sunk/scuttled by British DDs after being boarded, since she was disabled during the battle the battleships ignored her and obliterated his sisters and their escorts instead. Not that watching the QEs basically butcher her sisters at point blank range in an utterly one sided massacre was likely a very pleasant experience.
Pola was actually technically sunk/scuttled by British DDs after being boarded, since she was disabled during the battle the battleships ignored her and obliterated his sisters and their escorts instead. Not that watching the QEs basically butcher her sisters at point blank range in an utterly one sided massacre was likely a very pleasant experience.
I think Zara sank like that too. Not sure about Fiume, though.
I think Zara sank like that too. Not sure about Fiume, though.
Not really, the battleships reported the gun turrets on the two cruiser engaged were literally being launched into the air from internal detonations during the bombardment. Gunfire destroyed them, whatever else happened after was at best hastening things along.
I think Zara sank like that too. Not sure about Fiume, though.
Zara was hit by the first two salvos of the Barham, fired at less than one minute from each other, while Warspite and Valiant hit the Fiume. The shells destroyed the turrets A and B. Killed all the crew of the two port side dual-purpose 100/47 turrets and cut the electricity, so making unusable the turrets X and Y too. The only weapon on board of the Zara still usable to fight was the aft, port side, dual barrel Breda 37/54 AA automatic gun, that fired, and probably managed to hit the two search headlights of the Barham (not a bad result, firing from 3000m with AA sights). At that point, blinded, the Barham stopped firing and turned right (the action had been confused, and a British destroyer already risked to be hit by the battleships), so the Valiant stopped firing on the Fiume to target the Zara, hitting it with three salvos. When, few minutes later, the Battleships quit firing on the two cruisers to face the four Italian destroyers that had just arrived, the Zara was still afloat and not in immediate risk to sink (quite a sturdy ship) but not operable. The Commander, Luigi Corsi ordered the ship to be scuttled, but there was no time to execute the order, since the ship was hit, and finished, by two torpedos (of four launched) of the destroyer Jarvis. Corsi chose to sink with the ship. That's a picture of exactly the same Breda 37/54 that fired that night, taken few months before. http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNIT_37mm-54_m1932_pic.jpg
It has to be noted that the one of Cape Matapan had not been the first encounter between Zara and Warspite. During the Battle of Calabria, Zara fired six salvos from long range on Warspite, from 16:12 to 16:17, straddling it, but without direct hits.
She seems like the type to call Kongou a mongrel or something like that.She's an ally!!Sunk by the British NavyBattleship Warspite has been implemented!!Yep, a worthy opponent!!*Shaking*Summer Event 2016 begins!!
