The harbour of Naples littered with wrecks of sunken ships, October 1943 [2168 x 1360]

From 1940 to 1943, Naples was the main port of departure for Axis supply convoys bound for North Africa, and as such was heavily bombed by the Allied air forces, suffering well more than a hundred air raids. By the time the Allies entered the city in early October 1943, Naples had become a major naval graveyard, with more than twenty large wrecks laying in the harbour, most of them sunk by these raids with some more scuttled by the German troops before retreating from Naples. Among them the light cruiser Muzio Attendolo, the destroyer escorts/large torpedo boats Monsone, Pallade and Partenope, the old WWI destroyer Giuseppe La Masa (also downrated to torpedo boat), the minelayer Vieste, the hospital ship Sicilia, the liner Lombardia, the merchant ships Bari, Caserta, Catania, Caterina Costa, Città di Bengasi, Enna, Lecce, Modica, Sant’Agata, Siculo, Sileno, Silvano, Tivoli and Villarosa, the tanker Carnaro, and countless smaller coasters, tug boats and sailing vessels.

The three ships in this picture are, left to right, Villarosa (sunk by air raid on 4 September 1943), Catania (sunk after being badly damaged by an air raid on 4 August 1943) and Sicilia (sunk by air raid on 4 April 1943).

(Photo credits, Naval History and Heritage Command).

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