Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, notable, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Cape Bon

Battle of Cape Bon was a naval engagement fought on 13 December 1941 at Mediterranean Sea, in what is now Tunisia. It was part of the Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II, which ran from 1940 to 1945. The recorded result: Allied victory. Recorded strength: 4th Destroyer Flotilla; (4 destroyers) against 4th Cruiser Division; 2 light cruisers; 1 torpedo boat.

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HNMS ISAAC SWEERS underway, coastal waters.
HNMS ISAAC SWEERS underway, coastal waters.. Royal Navy official photographer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought13 December 1941
WhereMediterranean Sea, Tunisia36.750N, 10.750E
OutcomeAllied victory
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom; NetherlandsagainstKingdom of Italy
Casualties and lossesNiland817 killed; 2 light cruisers sunk
Part ofMediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II1940 to 1945

Where it sits in the Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II

Battle of the Espero Convoy, 1940Battle of Cape Spada, 1940Battle of Cape Passero, 1940Battle of Sidi Barrani, 1940Siege of Giarabub, 1940Battle of Kufra, 1941Operation Sonnenblume, 1941Battle of Cape Matapan, 1941Siege of Tobruk, 1941Battle of the Tarigo Convoy, 1941Battle of the Duisburg Convoy, 1941Battle of Cape Bon, 1941First Battle of Sirte, 1941Raid on Alexandria, 1941Second Battle of Sirte, 1942Battle of Gazala, 1942Battle of Bir Hakeim, 1942Axis capture of Tobruk, 1942Battle of Mersa Matruh, 1942Battle of Alam el Halfa, 1942Battle of Skerki Bank, 1942Battle of the Gulf of Gabes, 1943Battle of the Cigno Convoy, 1943Battle of Enfidaville, 1943Battle of the Campobasso Convoy, 1943Battle of Rhodes, 1943Battle of Leros, 1943Battle of Kos, 1943Action of 1 November 1944, 1944Battle of Ist, 1944Raid on Santorini, 1944Battle of Port Cros, 1944Battle of La Ciotat, 1944Battle of the Ligurian Sea, 194519401945Battle of Cape Bon, 1941
34 placed engagements of the Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date13 December 1941
PlaceMediterranean Sea, Tunisia
36.750N, 10.750E
KindNaval engagement, interwar and Second World War
Strength4th Destroyer Flotilla; (4 destroyers)4th Cruiser Division; 2 light cruisers; 1 torpedo boat
Casualties and lossesNil817 killed; 2 light cruisers sunk
Commanders
  • Antonino Toscano
Battle of Cape BonBattle of Cape BonBattle of the Campobasso ConvoySiege of AspisBattle of the Port of CarthageSecond Battle of NepherisFirst Battle of NepherisSiege of AspisBattle of the Port of CarthageSecond Battle of NepherisTunisSousseQairouanBizerteMarsalaBéjaJendoubaSiliana100 km36.750N, 10.750E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1941

Battle of Cape Bon is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 119 in present-day Tunisia.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q714242, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Cape Bon (1941), revision 1382282442, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.