Atlas of Battles

naval engagement, notable, interwar and Second World War

First Battle of Sirte

First Battle of Sirte was a naval engagement fought on 17 December 1941 at Gulf of Sidra. It was part of the Mediterranean and Middle East Theater of World War II, which ran from 1940 to 1945. The recorded result: Inconclusive. Recorded strength: 5 light cruisers; 14 destroyers against 4 battleships; 2 heavy cruisers; 3 light cruisers; 13 destroyers.

See it on the globe Read the article

AWM Caption: C.1937. PORT BOW VIEW OF THE LIGHT CRUISER HMS NEPTUNE. SHE HAS NOT YET HAD HER AA ARMAMENT AUGMENTED BY THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SINGLE 4 INCH MARK V GUNS ON MARK IV HA MOUNTINGS BY TWIN 4
AWM Caption: C.1937. PORT BOW VIEW OF THE LIGHT CRUISER HMS NEPTUNE. SHE HAS NOT YET HAD HER AA ARMAMENT AUGMENTED BY THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SINGLE 4 INCH MARK V GUNS ON MARK IV HA MOUNTINGS BY TWIN 4. The original uploader was Nick Dowling at English Wikipedia., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought17 December 1941
WhereGulf of Sidra34.134N, 17.951E
OutcomeInconclusive
BelligerentsUnited Kingdom; Australia; NetherlandsagainstFascist Italy (1922-1943)
Casualties and losses1 killed; 2 destroyers damagedandNil
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, 194519401945First Battle of Sirte, 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

Date17 December 1941
PlaceGulf of Sidra
34.134N, 17.951E
KindNaval engagement, interwar and Second World War
Strength5 light cruisers; 14 destroyers4 battleships; 2 heavy cruisers; 3 light cruisers; 13 destroyers
Casualties and losses1 killed; 2 destroyers damagedNil
Commanders
  • Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope
  • Philip Vian
First Battle of SirteFirst Battle of SirteSecond Battle of SirteSecond Battle of Sirte100 km34.134N, 17.951E
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

First Battle of Sirte is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1362319, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article First Battle of Sirte, revision 1385589387, 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.