Attack on Convoy AN 14

When the Italo-Greek War commenced between Fascist Italy and Greece on 28 October 1940, the British began to send aircraft and stores through the Aegean Sea to support the Greek war effort. The Greek government provided the Allies with tugs, harbour vessels and a naval base for the British Mediterranean Fleet at Suda Bay in Crete.{{sfn|Titterton|2002|p=154}} Greece and Britain had concluded a co-operation agreement in January 1940, which secured commercial relations and made the Greek merchant fleet available for the transport of war supplies to the Allies, before the Italo–Greek War began.{{sfn|Koliopoulos|1978|pp=406–408}}

Since the declaration of the war with the Allies on 10 June 1940, Italian naval forces in the Dodecanese were limited in their capacity to supply garrisons. Most stores were carried by submarine and aircraft but the expedient was insufficient and the Italians began to use coastal ships. The ships ferried {{cvt|4500|LT}} of supplies to the Dodecanese, even after the closing of the Corinth Canal during the Italo-Greek War.{{sfn|Smith|Walker|1974|pp=8–9}} A flotilla of torpedo boats were deployed in the area by the {{lang|it|Regia Marina}} in December 1940, under the command of captain Francesco Mimbelli, to reinforce the ships around Rhodes and Leros, whose naval base of Porto Lago (Lakki) was the main base of the {{lang|it|Regia Marina}} in the Aegean.{{sfnm|1a1=Mimbelli|1y=2016|2a1=Gabellone|2y=2005}}

Convoy AN (Aegean Northward) 14 consisted of the British ships Destro (3,553 gross register tons ([GRT]), Goldmouth (7,402 GRT), Harmattan (4,558 GRT), {{MV|Desmoulea|1939|2}} (8,120 GRT), {{MV|Levernbank|1925|2}} (5,150 GRT) and three Greek merchant ships, Mount Olympus (6,692 GRT), Nicolaos G. Culucundis (3,201 GRT) and Spyros (6,629 GRT).{{sfn|Jordan|2006|pp=133, 88, 142, 219, 220, 223}} The convoy was escorted by the light cruiser {{HMS|Calcutta|D82|6}} (Commander Herbert Packer), the destroyers {{HMS|Dainty|H53|6}} and {{HMS|Jaguar|F34|2}} and the corvettes {{HMS|Peony|K40|6}} and Gloxina.{{sfn|Hague|2016}} The bulk of the convoy sailed from Port Said on 28 January, with the corvette Gloxina. Levernbank and the large tanker Desmoulea, escorted by Calcutta and Peony, departed Alexandria on 29 January.{{sfn|Jordan|2006|p=88}} The troop transport {{SS|Ethiopia|1927|2}} (5,574 GRT) carrying RAF personnel, left Alexandria some hours later, with the destroyer {{HMS|Hasty|H24|6}}.{{sfn|Jordan|2006|p=98}} The cruiser {{HMS|Ajax|22|6}} and the Australian light cruiser {{HMAS|Perth|D29|6}} were to provide distant cover; Jaguar and Dainty swept the Kasos Strait ahead of the convoy.{{sfn|Smith|1998}}

File:Torpedo boat Libra.jpg

Convoy AN 14 had sailed from Port Said on 28 and 29 January; on 31 January 1941, the Italian torpedo boats departed Leros and while performing an anti-submarine search in the Kasos Strait, they spotted an Allied convoy, escorted by a cruiser and three destroyers.{{sfn|Gabellone|2005}}{{efn|This website erroneously states that the torpedo boat {{lang|it|Lince}} was involved but it was escorting a steamer from the Dodecanese.{{sfn|PA|2016}}}} The two vessels separated, {{lang|it|Libra}} to distract the escort, while {{lang|it|Lupo}} attacked with its {{cvt|450|mm}} torpedoes. The Italians reported that {{lang|it|Lupo}} hit a large steamer with two torpedoes and then {{lang|it|Libra}} launched another two at a cruiser without effect. The Italians were engaged by the escorts but managed to escape.{{sfn|Cocchia|1959|p=339}}

In the British account, only one torpedo hit the tanker Desmoulea, which was loaded with a cargo of petrol and white oils. Admiral Andrew Cunningham recorded that the tanker had been detached to Suda Bay from the Alexandria section of the convoy and was torpedoed at 18:00 on 31 January. Dainty, the close escort, took the tanker in tow at 20:00, after it been abandoned by its crew. Perth assisted but then Cunningham ordered Perth to resume its escort duties.{{sfn|Cunningham|Simpsom|1999|p=270}} Desmoulea had been hit abreast the engine room and left sinking but the crew re-boarded the tanker when it became clear that it was still afloat.{{sfn|SSR|1947}} Desmoulea arrived in Suda Bay under tow at 08:00 on 1 February and beached with its cargo intact.{{sfnm|1a1=Cunningham|1a2=Simpsom|1y=1999|1p=270|2a1=Masters|2y=1953|2p=152}} Peony survived an attack by bombers {{cvt|40|nmi|mi+km}} from Crete and the rest of the convoy reached Piraeus on 2 February 1941.{{sfnm|1a1=Hague|1y=2016|2a1=Smith|2y=1998}}

Along with torpedo damage inflicted on the cargo ship Clan Cumming on 19 January by the Italian submarine {{lang|it|Neghelli}}, which was eventually destroyed by the escorts, this was the only Italian success against British convoys in the Aegean Sea.{{sfn|Mattesini|1998|p=33}} After the action, Allied shipping made passage into the Aegean through the more westerly Antikythera Strait.{{sfn|O'Hara|2009|p=85}}

File:HMS Dainty.jpg

Desmoulea remained at Suda Bay for several weeks, down on the sandy bottom by the stern, with its after well deck awash; the cargo was transferred to the tanker Eocene.{{sfnm|1a1=Smith|1y=1998|2a1=Smith|2y=1998a|3a1=Hatfield|3y=2009|3p=116}} Desmoulea was towed by the armed boarding vessel HMS Chakla and escorted to Port Said by the anti-submarine trawlers {{HMT|Lydiard|1939|6}} and HMT Amber. The ship arrived on 6 May and moored off the western beacon of Suez, for use as a temporary storage vessel.{{sfn|Smith|1998}} While awaiting repairs, Desmoulea was torpedoed again on 3 August 1941 by German bombers, the explosion tearing a hole {{cvt|35|×|12|ft}} in its side. Desmoulea was towed to Aden on 27 April by {{MV|Olivia||2}} (6,250 GRT) and waited for the end of the monsoon, inspection revealing that it had a broken back, was hogged by {{cvt|4|ft}}, with little strength, no power, no steering and a flooded engine-room.{{sfnm|1a1=Mitchell|1a2=Sawyer|1y=1990|1pp=396–397|2a1=Jordan|2y=2006|2p=519}}

The ship resumed its voyage on 30 December towed by {{SS|Malda|1922|2}} (9,066 GRT) and arrived at Bombay on 12 January 1942. After waiting for a dry dock until 23 April, it was towed by Ondina to Bhavnagar, arriving on 1 May, beaching in a small river, making its hull damage worse. On 20 November, the Norwegian Utsire (4,441 GRT) began towing Desmoulea but after two days, the tow line parted and the ship went aground at Goapnath Point. After four days, a tug refloated the ship which was returned to Bombay and used as an oil storage ship. Desmoulea went into dry dock in July 1943 and was found to be repairable and in November, renamed Empire Thane it was towed to Cochin and used as a storage hulk. In 1947 Desmoulea returned to its pre-war ownership and name. The vessel began a tow to Britain on 21 April, arriving at Falmouth on 16 July. Desmoulea was rebuilt under its original name in 1949, before being laid up in 1955 and scrapped in 1961.{{sfnm|1a1=Mitchell|1a2=Sawyer|1y=1990|1pp=396–397|2a1=Jordan|2y=2006|2p=519}}

The Third Engineering Officer, George Donn, was killed in the action.{{Cite web|title=Tower Hill: Lost on vessels - D'entrecasteax to Devonia|url=https://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/D%27entrecasteaux%20to%20Devonia.html|website=www.benjidog.co.uk|access-date=2020-05-23|archive-date=27 August 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827083052/https://www.benjidog.co.uk/Tower%20Hill/D'entrecasteaux%20to%20Devonia.php|url-status=live}}

• Attack on Convoy BN 7
• Operation Harpoon

{{notelist}}

{{reflist|20em}}

{{Refbegin}}

• {{cite book |last=Cocchia |first=A. |year=1959 |title=La Marina italiana nella seconda guerra mondiale |language=it |trans-title=The Italian Navy in the Second World War |publisher=Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare |location=Roma |oclc=23516701}}
• {{cite book |last1=Cunningham |first1=Andrew Browne |last2=Simpsom |first2=Michael A. |year=1999 |series=Publications of the Navy Records Society |title=The Cunningham Papers |volume=140 |publisher=Ashgate for the Navy Records Society |location=Brookfield, VT |isbn=978-1-84014-622-6}}
• {{cite book |title=H.M.A.S. Perth 1939–1941: From the Diaries of P.O. George Hatfield |last=Hatfield |first=G. E. |editor-last=Carlton |editor-first=M. |year=2009 |publisher=Springwood Printing Co. |location=Sydney, NSW |edition=online scan |url=http://www.hmasperth.asn.au/drh0507/Hatfields_Diaries.pdf |access-date=2 October 2016 |oclc=910514682 |archive-date=27 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827083112/http://www.hmasperth.asn.au/drh0507/Hatfields_Diaries.pdf |url-status=live }}
• {{cite book |last=Jordan |first=Roger W. |title=The World's Merchant Fleets 1939: The Particulars and Wartime Fates of 6,000 Ships |year=2006 |orig-year=1999 |publisher=Chatham/Lionel Leventhal |location=London |edition=2nd |isbn=978-1-86176-293-1}}
• {{cite book |last=Koliopoulos |first=Ioannis |year=1978 |title=Internal and External Developments from March 1, 1935 to the October 28, 1940: The War of 1940–1941 |language=el |others=no isbn |publisher=Ekdotiki Athinon |location=Athens}}
• {{cite book |title=Epics of Salvage: Wartime Feats of the Marine Salvage Men in World War II |last=Masters |first=David |publisher=Little, Brown |location=Boston, MA |year=1953 |oclc=1563108}}
• {{cite book |last=Mattesini |first=Francesco |year=1998 |title=L'operazione Gaudo e lo scontro notturno di Matapan |trans-title=Operation Gaudo and the Night Battle of Matapan |language=it |publisher=Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare [Historical Office of the Navy] |location=Roma |oclc=45375070}}
• {{cite book |last1=Mitchell |first1=William Harry |last2=Sawyer |first2=Leonard Arthur |title=The Empire Ships: A Record of British-built and Acquired Merchant Ships During the Second World War |publisher=Lloyd's of London Press |location=London |year=1990 |isbn=1-85044-275-4}}
• {{cite book |title=Struggle for the Middle Sea |last=O'Hara |first=Vincent |publisher=Naval Institute Press |location=Annapolis, MD |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-61251-408-6}}
• {{cite book |last1=Smith |first1=Peter |last2=Walker |first2=Edwin |year=1974 |title=War in the Aegean |location=London |publisher=Kimber |isbn=0-7183-0422-5}}
• {{cite book |last=Titterton |first=G. A. |year=2002 |title=The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean |location=London |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-0-7146-5205-4}}

• {{cite journal |ref={{harvid|SSR|1947}} |title=Desmoulea Suda tow |journal=Shipbuilding and Shipping Record: A Journal of Shipbuilding, Marine Engineering, Docks, Harbours & Shipping |date=1947 |volume=70 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mOI6AAAAMAAJ |access-date=2 October 2016 |oclc=436683593 }}

• {{cite web |ref={{harvid|Mimbelli|2016}} |author= |title=Francesco Mimbelli |year=2016 |website=Ministero della Difesa: Marina Militare |language=it |url=http://www.marina.difesa.it/storiacultura/storia/medaglie/Pagine/MimbelliFrancesco.aspx |access-date=2 October 2016 }}
• {{cite web |title=Un Saluto Dalle Regie Navi Lupo e Lince |trans-title=Greetings from Italian Ships Wolf and Lynx |last=Gabellone |first=A. |year=2005 |website=Filatelia la Sezione Filatelica del Gruppo di Taranto |others=Philately: The Fascinating History of our Ships Through Postal Documents |url=http://www.anmi.taranto.it/hobby/filatelia/lupo_lince/lupo_lince.htm |access-date=2 October 2016 |archive-date=27 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240827083053/http://www.anmi.taranto.it/hobby/filatelia/lupo_lince/lupo_lince.htm |url-status=live }}
• {{cite web |title=Arnold Hague Convoy Database: Shorter Convoy Series |last=Hague |first=A. |editor-last=Kindell |editor-first=D. |date=2016 |website=Convoy Web |url=http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/misc/index.html |access-date=2 October 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531070023/http://convoyweb.org.uk/misc/index.html |archive-date=31 May 2014 }}
• {{cite web |ref={{harvid|PA|2016}} |author= |url=http://warsailors.com/forum/read.php?1,60943,60954 |title=Platon Alexiades statement |access-date=10 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160216042705/http://warsailors.com/forum/read.php?1,60943,60954 |archive-date=16 February 2016 |url-status=dead }}
• {{cite web |author= |title=Shell tanker Desmoulea |url=http://www.helderline.nl/tanker/738/desmoulea/ |website=www.helderline.nl |access-date=2016-02-09 }}
• {{cite web |title=Naval Events, January 1941 (Part 2 of 2) Wednesday 15th – Friday 31st |last=Smith |first=Gordon |year=1998 |website=Naval-History Net |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4101-28JAN02.htm |access-date=2 October 2016 }}
• {{cite web |title=Naval Events, April 1941 (Part 2 of 2) Tuesday 15th – Wednesday 30th |last=Smith |first=Gordon |year=1998a |website=Naval-History Net |url=http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4104-31APR02.htm |access-date=2 October 2016 |archive-date=27 March 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220327085223/http://www.naval-history.net/xDKWW2-4104-31APR02.htm |url-status=live }}

{{refend}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20160216171105/http://www.convoyweb.org.uk/misc/index.html?yy.php%3Fconvoy=AN.14%21~miscmain] Convoy AN 14: Port Said to Piræus, 28 January – 2 February 1941. Arnold Hague Convoy Database (Shorter convoy series)

{{World War II}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:AN 14 Convoy}}

Category:Mediterranean convoys of World War II

Category:1941 in Greece

AN 14

Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Australia

Category:Naval battles of World War II involving Italy

Category:Italian naval victories in the battle of the Mediterranean

Category:Greco-Italian War

Category:Naval battles involving Greece

Category:History of the Dodecanese

Category:January 1941 in Europe

Category:Maritime incidents in January 1941