A British success on the night of 12/13 December 1941

In December 1941, the Italians resorted to using warships to carry supplies to North Africa. They tried to run two light cruisers, the Alberto di Giussano and the Alberico da Barbiano, through to Tripoli. They were caught by four destroyers coming to join the Mediterranean Fleet: the Sikh, Maori, Legion, and the Dutch Isaac Sweers. The encounter happened near Cape Bon at just after 2am. The Allies were able to approach unnoticed and fired torpedoes. The destroyers then opened up with their guns and finished off the cruisers, leaving them in a sinking condition. This is based on the account in Vol.III of the Official History.