Operation Grog
British operation during World War II
title: "Operation Grog" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["allied-naval-victories-in-the-battle-of-the-mediterranean", "naval-battles-and-operations-of-world-war-ii-involving-the-united-kingdom", "naval-aviation-operations-and-battles", "february-1941-in-europe"] description: "British operation during World War II" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Grog" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary British operation during World War II ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox military conflict"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| conflict | Operation Grog |
| image | Unexploded shell in the cathedral in Genoa (Italy).jpg |
| image_upright | 1.0 |
| caption | Armour-piercing shell fired by , in the nave of Genoa Cathedral |
| partof | the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II |
| date | February 9, 1941 |
| place | Genoa, Italy |
| coordinates | |
| result | British victory |
| combatant1 | United Kingdom |
| combatant2 | Fascist Italy (1922-1943) |
| commander1 | United Kingdom James Somerville |
| commander2 | Fascist Italy (1922-1943) Ferdinando Casardi |
| strength1 | Force H |
| strength2 | Anti-aircraft and coastal artillery |
| casualties1 | 1 Swordfish aircraft |
| casualties2 | 5 cargo ships sunk |
| 18 damaged (British sources) | |
| 1 training ship sunk | |
| 2 ships damaged (Italian sources) | |
| 14 lighters sunk | |
| 144 killed and 242 wounded | |
| Severe damage to port | |
| campaignbox | |
| :: |
| conflict = Operation Grog | image = Unexploded shell in the cathedral in Genoa (Italy).jpg | image_upright = 1.0 | caption = Armour-piercing shell fired by , in the nave of Genoa Cathedral | partof = the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II | date = February 9, 1941 | place = Genoa, Italy | coordinates = | result = British victory | combatant1 = United Kingdom | combatant2 = Fascist Italy (1922-1943) | commander1 = United Kingdom James Somerville | commander2 = Fascist Italy (1922-1943) Ferdinando Casardi | strength1 = Force H
- 1 Aircraft carrier
- 1 Battleship
- 1 Battlecruiser
- 1 Light cruiser
- 4 destroyers | strength2 = Anti-aircraft and coastal artillery | casualties1 = 1 Swordfish aircraft | casualties2 = 5 cargo ships sunk 18 damaged (British sources) 1 training ship sunk 2 ships damaged (Italian sources) 14 lighters sunk 144 killed and 242 wounded Severe damage to port | campaignbox =
Operation Grog was the code name for the British naval and air bombardment of Genoa and La Spezia on 9 February 1941, by Force H of the Royal Navy, consisting of the battleship , the aircraft carrier , the battlecruiser and the light cruiser screened by ten fleet destroyers including , , , , and .
Events
The operation was originally scheduled to start on 31 January 1941, but the ships did not leave Gibraltar until 6 February. Four destroyers carried out an anti-submarine sweep while the heavy ships carried out a feint to deceive Axis observers into thinking they were supporting a convoy.
Genoa harbour was bombarded on 9 February 1941, with the force sinking four cargo ships and damaging 18 more. The historian Ermingo Bagnasco also reports the loss of 14 lighters and the motorsailer Antonietta Madre. According to the official files of the Italian Navy (Marina Militare), the Antonietta Madre was sunk during the Allied aerial bombing of Genoa on 23 October 1942.
A salvo from Malaya landed between 50 and short of the Italian battleship , undergoing repairs in dry dock north of Molo Giano (Giano Pier); no damage was reported on Duilio. A targeting error by a gunnery officer on board Malaya some 13 nmi offshore caused an armour-piercing round to hit Genoa Cathedral; the shell failed to explode and remains on display there. There were 144 civilian dead and 272 wounded at Genoa as result of the shelling.
Ark Royals aircraft attacked Livorno and mined La Spezia. An attempt by the Italian fleet to intercept the British force failed, and all ships returned to Gibraltar on 11 February 1941.
References
References
- (2011). "The Littorio Class: Italy's Last and Largest Battleships". Seaforth Publishing.
- (2002). "The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean: November 1940 – December 1941". Psychology Press.
- Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd). "SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2:HMS RENOWN - Renown-class 15in gun Battlecruiser". Naval-History.Net.
- Lt Cdr Geoffrey B Mason RN (Rtd). "SERVICE HISTORIES of ROYAL NAVY WARSHIPS in WORLD WAR 2:HMS Fearless(H67)". Naval-History.Net.
- "UK Battleship of WW1 and WW2:HMS Malaya (BB-6)".
- "L'operazione "Grog"".
- Artieri, Giovanni. (1978). "Cronaca del Regno d'Italia: Dalla Vittoria alla Repubblica". Mondadori.
- Marina Militare, Stato Maggiore. (1952). "La Marina italiana nella seconda guerra mondiale". Ufficio Storico della Marina Militare.
- (4 July 2010). "Obituary:Commander Henry Hatfield". Daily Telegraph.
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