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Battle Of Cape Bon (1941)
The naval Battle of Cape Bon took place on 13 December 1941 during the Second World War, between two Italian light cruisers and an Allied destroyer flotilla, off Cape Bon in Tunisia. Background When Italy declared war in June 1940, the was one of the largest navies in the world but it was restricted to operations in the Mediterranean. The British Empire possessed enough resources and naval might to maintain a strong presence in the area and replace most losses by redeploying ships. This led to caution by the Italian command and a tendency to avoid conflict. Control of the Mediterranean was disputed by the the Royal Navy and their allies. The sea was vital for the supply of the Italian and German forces in North Africa, as well as the maintenance of Malta as a British offensive base. Without Malta, it would have been much harder for the British to intercept Italian supply convoys. Signals intelligence The possession of radar and the breaking of Italian codes, particularly the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of The Mediterranean
The Battle of the Mediterranean was the name given to the naval campaign fought in the Mediterranean Sea during World War II, from 10 June 1940 to 2 May 1945. For the most part, the campaign was fought between the Kingdom of Italy, Italian Regia Marina, Royal Navy (''Regia Marina''), supported by other Axis Powers, Axis naval and air forces, those of Nazi Germany and Vichy France, and the United Kingdom, British Royal Navy, supported by other Allies of World War II, Allied naval forces, such as those of Australia, the Netherlands, Poland, and Kingdom of Greece, Greece. American naval and air units joined the Allied side on 8 November 1942. The Vichy French Scuttling of the French fleet at Toulon, scuttled the bulk of their fleet on 27 November 1942, to prevent the Germans seizing it. As part of the Armistice of Cassibile in September 1943, most of the Italian Navy became the Italian Co-belligerent Navy, and fought alongside the Allies. Each side had three overall objectives in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
M-209
In cryptography, the M-209, designated CSP-1500 by the United States Navy (C-38 by the manufacturer) is a portable, mechanical cipher machine used by the US military primarily in World War II, though it remained in active use through the Korean War. The M-209 was designed by Swedish cryptographer Boris Hagelin in response to a request for such a portable cipher machine, and was an improvement of an earlier machine, the C-36 (cipher machine), C-36. The M-209 is about the size of a lunchbox, in its final form measuring and weighing (plus for the case). It represented a brilliant achievement for pre-electronic technology. It was a rotor machine similar to a telecipher machine, such as the Lorenz cipher and the Geheimfernschreiber. Basic operation Basic operation of the M-209 is relatively straightforward. Six adjustable ''key wheels'' on top of the box each display a letter of the alphabet. These six wheels comprise the external key (cryptography), key for the machine, providi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Stern
The stern is the back or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section of the ship, but eventually came to refer to the entire back of a vessel. The stern end of a ship is indicated with a white navigation light at night. Sterns on European and American wooden sailing ships began with two principal forms: the ''square'' or ''transom'' stern and the ''elliptical'', ''fantail'', or ''merchant'' stern, and were developed in that order. The hull sections of a sailing ship located before the stern were composed of a series of U-shaped rib-like frames set in a sloped or "cant" arrangement, with the last frame before the stern being called the ''fashion timber(s)'' or ''fashion piece(s)'', so called for "fashioning" the after part of the ship. This frame i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Aviation Fuel
Aviation fuels are either petroleum-based or blends of petroleum and synthetic fuels, used to power aircraft. They have more stringent requirements than fuels used for ground applications, such as heating and road transport, and they contain additives to enhance or preserve properties important to fuel performance and handling. They are kerosene-based fuels (such as JP-8 and Jet A-1) used in gas-turbine-powered aircraft. Piston-engined aircraft use leaded gasoline, while those with diesel engines may use jet fuel (kerosene). By 2012, all U.S. Air Force aircraft had been certified to use a 50-50 blend of kerosene and synthetic fuel derived from coal or natural gas, in an effort to stabilize fuel costs. Types of aviation fuel Conventional aviation fuels Jet fuel Jet fuel is a clear to straw-colored fuel, based on either an unleaded kerosene (Jet A-1), or a naphtha–kerosene blend (Jet B). Similar to diesel fuel, it can be used in either Diesel engine, compression ignition ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Divisional Admiral
Divisional admiral is a commissioned officer rank used in the navies of Belgium and Italy. It is rated OF-7 within the NATO ranking system and is equivalent to rear admiral in the Royal Navy and rear admiral (upper half) in the United States Navy. Belgium Divisional admiral (; ; ) is a rank used by the Belgian Naval Component. It ranks directly above a flotilla admiral and immediately below a vice-admiral. It is equivalent to a major general in the Belgian Land Component, Air Component and Medical Component. Italy Divisional admiral () is a rank used by the Italian Navy. It ranks directly above a counter admiral and immediately below a squadron admiral. It is equivalents to divisional general the Italian Army and the Air Force. In addition, another designation is ''vice admiral'' just like the '' vice-amiral'' of the French Navy. See also *Divisional General *Division (naval) A naval division is a sub-division of a squadron or flotilla of a navy. It can also ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Warships
A warship or combatant ship is a naval ship that is used for naval warfare. Usually they belong to the navy branch of the armed forces of a nation, though they have also been operated by individuals, cooperatives and corporations. As well as being armed, warships are designed to withstand damage and are typically faster and more maneuverable than merchant ships. Unlike a merchant ship, which carries cargo, a warship typically carries only weapons, ammunition and supplies for its crew. In wartime, the distinction between warships and merchant ships is often blurred. Until the 17th century it was common for merchant ships to be pressed into naval service, and not unusual for more than half of a fleet to be composed of merchant ships—there was not a large difference in construction, unlike the difference between a heavily armoured battleship and an ocean liner. Until the threat of piracy subsided in the 19th century, it was normal practice to arm larger merchant ships such ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Comando Supremo
''Comando Supremo'' (Supreme Command) was the highest command echelon of the Italian Armed Forces between June 1941 and May 1945. Its predecessor, the ''Stato Maggiore Generale'' (General Staff), was a purely advisory body with no direct control of the several branches of the armed forces and with very little staff. Created amidst the exigencies of World War II, ''Comando Supremo'' was a large organization with several departments and operational command of the armed forces on the active fronts. At the end of the war, it was reduced to a purely advisory role again. Background At the time of Italy's entry into World War II on 10 June 1940, the Italian armed forces were not unified, although Prime Minister Benito Mussolini held the ministries of Italian Minister of War, War, the Minister of the Navy (Italy), Navy and Minister of the Air Force (Italy), Air Force concurrently. On 11 June 1940, King Victor Emmanuel III named Mussolini "Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Operating on ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Supermarina
Supermarina was the headquarters of the Italian Royal Navy (''Regia Marina'') established on 1 June 1940, just before Italy entered the Second World War. The Army and Air Force equivalents were '' Superesercito'' and '' Superaereo'', which were subordinate to ''Comando Supremo'' the Supreme Command of the Italian armed forces. History The plan to centralise control of naval operations began in November 1934. The ''Supermarina'' headquarters at ''Lungotevere'' Flaminio in Rome, was completed in 1938 and was inaugurated by Benito Mussolini on 14 October. When the capital was declared an open city, in 1943, ''Supermarina'' moved to Santa Rosa on the Via Cassia, about from Rome. The Santa Rosa headquarters remains the seat of Commander in Chief Naval Fleet (CINCNAV). From 10 June 1940 to 8 September 1943, ''Supermarina'' supervised all Italian naval operations in the Battle of the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the oceans. The head of ''Supermarina'' should have been the chief of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert campaign during World War II by the British Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) against the Axis forces (German and Italian) in North Africa commanded by (Lieutenant-General) Erwin Rommel. The operation was intended to bypass Axis defences on the Egyptian–Libyan frontier, defeat the Axis armoured forces near Tobruk, raise the Siege of Tobruk and re-occupy Cyrenaica. On 18 November 1941, the Eighth Army began a surprise attack. From 18 to 22 November, the dispersal of British armoured units led to them suffering 530 tank losses and inflicting Axis losses of about 100 tanks. On 23 November, the 5th South African Brigade was destroyed at Sidi Rezegh but caused many German tank losses. On 24 November Rommel ordered the "dash to the wire" and caused chaos in the British rear but allowed the British armoured forces to recover. On 27 November, the New Zeal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Fuel
A fuel is any material that can be made to react with other substances so that it releases energy as thermal energy or to be used for work (physics), work. The concept was originally applied solely to those materials capable of releasing chemical energy but has since also been applied to other sources of heat energy, such as Nuclear power, nuclear energy (via nuclear fission and nuclear fusion). The heat energy released by reactions of fuels can be converted into mechanical energy via a heat engine. Other times, the heat itself is valued for warmth, cooking, or industrial processes, as well as the illumination that accompanies combustion. Fuels are also used in the Cell (biology), cells of organisms in a process known as cellular respiration, where organic molecules are oxidized to release usable energy. Hydrocarbons and related organic molecules are by far the most common source of fuel used by humans, but other substances, including radioactive metals, are also utilized. Fu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Battle Of The Duisburg Convoy
The Battle of the Duisburg Convoy (Battle of the BETA Convoy) was fought on the night of 1941 between an Italian convoy, its escorts and four British ships. The convoy was named BETA (''Duisburg'' refers to the largest ship) by the Italian naval authorities and carried supplies for the Italian Army () civilian colonists and the in Italian Libya. Force K of the Royal Navy, based at Malta, was sent to attack the convoy based on information gleaned from decrypts of Axis signals coded on the Enigma machine, covered by the ''fortuitous'' flight of a reconnaissance aircraft. The convoy was annihilated and the destroyer was sunk, with no loss and almost no damage to Force K. The was sunk next day by the British submarine , while picking up survivors. The Italians were severely criticised by the German naval attaché and pressured to accept liaison officers at (headquarters of the ) and on its ships. Italian attempts to reduce the risk of interception by British forces, by sending ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
