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This maneuver brought the line on opposite course to the enemy ships, so that the two lines were about to pass in contrary directions along each other's full length. The enemy vessels were unusually close. So close that star shells were apparently not even necessary.
The destroyer Greyhound (1,335 tons, 4-7-in. guns) flicked on a searchlight. By great good luck the glare squarely silhouetted the third ship in the Italian line, the cruiser Fiume (10,000 tons, 8-inchers).— At this exceedingly close range, Warspite, whose heavy batteries had been brought to readiness, spoke up with a broadside of 15-inchers. The whole broadside found its mark. The Fiume burst into flames from foremast funnel to sternpost. The after turret flopped right into the sea. Warspite let her have another broadside. Fiume was now afire and hopelessly crippled.
By now the whole British Fleet was swinging into action. Admiral Cunningham ordered fire switched to the next in line. This was the Zara, sister to Fiume. Again the first salvo struck fire. The Pola, another sister of Fiume and Zara, was engaged. At one stage both Pola and Zara hung white sheets over their sides to indicate surrender. Barham blew the destroyers Vincenzo Gioberti (1,729 tons, 4.7-in. guns) and the Maestrale (1,449 tons, 4.7-in. guns) to bits as they tried to duck into smoke screens.
At this point searchlights picked up two other Italian destroyers ideally placed for torpedo attack on the British Fleet. They bore away and launched torpedoes. Churning white wakes in the darkness, the torpedoes passed between the British ships without a hit. The most aggressive admiral could not take such risks with his battleships. Sir Andrew turned the capital ships away and ordered the British destroyers to go in and finish the hurt cruisers.
The British destroyers—of which there must have been at least two divisions, eight craft—cut the sea up with torpedoes. Most of the destroyers carried eight torpedoes. The Havock, Captain Watkins, which gave a good account of herself at Narvik, signaled the flagship: "I am hanging onto the stern of the Pola. Shall I board her or blow her stern off with depth charges? Haven't any torpedoes left." But another destroyer got the Pola.
Post-Mortem. By midnight the action was over, the northern Italian squadron had never joined battle. Later eight reconnaissance planes flew out over the scene and saw hundreds of Italians on life rafts. British units came back and picked up over 900 men—and found two ways to rub into Benito Mussolini's hide his Axis commitments. They announced that there were 35 German officers, petty officers and seaman-gunners among the survivors. And the Admiralty declared: "It would have been possible to save 200 or 300 more but for attacks by German bombers on the ships engaged in the task of rescuing Italian seamen." Judging by the complements of the lost ships, about 1,500 Italians had perished.