Battle of Calabria

Battle of Calabria
	Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War
	; Italian battleship Giulio Cesare, 9 July 1940
Date	9 July 1940
Location	Off Calabria, Mediterranean Sea37°40′N 17°20′E / 37.667°N 17.333°E
Result	Indecisive
Belligerents
United Kingdom; Australia;	Italy
Commanders and leaders
Andrew Cunningham	Inigo Campioni
Strength
1 aircraft carrier; 3 battleships; 5 light cruisers (1 Australian); 16 destroyers;	2 battleships; 6 heavy cruisers; 8 light cruisers; 16 destroyers;
Casualties and losses
1 light cruiser damaged; 2 destroyers damaged;	1 battleship damaged; 1 heavy cruiser damaged; 1 destroyer damaged;

The Battle of Calabria (Battaglia di Punta Stilo) on 9 July 1940, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War between ships of the Regia Marina and those of the Mediterranean Fleet. The battle took place 30 nmi (56 km; 35 mi) to the east of Punta Stilo, Calabria.

Both fleets went to sea to protect convoys that reached their destinations and both had signals intelligence giving them notice of their opponent's intentions and both had air support, the Italians from land-based aircraft and the British from the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle.

The battle involved many ships on both sides but it was indecisive and the ships returned to base; it was the first battleship engagement between the Italians and the British.