Second Battle of Sirte

Second Battle of Sirte
	Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of Second World War
	; British cruisers Cleopatra (making smoke) and Euryalus (foreground) moving into action
Date	22 March 1942
Location	Gulf of Sidra, Mediterranean Sea34°00′N 17°30′E / 34.0°N 17.5°E
Result	See Analysis section
Belligerents
British Empire	Italy
Commanders and leaders
Philip Vian	Angelo Iachino
Strength
4 light cruisers; 1 anti-aircraft cruiser; 18 destroyers; 1 submarine;	1 battleship; 2 heavy cruisers; 1 light cruiser; 10 destroyers; 1 submarine;
Casualties and losses
39 killed; 3 light cruisers damaged; 2 destroyers disabled; 3 destroyers damaged;	No casualties; 1 battleship slightly damaged;

The Second Battle of Sirte (on 22 March 1942) was a naval engagement in the Mediterranean Sea, north of the Gulf of Sidra and south-east of Malta, during the Second World War. The escorting warships of a British convoy to Malta held off a much more powerful squadron of the Regia Marina (Italian Navy). The British convoy was composed of four merchant ships, escorted by four light cruisers, one anti-aircraft cruiser and 17 destroyers. The Italian force comprised a battleship, two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser and ten destroyers.