The Most Extraordinary Battleship Feat of WW2

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Admiral Andrew Cunningham steered HMS Warspite straight into the lion’s den, gunning to corner the Italian Royal Navy in a fierce clash right off their own coastline. It was a bold gamble that promised either a sweeping victory or a catastrophic defeat.

It was July 1940, and Italy had just entered the fray, turning the Mediterranean into a powder keg. Cunningham was determined to deliver a knockout punch to the Italian fleet, looking to shatter their resolve before they could pose a severe threat. Yet, he and his crew were about to encounter more than they had bargained for.

His fleet boasted the great battleships HMS Warspite, Malaya, and Royal Sovereign, along with the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle and a robust lineup of cruisers and destroyers. They faced an Italian armada under Admiral Inigo Campioni, which included six battleships—highlighted by the newer, swifter Vittorio Veneto and Giulio Cesare—backed by a cadre of cruisers and destroyers.

Cunningham wasn’t the type to flinch or even consider retreat; he was intent on instilling dread in the Italian sailors. As the clash unfurled, with the fleets still a considerable distance apart, he commanded the legendary gunners aboard Warspite to target the Italian flagship, Giulio Cesare.
The shot was virtually impossible by any naval measure—Giulio Cesare was 14 miles away. It was like hitting a flea across a football field. Unfazed, the gun crews meticulously calculated the trajectory, even accounting for the Earth’s curvature.

The 15-inch gun roared to life, the command boomed, and the air was torn asunder as the longest naval shot ever made streaked across the sky. Not only was a record about to be shattered that day but so too was the spirit and power of the Italian Navy…