Vittorio Veneto in the Atlantic
Posted: Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:13 am
Can I raise a scenario I don't think has been raised before - what could have happened if the Vittorio Veneto had escaped into the Atlantic during 1940?
There are of course a number of problems with this, being first one being how does the VV get through the Straits of Gibraltar unscathed and the other being the Italians critical fuel situation.
However suppose Mussolini decided in June 1940 to delay declaring war until the summer of 1940, by secretly agreeing with the Germans that Italian claims on France would proceed once Italy was in the war. The Italians stockpile fuel and in July 1940 the VV, with Italy still neutral, sails from Italy into the Atlantic, refuels using Spanish and Portuguese ports before arriving in St Nazaire. A motive for the Italians doing this would be to boost the Duce's prestige by Italy providing naval support for Operation Sea Lion.
Sea Lion, as in reality, doesn't take place, Italy declares war so VV is now ready for Atlantic operations. How well would VV fit in with KM surface ship commerce raiding operations?
There are of course a number of problems with this, being first one being how does the VV get through the Straits of Gibraltar unscathed and the other being the Italians critical fuel situation.
However suppose Mussolini decided in June 1940 to delay declaring war until the summer of 1940, by secretly agreeing with the Germans that Italian claims on France would proceed once Italy was in the war. The Italians stockpile fuel and in July 1940 the VV, with Italy still neutral, sails from Italy into the Atlantic, refuels using Spanish and Portuguese ports before arriving in St Nazaire. A motive for the Italians doing this would be to boost the Duce's prestige by Italy providing naval support for Operation Sea Lion.
Sea Lion, as in reality, doesn't take place, Italy declares war so VV is now ready for Atlantic operations. How well would VV fit in with KM surface ship commerce raiding operations?