Battleship

The German pre-dreadnought {{SMS|Schleswig-Holstein||2}} fired the first shots of World War II by initiating the bombardment of the Polish garrison at [[Westerplatte]] in the early hours on 1 September 1939.{{sfn|Gibbons|1983|p=163}} The German ''Scharnhorst''-class battleships caught the British carrier {{HMS|Glorious}} off the coast of Norway and sank her during the [[Norwegian campaign]].{{sfn|Gibbons|1983|pp=246–247}} Following the [[Battle of France|collapse of France]] in June 1940 and subsequent surrender, the British embarked on a campaign to neutralize or destroy French battleships that might be seized to reinforce the German fleet, including the [[attack on Mers-el-Kébir]] and the [[Battle of Dakar]] in July and September, respectively. In the former action, the British sank a pair of older ''Bretagne''-class battleships and the fast battleship {{ship|French battleship|Dunkerque||2}}, though the latter was refloated and repaired. At Dakar, the French battleship {{ship|French battleship|Richelieu||2}} and other forces fended off the British task force, which resulted in the torpedoing of the battleship {{HMS|Resolution|09|6}}, which was severely damaged.{{sfn|Jordan|Dumas|2009|pp=75–84, 139–147}}

The German pre-dreadnought {{SMS|Schleswig-Holstein||2}} fired the first shots of World War II by initiating the bombardment of the Polish garrison at [[Westerplatte]] in the early hours on 1 September 1939.{{sfn|Gibbons|1983|p=163}} The German ''Scharnhorst''-class battleships caught the British carrier {{HMS|Glorious}} off the coast of Norway and sank her during the [[Norwegian campaign]].{{sfn|Gibbons|1983|pp=246–247}} Following the [[Battle of France|collapse of France]] in June 1940 and subsequent surrender, the British embarked on a campaign to neutralize or destroy French battleships that might be seized to reinforce the German fleet, including the [[attack on Mers-el-Kébir]] and the [[Battle of Dakar]] in July and September, respectively. In the former action, the British sank a pair of older ''Bretagne''-class battleships and the fast battleship {{ship|French battleship|Dunkerque||2}}, though the latter was refloated and repaired. At Dakar, the French battleship {{ship|French battleship|Richelieu||2}} and other forces fended off the British task force, which resulted in the torpedoing of the battleship {{HMS|Resolution|09|6}}, which was severely damaged.{{sfn|Jordan|Dumas|2009|pp=75–84, 139–147}}

Italy entered the war in June 1940, shortly before the French defeat. In November, the British launched a nighttime airstrike on the naval base at [[Taranto]]; in the [[Battle of Taranto]], [[Fairey Swordfish]] [[torpedo bomber]]s disabled three Italian battleships, though they were subsequently repaired. Over the next year, Italian and British battleships engaged in a number of inconclusive actions as they contested the supply lines to North Africa. These included the [[Battle of Cape Spartivento]] in November 1940 and the [[Battle of Cape Matapan]] in March 1941. At Matapan, the battleship {{ship|Italian battleship|Vittorio Veneto||2}} was badly damaged by a Swordfish, though the ship returned to port. The British battleships {{HMS|Valiant|1914|2}}, {{HMS|Warspite|03|2}}, and {{HMS|Barham|04|2}} nevertheless caught a group of three heavy cruisers that evening and destroyed them in a furious, close-range night action. Convoy battles continued through 1941 and into 1942, with actions such as [[First Battle of Sirte|First]] and [[Second Battle of Sirte|Second Sirte]]. By 1943, Italian operations were sharply reduced due to a shortage of fuel, and after the [[Allied invasion of Italy]], the country surrendered, allowing most of its fleet to be interned at Malta. While on the way, the battleship {{ship|Italian battleship|Roma|1940|2}} was sunk by a German [[Fritz X]] guided [[glide bomb]].{{sfn|Garzke|Dulin|1985|pp=383–388, 405–407}}{{sfn|Whitley|1998|pp=166–168, 172–176}}

Italy entered the war in June 1940, shortly before the French defeat. In November, the British launched a nighttime airstrike on the naval base at [[Taranto]]; in the [[Battle of Taranto]], [[Fairey Swordfish]] [[torpedo bomber]]s disabled three Italian battleships, though they were subsequently repaired. Over the next year, Italian and British battleships engaged in a number of inconclusive actions as they contested the supply lines to North Africa. These included the [[Battle of Cape Spartivento]] in November 1940 and the [[Battle of Cape Matapan]] in March 1941. At Matapan, the battleship {{ship|Italian battleship|Vittorio Veneto||2}} was badly damaged by a Swordfish, though the ship returned to port. The British battleships {{HMS|Valiant|1914|2}}, {{HMS|Warspite|03|2}}, and {{HMS|Barham|04|2}} nevertheless caught a group of three heavy cruisers that evening and destroyed them in a furious, close-range night action. Two British battleships were disabled in the [[raid on Alexandria (1941)]]. Convoy battles continued through 1941 and into 1942, with actions such as [[First Battle of Sirte|First]] and [[Second Battle of Sirte|Second Sirte]], the [[Operation Harpoon|battle of mid-June]] and [[Operation Pedestal]].<ref>{{cite book |ref={{harvid|DNC|1952}} |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=H. M. Ships Damaged or Sunk by Enemy Action, 3rd September, 1939 to 2nd September, 1945 |publisher=HMSO |location=London |year=1952 |url=http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Ships%20Damaged%20or%20Sunk%20by%20Enemy%20Action_opt_0.pdf |oclc=38570200 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160610105459/http://www.navy.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/Ships%20Damaged%20or%20Sunk%20by%20Enemy%20Action_opt_0.pdf |archive-date=10 June 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> By 1943, Italian operations were sharply reduced due to a shortage of fuel, and after the [[Allied invasion of Italy]], the country surrendered, allowing most of its fleet to be interned at Malta. While on the way, the battleship {{ship|Italian battleship|Roma|1940|2}} was sunk by a German [[Fritz X]] guided [[glide bomb]].{{sfn|Garzke|Dulin|1985|pp=383–388, 405–407}}{{sfn|Whitley|1998|pp=166–168, 172–176}}

In the meantime, in January 1941, the Germans began to send their few battleships on [[commerce raiding]] operations in the Atlantic, starting with the two ''Scharnhorst''-class ships in [[Operation Berlin (Atlantic)|Operation Berlin]], which was not particularly successful. {{ship|German battleship|Bismarck||2}} followed with [[Operation Rheinübung]] in May, which resulted in two actions, the [[Battle of the Denmark Strait]] and the [[Last battle of Bismarck|sinking of ''Bismarck'']]. During the operation, ''Bismarck'' was crippled by Swordfish torpedo bombers, which allowed a pair of British battleships to catch and destroy her. By 1942, the last operational German battleships—{{ship|German battleship|Tirpitz||2}} and {{ship|German battleship|Scharnhorst||2}}—were sent to occupied Norway to serve as a [[fleet in being]] to tie down British naval resources and to attack supply convoys to the [[Soviet Union]]. The battleship {{HMS|Duke of York|17|6}} eventually sank ''Scharnhorst'' at the [[Battle of North Cape]] in December 1943, and ''Tirpitz'' was destroyed by British [[heavy bomber]]s in 1944.{{sfn|Garzke|Dulin|1985|pp=140, 158, 170–176, 211–223, 248, 272}}

In the meantime, in January 1941, the Germans began to send their few battleships on [[commerce raiding]] operations in the Atlantic, starting with the two ''Scharnhorst''-class ships in [[Operation Berlin (Atlantic)|Operation Berlin]], which was not particularly successful. {{ship|German battleship|Bismarck||2}} followed with [[Operation Rheinübung]] in May, which resulted in two actions, the [[Battle of the Denmark Strait]] and the [[Last battle of Bismarck|sinking of ''Bismarck'']]. During the operation, ''Bismarck'' was crippled by Swordfish torpedo bombers, which allowed a pair of British battleships to catch and destroy her. By 1942, the last operational German battleships—{{ship|German battleship|Tirpitz||2}} and {{ship|German battleship|Scharnhorst||2}}—were sent to occupied Norway to serve as a [[fleet in being]] to tie down British naval resources and to attack supply convoys to the [[Soviet Union]]. The battleship {{HMS|Duke of York|17|6}} eventually sank ''Scharnhorst'' at the [[Battle of North Cape]] in December 1943, and ''Tirpitz'' was destroyed by British [[heavy bomber]]s in 1944.{{sfn|Garzke|Dulin|1985|pp=140, 158, 170–176, 211–223, 248, 272}}