page_title: Italian destroyer Borea (1927)
section_title: Construction and career
hierarchical_section_title: Italian destroyer Borea (1927) / Construction and career
caption_attribution_description: English: HM Ship Borea. The original picture, scanned by Emiliano Burzagli, belongs to the Private archive of Burzaghi family, Italy. * Italiano: RCT Borea. L'immagine originale, scansita da Emiliano Burzagli, fa parte dell'Archivio privato della famiglia Burzagli.
context_page_description: Borea was one of eight Turbine-class destroyers built for the Regia Marina during the late 1920s. She was named after a northerly wind, Borea, bringing frigid, dry air to the Italian peninsula. The ship played a minor role in the Spanish Civil War of 1936–1937, supporting the Nationalists.
context_section_description: Borea was laid down by Gio. Ansaldo & C. at their Genoa shipyard on 29 April 1925, launched on 28 January 1927 and completed on 14 November. The ship was initially assigned to the 5th Destroyer Squadron for a short time. In March 1928 she participated in a training cruise in the Tyrrhenian Sea. Borea was then assigned together with Espero, Ostro and Zeffiro  to the 1st Squadron of the I Destroyer Flotilla based at La Spezia. In 1928 the destroyer also visited Ibiza, followed up by another cruise to Tripoli in 1929. In the summer of 1930 Borea together with the ships of her squadron participated in the training cruise in the Aegean Sea visiting Nafplion, Thessaloniki, Rhodes and other Dodecanese islands. In 1931 Borea together with Turbine, Ostro and  Aquilone as well as older Daniele Manin, Giovanni Nicotera and Pantera formed 1st Destroyer Flotilla, part of II Naval Division. In 1934 after another reorganization Borea as well as Espero, Zeffiro and Ostro were again reunited, now forming the 4th Destroyer Squadron, part of II Naval Division.
  During the Spanish Civil War Borea conducted 4 reconnaissance missions in autumn 1936 on behalf of the Nationalists. In August–September 1937 she participated in the Italian blockade of Republican Spain and performed three missions enforcing the blockade. In summer 1938 she conducted several patrol and escort missions from her temporary base at the Balearic Islands.
  At the end of 1938 she was relocated to Tobruk, then briefly recalled in the spring of 1939 to participate in the invasion of Albania before returning to Tobruk in the autumn of the same year.
  At the time of Italy entrance into World War II on 10 June 1940, Borea together with Espero, Ostro and Zeffiro was part of 2nd Destroyer Squadron based in Taranto. Borea was assigned escort duties, accompanying convoys from Sicily to Libya.
  On June 30, 1940 a large Italian convoy sailed from Augusta carrying troops, supplies, ammunition and fuel. The convoy consisted of six cargo and passenger ships and was escorted by 6 destroyers, including Borea, and 4 torpedo boats. On July 5, 1940 there were seven Turbine-class destroyers berthed in Tobruk harbor together with four torpedo boats, six freighters and several auxiliary vessels. Between 10:00 to 11:15 a Short Sunderland reconnaissance plane overflew the harbor at an altitude of 1,500-2,000 meters and despite the anti-aircraft fire opened against it, confirmed the presence of numerous ships in the harbor. In the late afternoon a group of nine Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers of 813 Naval Air Squadron took off from the airfield in Sidi Barrani and headed towards Tobruk. The air alarm was sounded at 20:06 but the Italians failed to detect the Allied aircraft until they were already over the harbor at 20:20. Destroyers had most of their personnel on board the steamers Liguria and Sabbia with exception of dedicated air-defense crews. The attack commenced a few minutes later, and lasted only seven minutes and resulted in five Italian ships being sunk or damaged. Not encountering any aerial opposition, British torpedo bombers attacked from low altitude (around 100 feet), and released their torpedoes from 400-500 meters away, almost point-blank. Zeffiro was attacked first by a plane piloted by Nicholas Kennedy, whose torpedo hit the ship in the bow, around the ammunition magazine, between the bridge and a 120 mm cannon. The explosion broke the ship into two and sank it half an hour later. Freighter Manzoni was also hit, capsized and sank, while Euro and steamer Serenitas were hit, and had to be beached, and the ocean liner Liguria was hit and damaged. Two planes also attacked other destroyers, but failed to launch their torpedoes due to intense anti-aircraft fire.
  On September 13, 1940 the Italian Army invaded Egypt and captured Sollum. A convoy was sighted travelling east along the Libyan coast on September 15 by a Short Sunderland flying boat from 230 Squadron. In attempt to help their ground force, the Royal Navy designed attacks on Italian bases, in particular, Benghazi. During the day
caption: Borea at high speed
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