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The battle of Giza
At 6.34 AM, before departing with the Combined Fleet, Admiral Hippo Regius wired a confident message to the navy minister in Carthage:
“I have just received news [via wireless] that the enemy fleet has been sighted. Our fleet will proceed forthwith to sea to attack the enemy and destroy him.”
At the same time the entire Carthaginian main battle fleet put to sea, with Admiral Hippo Regius from his flagship CRS Maltese Falcon leading his vessels to meet the Egyptians. Meanwhile, the shadowing Carthaginian scouting vessels sent wireless reports every few minutes as to the formation and course of the Egyptian fleet. There was still mist which reduced visibility and the weather was poor.
Wireless gave Carthage an advantage; in his report on the battle, Admiral Regius noted the following:
“Though a heavy fog covered the sea, making it impossible to observe anything at a distance of over five miles, through wireless messaging all the conditions of the enemy were as clear to us, who were 30 or 40 miles distant, as though they had been under our very eyes."
At around 1:40 PM, both fleets sighted each other and prepared to engage each other. Also at 1:55 PM, Admiral Regius ordered the hoisting of the Z flag:
“The Empire's fate depends on the result of this battle, let every man do his utmost duty.”
At 2:45 PM, Regius crossed the Egyptian "T" enabling him to fire broadsides from Carthags destroyers, while the Egyptian heavier battleships could only reply with their forward turrets.
Crossing the Egyptian "T"
The Egyptians sailed from south-southwest to north-northeast; the Carthaginian fleet from west to northeast "continuing to a point of intersection which allowed only their bow guns to bear; enabling him to throw most of the Egyptian batteries successively out of bearing."
Admiral Regius ordered the fleet to turn in sequence, which enabled his ships to take the same course as the Egyptians, though risking each destroyer in turn. This U-turn was successful. The Egyptian admiral had only two alternatives, "a charge direct, in line abreast", or to commence "a formal pitched battle."
He chose the latter, and at 1408 hours (2:08 PM), the Carthaginian ship CRS Dido Superior was hit at about 7,000 metres, with the Carthaginian replying at 6,400 metres. Superior Carthaginian gunnery then took its toll with most of the Egyptian battleships being crippled. As naval engagements traditionally began at a considerably closer range, Regius immediately gained the advantage of surprise.
Commander Ro Hor Sema, a Egyptian staff officer aboard the flagship, noted that "It seemed impossible even to count the number of projectiles striking us. Shells seemed to be pouring upon us incessantly one after another. The steel plates and superstructure on the upper decks were torn to pieces, and the splinters caused many casualties. Iron ladders were crumpled up into rings, and guns were literally hurled from their mountings. In addition to this, there was the unusually high temperature and liquid flame of the explosion, which seemed to spread over everything. I actually watched a steel plate catch fire from a burst."
The Bor Odi under heavy Carthaginian fire
A direct hit on the Bor Odi's magazines by the Carthaginian destroyer CRS Caesar of Citorno caused her to explode, which sent smoke thousands of feet into the air and trapped all of her crew on board as the Bor Odi slid under the sea. Admiral Ro Hese was knocked out of action by a shell fragment that struck his skull. The Egyptians lost the entire fleet of 4 battleships Kya Su, Osly Aba, Im Alek and Bor Odi. The Carthaginian destroyers suffered the comparatively light damage of 4 destroyers: CRS Dido Superior, CRS Swift Justice, CRS Scourge of the Seas and CRS Lord of the Sea.
This battle shows that considerably better battleships can be out-maneuvered and destroyed by elite lighter forces, consisting of destroyers. Result of the battle is that an imminent invasion of Carthaginian soil is stopped, before it got time to materialize.
At 6.34 AM, before departing with the Combined Fleet, Admiral Hippo Regius wired a confident message to the navy minister in Carthage:
“I have just received news [via wireless] that the enemy fleet has been sighted. Our fleet will proceed forthwith to sea to attack the enemy and destroy him.”
At the same time the entire Carthaginian main battle fleet put to sea, with Admiral Hippo Regius from his flagship CRS Maltese Falcon leading his vessels to meet the Egyptians. Meanwhile, the shadowing Carthaginian scouting vessels sent wireless reports every few minutes as to the formation and course of the Egyptian fleet. There was still mist which reduced visibility and the weather was poor.
Wireless gave Carthage an advantage; in his report on the battle, Admiral Regius noted the following:
“Though a heavy fog covered the sea, making it impossible to observe anything at a distance of over five miles, through wireless messaging all the conditions of the enemy were as clear to us, who were 30 or 40 miles distant, as though they had been under our very eyes."
At around 1:40 PM, both fleets sighted each other and prepared to engage each other. Also at 1:55 PM, Admiral Regius ordered the hoisting of the Z flag:
“The Empire's fate depends on the result of this battle, let every man do his utmost duty.”
At 2:45 PM, Regius crossed the Egyptian "T" enabling him to fire broadsides from Carthags destroyers, while the Egyptian heavier battleships could only reply with their forward turrets.
Crossing the Egyptian "T"
The Egyptians sailed from south-southwest to north-northeast; the Carthaginian fleet from west to northeast "continuing to a point of intersection which allowed only their bow guns to bear; enabling him to throw most of the Egyptian batteries successively out of bearing."
Admiral Regius ordered the fleet to turn in sequence, which enabled his ships to take the same course as the Egyptians, though risking each destroyer in turn. This U-turn was successful. The Egyptian admiral had only two alternatives, "a charge direct, in line abreast", or to commence "a formal pitched battle."
He chose the latter, and at 1408 hours (2:08 PM), the Carthaginian ship CRS Dido Superior was hit at about 7,000 metres, with the Carthaginian replying at 6,400 metres. Superior Carthaginian gunnery then took its toll with most of the Egyptian battleships being crippled. As naval engagements traditionally began at a considerably closer range, Regius immediately gained the advantage of surprise.
Commander Ro Hor Sema, a Egyptian staff officer aboard the flagship, noted that "It seemed impossible even to count the number of projectiles striking us. Shells seemed to be pouring upon us incessantly one after another. The steel plates and superstructure on the upper decks were torn to pieces, and the splinters caused many casualties. Iron ladders were crumpled up into rings, and guns were literally hurled from their mountings. In addition to this, there was the unusually high temperature and liquid flame of the explosion, which seemed to spread over everything. I actually watched a steel plate catch fire from a burst."
The Bor Odi under heavy Carthaginian fire
A direct hit on the Bor Odi's magazines by the Carthaginian destroyer CRS Caesar of Citorno caused her to explode, which sent smoke thousands of feet into the air and trapped all of her crew on board as the Bor Odi slid under the sea. Admiral Ro Hese was knocked out of action by a shell fragment that struck his skull. The Egyptians lost the entire fleet of 4 battleships Kya Su, Osly Aba, Im Alek and Bor Odi. The Carthaginian destroyers suffered the comparatively light damage of 4 destroyers: CRS Dido Superior, CRS Swift Justice, CRS Scourge of the Seas and CRS Lord of the Sea.
This battle shows that considerably better battleships can be out-maneuvered and destroyed by elite lighter forces, consisting of destroyers. Result of the battle is that an imminent invasion of Carthaginian soil is stopped, before it got time to materialize.
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