Force K

Force K

Force K was a British Royal Navy task force of the Second World War. It operated out of Malta and was responsible for intercepting convoys carrying supplies to the Italian and German forces in North Africa, including Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps.

Force K was created in 1941 following the first siege of Malta. Allied submarines and aircraft could not inflict significant damage to Axis convoys supplying their forces in Africa, so Winston Churchill established Force K. At its inception the Force consisted of two cruisers, Aurora and Penelope, and two L class destroyers, Lance and Lively.

In November of 1941, Force K successfully destroyed an entire German convoy, forcing the Italians to consider Tripoli ‘practically blockaded’. Soon after Force K was reinforced with two light cruisers, Ajax and Neptune, and two K class destroyers. Force K was so effective that during November of 1941 the Axis supply line suffered 60 percent losses. However in December of 1941 Force K ran into a mine field while pursuing a convoy, sinking one cruiser, damaging another, and sinking one destroyer. [ [http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/worldwars/wwtwo/siege_malta_02.shtml BBC - History - The Siege of Malta in World War Two ] ]

ee also

* Force H
* Leander class cruiser (1931)
* Italian Mare Nostrum
* Malta Convoys

References


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  • forcé — force [ fɔrs ] n. f. • 1080; bas lat. fortia, plur. neutre substantivé de fortis → 1. fort; forcer I ♦ La force de qqn. 1 ♦ Puissance d action physique (d un être, d un organe). Force physique; force musculaire. ⇒ résistance, robustesse, vigueur …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • force — Force, Vis, Neruositas, Fortitudo, Virtus. Il se prend quelquesfois pour le dessus d une entreprinse ou affaire, comme, Il combatit si vaillamment que la force fut sienne, c est à dire, que le dessus du combat et la victoire fut à luy. Item,… …   Thresor de la langue françoyse

  • force — 1 n 1: a cause of motion, activity, or change intervening force: a force that acts after another s negligent act or omission has occurred and that causes injury to another: intervening cause at cause irresistible force: an unforeseeable event esp …   Law dictionary

  • force — Force. subst. fem. Vigueur, faculté naturelle d agir vigoureusement. Il se dit proprement du corps. Force naturelle. grande force. force extraordinaire. force de corps. force de bras, la force consiste dans les nerfs. frapper de toute sa force, y …   Dictionnaire de l'Académie française

  • Force — Force, n. [F. force, LL. forcia, fortia, fr. L. fortis strong. See {Fort}, n.] 1. Capacity of exercising an influence or producing an effect; strength or energy of body or mind; active power; vigor; might; often, an unusual degree of strength or… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • forcé — forcé, ée (for sé, sée) part. passé de forcer. 1°   À quoi on a fait violence, qu on a tordu, brisé avec violence. Un coffre forcé. Une serrure forcée. •   Ils [les Juifs] répandirent dans le monde que le sépulcre [de Jésus] avait été forcé ;… …   Dictionnaire de la Langue Française d'Émile Littré

  • force — n 1 *power, energy, strength, might, puissance Analogous words: *stress, strain, pressure, tension: *speed, velocity, momentum, impetus, headway 2 Force, violence, compulsion, coercion, duress, constraint, restraint denote the exercise or the… …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

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  • Force — Force, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Forced}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Forcing}.] [OF. forcier, F. forcer, fr. LL. forciare, fortiare. See {Force}, n.] 1. To constrain to do or to forbear, by the exertion of a power not resistible; to compel by physical, moral,… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

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