Divided batteries and confusion in the Duisburg convoy

The British ships divided their weapons among several targets at once. Penelope used her main guns, secondary guns, and pom-poms against different ships, while Lively distributed gun mounts across the merchant vessels. Damaged wireless masts contributed to an initial Italian belief that aircraft were attacking, and some escorts searched the sky. Fulmine recognised the surface threat and received concentrated fire. The distant escort then headed towards an earlier British position and struggled to follow ships partly hidden by burning merchants. Most of the fighting was over within fifteen to twenty minutes, with all seven merchant ships lost.