HMS Uganda at Salerno and the Fritz X strike

After extensive gunfire work during the Sicily campaign, Uganda joined the northern attack force for Operation Avalanche at Salerno. The force faced German Fritz X and Hs 293 guided weapons, and a 1.4-ton Fritz X dropped by KG 100 struck Uganda directly. It penetrated seven decks and exploded in the water beneath the keel. The underwater blast extinguished the boilers, killed sixteen men, and admitted about 1,300 tons of water. Damage control restored limited movement, but the cruiser needed a tow to Malta. No European dry dock could undertake the full repair, so she crossed the Atlantic on one working propeller to Charleston, South Carolina.