How 3 British Destroyers Destroyed 10 Italian Warships in 28 Minutes | Battle of Cape Matapan In the dark waters of the Mediterranean on March 28, 1941, three British destroyers hunted an entire Italian fleet—without being seen. In just 28 minutes, ten Italian warships were destroyed, changing naval warfare forever. This is the true story of the Battle of Cape Matapan, where radar turned the night into a deadly weapon. The Italian Navy believed the British fleet was hundreds of miles away. They