Gulf of Taranto. By this time, Pola had replaced Gorizia in the 1st Division. Battle of Cape Matapan The Italian fleet made another attempt to intercept a British convoy in the eastern Mediterranean south of Crete in late March. This operation resulted in the Battle of Cape Matapan on 27–29 March. For most of the daytime engagement, Zara and the rest of the 1st Division were stationed on the disengaged side of the Italian fleet, and so did not see action during this phase. Vittorio Veneto was torpedoed by British aircraft from the carrier and was forced to withdraw, and the 1st Division remained on the port side of the Italian fleet to screen against another possible British attack. A second British airstrike later on the 28th failed to locate the retiring Vittorio Veneto and instead scored a single torpedo strike on Pola, hitting her amidships on her starboard side. In the confusion of the attack, Pola had nearly collided with Fiume and had been forced to stop, which had prevented her from taking evasive action. The damage filled three compartments with water and disabled five of her boilers and the main steam line that fed the turbines, leaving her immobilized. Admiral Iachino, the fleet commander, was unaware of Polas plight until 20:10; upon learning of the situation he detached Zara, Fiume, and four destroyers to protect Pola. At around the same time, the British cruiser detected Pola on her radar and reported her location. The British fleet, centered on the battleships , , and , was at this point only away. The British ships, guided by radar, closed in on the Italians; at 22:10, Pola was about from Valiant. Lookouts on the crippled Italian cruiser spotted shapes approaching and assumed them to be friendly vessels, so they fired a red flare to guide them. Almost twenty minutes later, the British illuminated first Zara and then Fiume with their searchlights; the British battleships obliterated Zara, Fiume, and two destroyers in a point-blank engagement. Zara had been hit by four broadsides from Warspite and five more from Valiant in the span of just a few minutes. The destroyer launched torpedoes at the crippled Zara and scored at least one hit. The destroyer launched four more torpedoes with unknown results. The British battleships then turned away to avoid a torpedo attack from the remaining destroyers. Zara, by now burning furiously, remained afloat