▁Operation ▁Ret ribution , ▁a ▁block ade ▁of ▁Tun is ian ▁ports ▁by ▁Al lied ▁sea ▁and ▁air ▁forces ▁to ▁stop ▁any ▁ev acu ation ▁of ▁A xis ▁troops ▁to ▁Sic ily , ▁with ▁ 1 8 ▁destroy ers , ▁including ▁Oak ley , ▁forming ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁block ading ▁force . ▁On ▁ 9 ▁May , ▁Oak ley ▁and ▁sister ▁ship ▁ ▁were ▁operating ▁off ▁Cape ▁Bon ▁when , ▁in ▁a ▁case ▁of ▁mistaken ▁identity , ▁the ▁two ▁destroy ers ▁were ▁attacked ▁by ▁ 1 8 ▁Sp it fire ▁f ighter ▁aircraft , ▁with ▁B ic ester ▁receiving ▁heavy ▁damage ▁from ▁a ▁near ▁miss ▁of ▁a ▁bomb . ▁ ▁On ▁ 8 ▁July ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁Oak ley ▁set ▁out ▁from ▁S f ax ▁in ▁Tun is ia ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁esc ort ▁of ▁a ▁con voy ▁of ▁ 2 6 ▁Land ing ▁Sh ip , ▁T anks ▁carrying ▁troops ▁of ▁the ▁ 5 1 st ▁( High land ) ▁Division ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁Al lied ▁invasion ▁of ▁Sic ily . ▁The ▁con voy ▁reached ▁its ▁assigned ▁assault ▁beach ▁designated ▁" B ark ▁South ", ▁near ▁Cap o ▁Pass ero ▁at ▁the ▁South - east ▁corner ▁of ▁Sic ily ▁on ▁ 1 0 ▁July , ▁with ▁Oak ley ▁shell ing ▁Italian ▁def ences ▁during ▁the ▁land ings ▁before ▁returning ▁to ▁the ▁duty ▁of ▁esc ort ing ▁trans ports ▁between ▁African ▁ports ▁and ▁the ▁invasion ▁be aches . ▁Oak ley ▁continued ▁on ▁esc ort ▁duties ▁in ▁the ▁Mediter