▁explos ions ▁took ▁place ▁as ▁the ▁am mun ition ▁and ▁bomb s ▁were ▁ign ited . ▁The ▁merchant ▁s ank ▁quickly ▁with ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁ 7 3 ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 0 3 ▁men ▁ab o ard , ▁but ▁Per se o ▁respond ed ▁and ▁launched ▁tor ped o es ▁to ▁little ▁effect ; ▁the ▁British ▁destroy ers ▁found ▁the ▁range ▁and ▁bomb arded ▁Per se o . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁soon ▁set ▁on ▁fire ▁and ▁expl oded , ▁s inking ▁within ▁sight ▁of ▁the ▁last ▁A xis ▁strong hold ▁with ▁the ▁loss ▁of ▁ 1 3 3 ▁of ▁the ▁ 2 1 6 ▁men ▁ab o ard , ▁including ▁naval ▁personnel ▁on ▁passage ▁and ▁her ▁command ing ▁officer ▁L t . ▁C dr . ▁Sa ver io ▁Mar otta , ▁who ▁refused ▁to ▁abandon ▁his ▁ship ▁after ▁being ▁seriously ▁wounded . ▁The ▁next ▁day ▁the ▁Italian ▁hospital ▁ship ▁Princi p essa ▁Giov anna ▁picked ▁up ▁ 4 ▁surv iv ors ▁from ▁Camp ob asso ▁( 2 0 ▁more ▁men ▁from ▁the ▁ste amer ▁reached ▁the ▁coast ▁in ▁a ▁lif eb o at ) ▁and ▁ 6 7 ▁from ▁Per se o . ▁On ▁ 6 ▁May ▁the ▁hospital ▁ship ▁was ▁bom bed ▁and ▁dam aged ▁by ▁Al lied ▁aircraft , ▁with ▁ 5 4 ▁killed ▁and ▁ 5 2 ▁wounded . ▁▁ ▁A ▁second ▁con voy ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Italian ▁tor ped o ▁boat ▁T if one , ▁esc ort ing ▁the ▁transport ▁Bell uno ▁to ▁Tun is ▁and ▁loaded ▁herself