▁of ▁operations ▁▁ 1 9 4 0 ▁▁▁ ▁June ▁ 1 0 , ▁ 1 9 4 0 : ▁Ben ito ▁M uss ol ini ▁declared ▁war ▁on ▁Britain . ▁ ▁August ▁ 2 2 , ▁ 1 9 4 0 : ▁While ▁prepar ing ▁for ▁an ▁attack ▁on ▁the ▁British ▁naval ▁base ▁at ▁Alexand ria , ▁Egypt , ▁the ▁Italian ▁sub marine ▁ ▁( car ry ing ▁four ▁Ma iale ▁and ▁five ▁two - man ▁cre ws ) ▁and ▁the ▁support ▁ship ▁Monte ▁G arg ano ▁were ▁attacked ▁and ▁s unk ▁in ▁the ▁G ulf ▁of ▁Bom ba ▁off ▁Tob ru k , ▁Lib ya , ▁by ▁British ▁land - based ▁F aire y ▁S word fish ▁tor ped o ▁bom bers . ▁ ▁T ese o ▁T ese i ▁surv ived ▁the ▁attack , ▁but ▁cas ual ties ▁among ▁the ▁sub marine ▁crew ▁were ▁heavy . ▁ ▁September ▁ 2 1 , ▁ 1 9 4 0 : ▁The ▁Italian ▁sub marine ▁G ond ar ▁depart ed ▁La ▁Spe zia ▁for ▁Alexand ria , ▁carrying ▁three ▁Ma iale ▁and ▁four ▁two - man ▁cre ws . ▁The ▁G ond ar ▁reached ▁Alexand ria ▁on ▁the ▁evening ▁of ▁September ▁ 3 0 , ▁but ▁was ▁sp otted ▁by ▁British ▁and ▁Australian ▁destroy ers , ▁which ▁attacked . ▁Sever ely ▁dam aged , ▁it ▁was ▁forced ▁to ▁the ▁surface ▁and ▁sc utt led ▁by ▁the ▁crew . ▁They ▁were ▁captured , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁Dec ima ▁M AS ▁crew men ▁( including ▁Eli