Corfu Channel Incident Remembered – the Fleet Flagship, the Assault Ship BULWARK was in attendance at Corfu to mark the British war buried in the British Cemetery on the island.    The setting being the last resting place of personnel from both World Wars and the oft forgotten Corfu Channel Incident. 

In May 1946 two British Cruisers, the ORION and SUPERB had crossed the Corfu Channel following a prior inspection and clearing of the strait.     While crossing they came under fire from fortifications situated on the Albanian coast but the ships suffered no material damage and no human casualties occurred, Britain issued a formal demand for an immediate and public apology, but this was not forthcoming, with the  Albanian Government claiming the British ships had trespassed in Albanian territorial waters.  

A second incident was by far the most serious when in October 1946, a Royal Navy Flotilla lead by the Cruisers LEANDER and MAURITIUS with the Destroyers VOLAGE and SAUMAREZ was ordered northward through the Corfu Channel with the express orders to test the Albanian reaction to their right of "innocent passage", with the instruction to respond if attacked.    When passing close to the Albanian coast in what was considered to be a mine free zone with the MAURITIUS leading the SAUMAREZ, followed closely by the LEANDER accompanied by VOLAGE.     Near the Bay of Saranda, just prior to 3 p.m., the Destroyer SAUMAREZ struck a mine and was heavily damaged, and the VOLAGE was ordered to tow the damaged ship to the safety of Corfu harbour.    At approximately 4:16 p.m., while towing the VOLAGE struck a mine and also sustained heavy damage – both ships' bows were completely blown off and adverse weather conditions in the straits made the towing effort exceedingly difficult.   Both ships sailing stern first, and after twelve hours both ships managed to reach the Corfu harbour.     Forty four men died and forty two were injured in the incident.    The SAUMAREZ was damaged beyond repair but the damage to the VOLAGE was deemed repairable (and was).

The third and final incident in the sequence was the following month (November 1946) when the Royal Navy carried out Operation Retail, which was an additional mine sweeping operation in the Corfu Channel, under the direction of the Allied Commander-in-Chief Mediterranean.     The mine sweeping operation took place within Albanian territorial waters, but without authorisation by the Albanian Government, and had the additional purpose of using the mines as corpora delicti to prove that the British were acting in self defence by attempting to clear hazards to navigation.    Twenty two contact mines were discovered and cut from their undersea moorings. The placement of the mines was such that the minefield was deemed to have been deliberately designed and not simply a random aggregation of isolated mines. Two of the cut mines were sent to Malta for further examination.    It was then discovered that the mines were of German origin but they were free of rust and marine growth but they were also freshly painted and their mooring cables were recently lubricated.   It was concluded that the minefield was laid shortly before the incident involving the British Destroyers.