<P> At the time of the Italian intervention in the Spanish Civil War, the Regia Marina sent naval units in support of the Italian Corps of Volunteer Troops (Corpo Truppe Volontarie). Approximately 58 Italian submarines took part in operations against Republican naval forces of Spain . These submarines were organized in a Submarine Legion and complemented German U-boat operations as part of Operation Ursula . At least two Republican freighters, one Soviet and another Panamanian were either sunk or forced to run aground by Italian destroyers near the Strait of Sicily . Two light cruisers took part in the shelling of Barcelona and Valencia in 1937, resulting in the deaths of more than 30 civilians . </P> <P> In 1939, the Regia Marina supported the invasion of Albania . All ground forces involved in the invasion had to cross the Adriatic Sea from mainland Italy and the crossings were accomplished without incident . </P> <P> On 10 June 1940, following the German invasion of France and the lowlands, the Kingdom of Italy declared war on France and the United Kingdom and entered World War II . Italy went to war with the fourth largest navy in the world . Italian dictator Benito Mussolini saw the control of the Mediterranean Sea as an essential prerequisite for expanding his "New Roman Empire" into Nice, Corsica, Tunis and the Balkans . Italian naval building accelerated during his tenure . Mussolini described the Mediterranean as "Mare Nostrum" (Our Sea). </P> <P> Before the declaration of war, Italian ground and air forces prepared to strike at the beaten French forces across the border in the Italian invasion of France . By contrast, the Regia Marina prepared to secure the lines of communications between Italy, Libya and the East African colonies . The Italian High Command (Comando Supremo) did not approve of the plan devised by the Italian Naval Headquarters (Supermarina) to occupy a weakly defended Malta, which proved a crucial mistake . The British, thinking Malta could not be defended due to the proximity of Italian air bases in Italy, Sicily, and Libya, had put little effort into bolstering the islands' defences . Thus, at the outset of the war there were only 42 anti-aircraft guns on the island and twelve Gloster Sea Gladiators, half sitting in crates at the wharf . </P>

How big was the italian navy in ww2