Malta Convoys
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The Malta convoys were
Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
supply
convoy A convoy is a group of vehicles, typically motor vehicles or ships, traveling together for mutual support and protection. Often, a convoy is organized with armed defensive support and can help maintain cohesion within a unit. It may also be used ...
s of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. The convoys took place during the Siege of Malta in the Mediterranean Theatre.
Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
was a base from which British sea and air forces could attack ships carrying supplies from Europe to
Italian Libya Libya ( it, Libia; ar, ليبيا, Lībyā al-Īṭālīya) was a colony of the Fascist Italy located in North Africa, in what is now modern Libya, between 1934 and 1943. It was formed from the unification of the colonies of Italian Cyrenaica ...
. Britain fought the Western Desert Campaign against
Axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
armies in North Africa to keep the Suez Canal and to control Middle Eastern oil. The strategic value of Malta was so great the British risked many merchant vessels and warships to supply the island and the Axis made determined efforts to neutralise the island as an offensive base. The civilian population and the garrison required imports of food, medical supplies, fuel and equipment; the military forces on the island needed reinforcements, ammunition and spare parts. British convoys were escorted to Malta by ships of the Mediterranean Fleet, Force H and aircraft of the
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
and
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
, during the Battle of the Mediterranean (1940–1943). British and Allied ships were attacked by the
Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...
'' Regia Aeronautica'' (Royal Air Force) and ''
Regia Marina The ''Regia Marina'' (; ) was the navy of the Kingdom of Italy (''Regno d'Italia'') from 1861 to 1946. In 1946, with the birth of the Italian Republic (''Repubblica Italiana''), the ''Regia Marina'' changed its name to ''Marina Militare'' ("M ...
'' (Royal Navy) in 1940 and from 1941, by the ''
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' (German Air Force) and ''
Kriegsmarine The (, ) was the navy of Germany from 1935 to 1945. It superseded the Imperial German Navy of the German Empire (1871–1918) and the inter-war (1919–1935) of the Weimar Republic. The was one of three official branches, along with the a ...
'' (German Navy). In 1942, the British assembled large flotillas of warships to escort Malta convoys, sent fast warships to make solo runs to the island and organised
Magic Carpet A magic carpet, also called a flying carpet, is a legendary carpet and common trope in fantasy fiction. It is typically used as a form of transportation and can quickly or instantaneously carry its users to their destination. In literature One o ...
supply runs by submarine.
Hawker Hurricane The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft of the 1930s–40s which was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd. for service with the Royal Air Force (RAF). It was overshadowed in the public consciousness b ...
and then Supermarine Spitfire fighters were flown to Malta from aircraft carriers on
Club Run Club Run was an informal name for aircraft ferry operations from Gibraltar to Malta during the Siege of Malta in the Second World War. Malta was half-way between Gibraltar to Alexandria and had the only harbour controlled by the British in the a ...
s from Gibraltar towards Malta. In mid-1942, Axis air attacks on the island and on supply convoys neutralised Malta as an offensive base and an Axis invasion, ''Unternehmen Herkules'' (Operation Hercules), was set for mid-July 1942. The siege of Malta eased after the Allied victory at the
Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa had prevented th ...
(23 October – 11 November 1942). The Axis retreat from Egypt and Cyrenaica brought more of the seas around Malta into range of Allied land-based aircraft. In
Operation Stoneage Operation Stoneage or Operation Stone Age (16–20 November 1942) was an Allied convoy operation to the Mediterranean island of Malta in the Second World War. To disguise the destination of the ships, some took on their cargo at Port Sudan in the ...
, which began after Operation Torch (8–16 November), round the clock air cover was possible and all the merchant ships reached Malta. Mediterranean convoys were resumed to supply the advancing British forces, from which ships for Malta were detached and escorted to and from the island.


Background


Malta, 1940–1941

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...
, a Mediterranean island of had been a British colony since 1814. By the 1940s, the island had a population of 275,000 but local farmers could feed only one-third of the population, the deficit being made up by imports. Malta was a staging post on the British Suez Canal sea route to
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
, East Africa, the oilfields of
Iraq Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to Iraq–Turkey border, the north, Iran to Iran–Iraq ...
and
Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also called Persia, is a country located in Western Asia. It is bordered by Iraq and Turkey to the west, by Azerbaijan and Armenia to the northwest, by the Caspian Sea and Turkmeni ...
, India and the Far East. The island was also close to the Sicilian Channel between
Sicily (man) it, Siciliana (woman) , population_note = , population_blank1_title = , population_blank1 = , demographics_type1 = Ethnicity , demographics1_footnotes = , demographi ...
and
Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...
. Malta was also a base for air, sea and submarine operations against Axis supply convoys by the
Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
(RAF) and
Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is one of the five fighting arms of the Royal Navy and is responsible for the delivery of naval air power both from land and at sea. The Fleet Air Arm operates the F-35 Lightning II for maritime strike, the AW159 Wil ...
(FAA).


Central Mediterranean, 1942

Military operations from Malta and using the island as a staging post, led to Axis air campaigns against the island in 1941 and 1942. By late July, the on the island averaged wastage of and the remaining aviation fuel was only sufficient for the fighters, making it impractical to send more bombers and torpedo-bombers for offensive operations. Resources available to sustain Malta were reduced when
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
declared war in December 1941, and conducted the
Indian Ocean raid The Indian Ocean raid, also known as Operation C or Battle of Ceylon in Japanese, was a naval sortie carried out by the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) from 31 March to 10 April 1942. Japanese aircraft carriers under Admiral Chūichi Nagumo ...
in April 1942. Malta was neutralised as an offensive base against Italian convoys by the attacks of the ''Regia Aeronautica'' and the ''Luftwaffe'' in early 1942. Several warships were sunk in Valletta harbour and others were withdrawn to Gibraltar and Egypt. Food and medicines for the Maltese population and the British garrison dwindled along with fuel, ammunition and spare parts with the success of Axis attacks on Malta convoys. The Italian Operation C3 and the Axis (Operation Hercules) invasion plans against Malta were prepared but then cancelled on 16 June 1942.


Battle of the Mediterranean

The
Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...
waged the Western Desert Campaign (1940–43) in North Africa, against the
Axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...
forces of
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
aided by
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
, which sent the ''Deutsches Afrika Korps'' and substantial ''
Luftwaffe The ''Luftwaffe'' () was the aerial-warfare branch of the German ''Wehrmacht'' before and during World War II. Germany's military air arms during World War I, the ''Luftstreitkräfte'' of the Imperial Army and the '' Marine-Fliegerabtei ...
'' detachments to the Mediterranean in late 1940. Up to the end of the year, with of cargo reached Malta without loss and a reserve of seven months' supplies had been accumulated. Three convoy operations to Malta in 1941 lost one merchant ship. From January 1941 to August 1942, ships delivered but were sunk and modern, efficient, merchant ships, naval and air forces had been diverted from other routes for long periods; thirty-one supply runs by submarines were also conducted. Reinforcements for Malta, included and dangerous aircraft carrier ferry operations to deliver fighters. From August 1940 to the end of August 1942, and Supermarine Spitfire fighters were flown off aircraft carriers in the western Mediterranean. Many other aircraft used Malta as a staging post for North Africa and the
Desert Air Force The Desert Air Force (DAF), also known chronologically as Air Headquarters Western Desert, Air Headquarters Libya, the Western Desert Air Force, and the First Tactical Air Force (1TAF), was an Allied tactical air force created from No. 204 ...
.


Prelude

When Italy declared war on Britain and France on 10 June 1940, the Taranto Naval Squadron did not sail to occupy Malta as suggested by Admiral Carlo Bergamini. With Italian bases in Sicily, British control of Malta was made more difficult from its bases in
Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...
to the west and
Cyprus Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
,
Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
and Palestine to the east, which were much further away. Two weeks later, the
Second Armistice at Compiègne The Armistice of 22 June 1940 was signed at 18:36 near Compiègne, France, by officials of Nazi Germany and the Third French Republic. It did not come into effect until after midnight on 25 June. Signatories for Germany included Wilhelm Keitel, ...
ended British access to
Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
bases in France and passage to Mediterranean colonies. The British attack on Mers-el-Kébir on 3 July 1940 against French naval ships, began an informal war between
Vichy France Vichy France (french: Régime de Vichy; 10 July 1940 – 9 August 1944), officially the French State ('), was the fascist French state headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain during World War II. Officially independent, but with half of its ter ...
and Britain. Axis support for General
Francisco Franco Francisco Franco Bahamonde (; 4 December 1892 – 20 November 1975) was a Spanish general who led the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalist forces in overthrowing the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War ...
in the
Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War ( es, Guerra Civil Española)) or The Revolution ( es, La Revolución, link=no) among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War ( es, Cuarta Guerra Carlista, link=no) among Carlists, and The Rebellion ( es, La Rebelión, link ...
also caused British to be apprehensive about the
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of the British base at Gibraltar. It was soon clear that unlike the Atlantic, where the war was fought by U-boats and surface and air escorts, operations in the Mediterranean would depend on air power and the possession of land bases to operate the aircraft. Events on land in Greece, Crete, Libya and the rest of the south shore of the Mediterranean would have great influence on the security of sea communications by both sides. An Italian conquest of Egypt could link
Abyssinia The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historica ...
,
Italian Somaliland Italian Somalia ( it, Somalia Italiana; ar, الصومال الإيطالي, Al-Sumal Al-Italiy; so, Dhulka Talyaaniga ee Soomaalida), was a protectorate and later colony of the Kingdom of Italy in present-day Somalia. Ruled in the 19th centu ...
and
Eritrea Eritrea ( ; ti, ኤርትራ, Ertra, ; ar, إرتريا, ʾIritriyā), officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of Eastern Africa, with its capital and largest city at Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia ...
. The Italian invasion of Egypt in September 1940, was followed by
Operation Compass Operation Compass (also it, Battaglia della Marmarica) was the first large British military operation of the Western Desert Campaign (1940–1943) during the Second World War. British, Empire and Commonwealth forces attacked Italian forces of ...
, a British counter-offensive in December, which led to the destruction of the Italian 10th Army and the conquest of
Cyrenaica Cyrenaica ( ) or Kyrenaika ( ar, برقة, Barqah, grc-koi, Κυρηναϊκή παρχίαKurēnaïkḗ parkhíā}, after the city of Cyrene), is the eastern region of Libya. Cyrenaica includes all of the eastern part of Libya between ...
in January 1941. Hitler transferred the ''Fliegerkorps X'' to Sicily in (Operation Mediterranean) to protect the Axis supply routes past Malta, and sent the ''Afrika Korps'' to Libya in ''Unternehmen Sonnenblume'' (Operation Sunflower) which, with Italian reinforcements, recaptured Cyrenaica. ''Fliegerkorps X'' was transferred to
Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...
in April 1941 and the 23rd U-boat Flotilla was based at Salamis, near
Athens Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates ...
, in September.


First year


July 1940

In the
Battle of Calabria The Battle of Calabria, known to the Italian Navy as the Battle of Punta Stilo, was a naval battle during the Battle of the Mediterranean in the Second World War. Ships of the Italian '' Regia Marina'' were opposed by vessels of the British R ...
(''Battaglia di Punta Stilo''), ''Regia Marina'' escorts (two battleships, 14 cruisers and 32 destroyers) of an Italian convoy engaged the battleships , , and the aircraft carrier . The British cruisers and destroyers covered two convoys heading from Malta to Alexandria. The first, Malta Fast 1 (MF 1)/Malta East 1 (ME 1), was composed of ''El Nil'', ''Knight of Malta'' and ''Rodi''; the second, Malta Slow 1 (MS 1)/ME 1 was composed of ''Kirkland'', ''Masirah'', ''Novasli'', ''Tweed'' and ''Zeeland''.


August 1940


Operation Hurry

Using an aircraft carrier to ferry land-based aircraft to Malta had been discussed by the Admiralty in July and once Italy had declared war, the reinforcement of Malta could be delayed no longer. The training aircraft carrier was used to despatch twelve Hurricanes to Malta from a position to the south-west of Sardinia. Hurry was the first Club Run to reinforce the air defence of the island, despite the British Chiefs of Staff decision two months earlier that nothing could be done to reinforce Malta. Club Runs continued until it was possible to fly the aircraft direct from Gibraltar.


September 1940


Operation Hats

The Mediterranean Fleet in Alexandria escorted the fast convoy MF 2 of three freighters (carrying of supplies, including reinforcements and ammunition for the island's anti-aircraft defences) and met at Malta another convoy from Gibraltar. En route, Italian airbases were raided; the ''Regia Marina'' had superior forces at sea but missed the opportunity to exploit their advantage.


October 1940


Operation MB 6

Four ships of convoy MF 3 reached Malta safely from Alexandria and three ships returned to Alexandria as convoy MF 4. The convoys were part of Operation MB 6 and the escort included four battleships and two aircraft carriers. An Italian attempt against the returning escort by destroyers and torpedo boats ended in the
Battle of Cape Passero The Battle of Cape Passaro, also known as Battle of Avola or Battle of Syracuse, was a major naval battle fought on 11 August 1718 between a fleet of the British Royal Navy under Admiral George Byng, 1st Viscount Torrington, Sir George Byng an ...
, a British success.


November 1940


Operation Judgement

The five ship convoy MW 3 from Alexandria and four ship return convoy ME 3 arrived safely, coinciding with a troop convoy from Gibraltar and the air attack on the Italian battle fleet at the Battle of Taranto.


Operation White

In Operation White, twelve Hurricanes were flown off ''Argus'' to reinforce Malta but the threat of the Italian fleet lurking south of Sardinia prompted a premature fly-off from ''Argus'' and its return to Gibraltar. Eight Hurricanes ran out of fuel and ditched at sea, with seven pilots lost. An enquiry found that the Hurricane pilots had been insufficiently trained about the range and endurance of their aircraft.


Operation Collar

Operation Collar was intended to combine the passage of a battleship, heavy cruiser and light cruiser with mechanical defects from Alexandria to Gibraltar, with a four-ship convoy MW 4 to Malta and the sailing of ME 4 from Malta comprising ''Cornwall'' and the four empty ships from convoy MW 3, escorted by a cruiser and three destroyers. Attacks on Italian airfields in the Aegean and North Africa were to be made at the same time. Three ships at Gibraltar, two bound for Malta and one for Alexandria were to be escorted by the cruisers and . Operation MB 9 from Alexandria began on 23 November, when convoy MW 4 with four ships sailed with eight destroyer escorts, covered by Force E of three cruisers. Force D comprising a battleship and two cruisers sailed on 24 November and next day, two more battleships, an aircraft carrier, two cruisers and four destroyers of Force C departed Alexandria. MW 4 reached Malta without incident; ME 4 had sailed on 26 November, two destroyers returned to Malta; the cruiser and one destroyer saw the freighters into Alexandria and Port Said on 30 November. Force F from Gibraltar was to pass 1,400 soldiers and RAF personnel from Gibraltar to Alexandria in the two cruisers, slip two supply ships into Malta and one to Crete. The other warships destined for the reinforcement of the fleet at Alexandria were to be sent on, the cruisers being accompanied by two destroyers and four corvettes. Force B provided the covering force with the battlecruiser ''Renown'', the aircraft carrier ''Ark Royal'', the cruisers ''Sheffield'' and ''Despatch'', and nine destroyers. The destroyers and corvettes left Alexandria on the night of 23/24 November to rendezvous with the merchant ships and their destroyer escorts from Britain. The cruisers embarked the troops and RAF personnel, leaving Gibraltar on 25 November. The British were unaware that Italian reconnaissance aircraft had spotted the sorties from both ends of the Mediterranean and set up submarine ambushes. Two Italian battleships, three cruisers and two destroyer flotillas had left harbour, more cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats following. Force D was attacked on the night of 26/27 November but the attack was so ineffectual that the British did not notice. On 27 November, aircraft from Force F spotted the Italian battle fleet, the force headed for Force D and prepared to defend the merchant ships, in what became a confused and inconclusive engagement. Two Italian submarines attacked three cruisers in the Sicilian Narrows as they waited for the eastbound convoy on the night of 27/28 November to no effect and the two ships for Malta arrived on 29 November, as Force H returned to Gibraltar and the through convoy and naval ships reached Alexandria.


December 1940

Convoy MW 5A with ''Lanarkshire'' and ''Waiwera'' carrying supplies and munitions and convoy MW 5B of ''Volo'', ''Rodi'' and ''Devis'', the tanker ''Pontfield'', ''Hoegh Hood'' and ''Ulster Prince'' from Alexandria with a covering force of a battleship, two cruisers, destroyers and corvettes reached Malta on 20 December and convoy ME 5 with the empty ''Breconshire'', ''Memnon'', ''Clan Macaulay'' and ''Clan Ferguson'' were collected by the covering force and returned to Alexandria. Convoy MG 1 with ''Clan Forbes'' and ''Clan Fraser'' reached Gibraltar from Malta escorted by the battleship and four destroyers.


Second year


January 1941


Operation Excess

Operation Excess delivered one ship from Gibraltar to Malta and three to
Piraeus Piraeus ( ; el, Πειραιάς ; grc, Πειραιεύς ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens' city centre, along the east coast of the Saronic ...
. The operation was coordinated with Operation MC 4, consisting of convoy MW with ''Breconshire'' and ''Clan Macaulay'' from Alexandria to Malta, ME 6, a return journey of ME with ''Lanarkshire'' and ''Waiwera'' and ME 6, with ''Volo'', ''Rodi'', ''Pontfield'', ''Devis'', ''Hoegh Hood'', ''Trocas'' and . The convoys arrived safely with of supplies. The cruiser was sunk, the cruiser and aircraft carrier were badly damaged and a destroyer was damaged beyond repair. Excess was the first occasion that the ''Luftwaffe'' participated in an anti-convoy operation; the Italian torpedo boat ''Vega'' was sunk during the operations by the cruiser HMS ''Bonaventure''.


February 1941


Operation MC 8

Operation MC 8, executed 19–21 February, delivered troops, vehicles, and stores to Malta in the cruisers ''Orion'', ''Ajax'' and ''Gloucester'' and Tribal-class destroyers ''Nubian'' and ''Mohawk'', covered by ''Barham'', ''Valiant'', ''Eagle'', ''Coventry'', ''Decoy'', ''Hotspur'', ''Havock'', ''Hereward'', ''Hero'', ''Hasty'', ''Ilex'', ''Jervis'', ''Janus'' and ''Jaguar''.


March 1941


Operation MC 9

Operation MC 9 covered convoy MW 6 consisting of ''Perthshire'', ''Clan Ferguson'', ''City of Manchester'' and ''City of Lincoln'', which sailed from Alexandria on 19 March, the escorts sailing a day later, covered by the Mediterranean Fleet until the night of 22/23 March. The ships sailed by indirect routes and bad weather enabled the convoy to evade Axis air reconnaissance. The ships arrived at Malta, but two were bombed at their berths.


April 1941


Operation Winch and convoy ME 7

Hurricanes delivered to Gibraltar on ''Argus'' were put on board ''Ark Royal'', which sailed on 2 April, escorted by the battleship ''Renown'', a cruiser and five destroyers. The Hurricanes were flown off on 3 April and all arrived, Force H returning safely to Gibraltar on 4 April. Stores and ammunition were run to Malta in Operations MC 8 and MC 9. On 18 April, the Mediterranean Fleet sailed from Alexandria to Suda Bay in Crete with ''Breconshire'' carrying oil and aviation fuel for Malta. Late on 19 April, the Malta Strike Force destroyers sailed with convoy ME 7 of four empty cargo ships. ''Breconshire'' made a run into Malta and the destroyers returned after joining in a shore bombardment by the main fleet. The cruiser ''Gloucester'', which had a long range, joining the force.


Operation Dunlop

In Operation Dunlop, sailed from Gibraltar on 24 April and flew off 24 Hurricanes at dawn on 27 April.
Bristol Blenheim The Bristol Blenheim is a British light bomber aircraft designed and built by the Bristol Aeroplane Company (Bristol) which was used extensively in the first two years of the Second World War, with examples still being used as trainers until ...
s and Beaufighters were also flown direct from Gibraltar. Three battleships and an aircraft carrier covered the fast transport ''Breconshire'' (now commissioned into the RN) from Alexandria to Malta. The operation was coordinated with the four-ship convoy ME 7 from Malta to Alexandria. On 16 April, the value of Malta for offensive operations was shown when four destroyers of 14th Flotilla (the Malta Striking Force), recently based in the island, destroyed an ''Afrika Korps'' supply convoy (five ships, for a total of , and three escorts) in the Battle of the Tarigo Convoy.


Operation Temple

During Operation Temple, the freighter ''Parracombe'' sailed for Malta from Gibraltar on the night of 28/29 April, disguised as a Spanish merchantman and later as the Vichy steamer ''Oued-Kroum''. She was mined on 2 May, which blew off her bows, and sank with 21 Hurricanes, equipment, ammunition and military freight aboard. The minefield had been laid down on 24 April by the Italian cruisers '' Duca d'Aosta'', '' Eugenio di Savoia'', '' Muzzio Attendolo'' and '' Raimondo Montecuccoli'', escorted by the destroyers '' Alvise da Mosto'' and ''
Giovanni da Verrazzano Giovanni da Verrazzano ( , , often misspelled Verrazano in English; 1485–1528) was an Italian ( Florentine) explorer of North America, in the service of King Francis I of France. He is renowned as the first European to explore the Atlanti ...
''.


May 1941


Operations Tiger and Splice

In Operation Tiger, convoy WS 8 sailed from Gibraltar to Alexandria, combined with a supply run to Malta by six destroyers of Force H. Five merchant ships passed Gibraltar on 6 May accompanied by Force H, along with a battleship and two cruisers en route to Alexandria; ''Clan Campbell'', ''Clan Chattam'', ''Clan Lamont'', ''Empire Song'' and ''New Zealand Star''. The merchants try to reach Alexandria with air cover of Fulmars onboard Ark Royal and with the anti aircraft fire of 9 destroyers. Bad weather helped ships, but Regia Aeronautica engaged the convoy during the day, and at dusk ''Empire Song'' was lost after hitting two mines, it sunk with tanks and planes (10 Hurricanes and 57 tanks), crew was saved by destroyers ''Fortune'' and ''Foresight'' till La Valletta. The destroyers from Force H participated in the convoy operation as far as Malta then returned. Force H bombarded Benghazi and rendezvoused with the convoy south of Malta late on 9 May. The minefied had been laid down by the same Italian cruiser force whose mines had sunk the freighter ''Parracombe'' in early May. Operation Splice was a Club Run from 19 to 22 May; 48 Hurricanes were flown off ''Ark Royal'' and on 21 May, all reaching Malta. Slow convoy MW 7B with two tankers sailed from Egypt for Malta with of fuel oil, followed by fast convoy MW 7A with six freighters escorted by five cruisers, three destroyers and two corvettes. ''Abdiel'' and ''Breconshire'' sailed with the main fleet and all the ships reached Grand Harbour on 9 May, preceded by a minesweeper, which detonated about twelve mines. In May, the transferred X from Sicily to the Balkans, relieving pressure on Malta until December.


June 1941


Operation Rocket

A Club Run from 5 to 7 June delivered 35 Hurricanes to Malta, guided by eight Blenheims from Gibraltar.


Operation Tracer

In June, the new carrier replaced ''Furious'' on Club Runs. Operation Tracer began on 13 June; when ''Ark Royal'' and ''Victorious'', escorted by Force H, departed Gibraltar. On 14 June, 47 Hurricanes, guided by four Hudsons from Gibraltar, were flown off; 43 Hurricanes reached Malta.


Operations Railway I and II

On 26 June ''Ark Royal'' and ''Furious'' sailed again with 22 Hurricanes, which were guided to Malta by Blenheims from Gibraltar; all arrived at Malta in bad weather, though one Hurricane crashed on landing. Force H reached port on 28 June, Crated aircraft were assembled aboard ''Furious'' as she joined Force H for Operation Railway II; on 30 June, 26 Hurricanes took off from ''Ark Royal''. The second fighter skidded on take-off from ''Furious'' and a
drop tank In aviation, a drop tank (external tank, wing tank or belly tank) is used to describe auxiliary fuel tanks externally carried by aircraft. A drop tank is expendable and often capable of being jettisoned. External tanks are commonplace on modern ...
came loose and caught fire as the Hurricane went overboard, killing nine men and injuring four more before the fire was extinguished. It was early afternoon before the 35 remaining Hurricanes arrived at Malta, again guided by six Blenheims. During the month 142 aircraft reached Malta, some of which were ferried to Egypt.


July 1941


Operation Substance

Operation Substance sent convoy GM 1 (six ships transporting 5,000 soldiers, escorted by six destroyers), covered by the battleship and three cruisers from the Home Fleet and Force H (''Ark Royal'', , and several cruisers and destroyers). GM 1 reached Gibraltar from Britain on 19 July and sailed for Malta on 21 July, minus troopship (carrying 1,000 troops and RAF ground crews) which ran aground and had to return to Gibraltar. The Eastern Fleet sortied from Alexandria as a diversion and eight submarines watched Italian ports and patrolled the routes an Italian sortie was expected to use. Force H was to return to Gibraltar upon reaching the Sicilian Narrows, while the close escort of three cruisers, ''Manxman'', and ten destroyers would continue to Malta. During the convoy operation, ''Breconshire'' and six other empty ships at Malta were independently to return to Gibraltar in Operation MG 1. On 23 July, south of Sardinia, Italian air attacks began; one cruiser was hit and had to return to Gibraltar, and a destroyer was so badly damaged it was scuttled, but air cover from ''Ark Royal'' enabled the convoy to reach the Skerki Channel by late afternoon. The covering force turned for Gibraltar and the rest of the convoy pressed on, facing more ''Regia Aeronautica'' attacks; these forced another damaged destroyer to drop out and return to Gibraltar. Turning north, the convoy evaded Italian aircraft, but on the night of 23/24 July, the steamer was torpedoed by an
MAS boat ''Motoscafo armato silurante'' (torpedo-armed motorboat), commonly abbreviated as MAS, was a class of fast torpedo-armed vessels used by the (Italian Royal Navy) during World War I and World War II. Originally, "MAS" referred to (armed motorbo ...
and crippled; the Australian destroyer assisted her safe arrival to harbour and she was seaworthy again by September. The cruisers sailed ahead to disembark troops and equipment; the convoy and its destroyer escort arrived later on 24 July. A raid on 26 July by Italian midget submarines, MAS boats, and aircraft on the transports in
Grand Harbour The Grand Harbour ( mt, il-Port il-Kbir; it, Porto Grande), also known as the Port of Valletta, is a natural harbour on the island of Malta. It has been substantially modified over the years with extensive docks ( Malta Dockyard), wharves, a ...
failed, with the attacking force almost destroyed; of supplies were landed. On 31 July, three cruisers and two destroyers sailed from Gibraltar with the troops and stores left behind in ''Leinster'', reaching Malta 2 August.


September 1941


Operations Status I and II, Operation Propeller

''Ark Royal'' and ''Furious'' flew off over 50 Hurricanes to Malta in Operations Status I and Status II, forty-nine arriving; several Blenheims flew direct from Gibraltar at the same time, to build up the Malta striking force to use the munitions delivered in Operation Substance. The merchantman reached Malta from Gibraltar in Operation Propeller and another ship completed the trip independently.


Operation Halberd

In Operation Halberd, the eastbound convoy GM 2 with nine merchant ships, carrying of supplies and 2,600 troops from Gibraltar, was accompanied by the battleships ''Nelson'', , (all detached from the Home Fleet), ''Ark Royal'', five cruisers, and eighteen destroyers. The British staged diversions in the eastern Mediterranean and submarines and aircraft watched Italian naval and air bases. Attacks on the convoy by the ''Regia Aeronautica'' began on 27 September, demonstrating more skill and determination than earlier encounters. An Italian torpedo bomber hit ''Nelson'' with an aerial torpedo and reduced her speed. Later air attacks were deterred by the anti-aircraft fire of the British destroyer screen. British reconnaissance aircraft reported the Italian Fleet had left harbour and was on an interception course and the British covering force, less ''Nelson'', was sent to engage. ''Ark Royal'' launched her torpedo bombers but the Italian turned back, and the aircraft failed to make contact; at about , GM 2 reached the Narrows. The five cruisers and nine of the destroyers continued for Malta as the covering force changed course. The British made course for Sicily, which enabled them to skirt minefields laid by the Italians in the channel between Sicily and the North African coast. During the night the moon was bright and Italian torpedo bombers managed to hit the transport with an aerial torpedo. Attempts to tow the ship to Malta failed; her troops were taken off and the ship was scuttled. During the morning of 28 September, the convoy came into range of Malta-based fighters. The rest of the convoy reached Malta at and landed of supplies. Halberd was the last convoy operation of 1941.


October 1941


Operations Callboy and MG 3

On 16 October, Force H covered Operation Callboy, another Club Run by ''Ark Royal'', to fly off thirteen Swordfish and Albacore torpedo bombers for Malta, delivered to Gibraltar by ''Argus''. On 12 October, the cruisers and had sailed from Scapa Flow for Malta and were joined by the destroyers and of Force H at Gibraltar, reaching the island on 21 October. The squadron was named
Force K Force K was the name given to three British Royal Navy groups of ships during the Second World War. The first Force K operated from West Africa in 1939, to intercept commerce raiders. The second Force K was formed in October 1941 at Malta, to op ...
(reviving a title used in 1939) for operations against the Italian supply route to North Africa. Operation MG 3 was a convoy planned to despatch the Halberd merchant ships from Malta but the ships sailed in succession. Two departed on 16 October but one ship had to turn back with engine trouble. The second ship was covered by the fleet movements of Operation Callboy which reached the flying off point on 17 October and arrived on 19 October, having dodged a torpedo bomber attack. Two cruisers and two destroyers of Force H loaded equipment and ammunition for Malta as soon as they got back to Gibraltar and sailed again on 20 October, arriving at Grand Harbour in Malta the next day. Two ships sailed from Malta in ballast on 21 October and arrived at Gibraltar despite air attacks; one ship with engine trouble left Malta again on 22 October, watched over by
Catalina Catalina may refer to: Arts and media * ''The Catalina'', a 2012 American reality television show * ''Catalina'' (novel), a 1948 novel by W. Somerset Maugham * Catalina (''My Name Is Earl''), character from the NBC sitcom ''My Name Is Earl'' ...
flying boats, but failed to arrive; an Italian radio broadcast claimed the sinking. The fourth ship sailed on 24 October but was attacked by an Italian aircraft and recalled, having been spotted so quickly.


November 1941


Operation Perpetual

Force K of two cruisers and two destroyers sailed from Malta on 8 November and sank the merchant ships of an Axis convoy off Cape Spartivento. On 10 November, ''Ark Royal'' and ''Argus'' sailed from Gibraltar and flew off thirty-seven Hurricanes, thirty-four arriving successfully; seven Blenheims flew direct from Gibraltar. On 13 November, ''Ark Royal'' was torpedoed and sank the next day, from Gibraltar.


Operation Astrologer

Operation Astrologer (14–15 November 1941), an attempt to supply Malta by two unescorted freighters, ''Empire Pelican'' and disguised as neutral Spanish then French ships. ''Empire Pelican'' passed Gibraltar on 12 November and sailed close to the Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian coasts but was spotted by Italian aircraft at early on 14 November south of
Galite Islands The Galite Islands (Tunisian Arabic: جالطة ''Jalita'', French: ''La Galite'', Italian: ''Isola della Caletta'') are a rocky group of islands of volcanic origin that belong to Bizerte Governorate, northern Tunisia. They are located northwes ...
and sunk by torpedo bombers. ''Empire Defender'' was sunk at sunset the next day in the same place; Astrologer was the last attempt to send merchant ships to Malta from the west for six months.


December 1941


Operations MF 1 and MD 1

To alleviate a fuel oil shortage on Malta, MV ''Breconshire'' was escorted from Malta on 5 December by a cruiser and four destroyers of Force K in Operation MF 1 towards Alexandria; next day, a cruiser and two destroyers left Alexandria. During the evening of 6 December the cruiser and two destroyers returned to Malta and two destroyers carried on with ''Breconshire'', meeting the cruiser and two destroyers from Alexandria at dawn on 7 December. Two destroyers went on to Malta and ''Breconshire'' continued to Alexandria accompanied by the cruiser and its two destroyers, reaching Alexandria on 8 December, less the cruiser which was detached to help a sloop damaged by air attack of Tobruk. ''Breconshire'' was filled with of boiler oil and every space was filled with supplies. On 15 December, MD 1 began when ''Breconshire'' sailed for Malta with three cruiser and eight destroyer escorts. During the night ''Breconshire'' was slowed by engine trouble and on 16 December the force headed west in daylight without zig-zagging. After dark a cruiser and two destroyers turned back and made spurious wireless broadcasts to simulate the battle fleet at sea. Destroyers left Malta on 16 December and at Force K comprising two cruisers and two destroyers sailed to meet ''Breconshire'' and escort it into Grand Harbour. During the afternoon, an Italian battleship convoy was spotted and every seaworthy ship at Malta was ordered out to bring in ''Breconshire''. Only one cruiser and two destroyers were operational but they met the oncoming force before dawn on 17 December and the ships made a circle round ''Breconshire''; the ''Luftwaffe'' and ''Regia Aeronautica'' attacked through the afternoon with bombs and torpedoes. As night was falling, three Italian battleships two cruisers and ten destroyers appeared and ''Breconshire'' and two escorts were diverted to the south-west as the rest of the British ships turned towards the Italian fleet. With the escorts between the Italians and ''Breconshire'', the ship was handed over to Force K as it arrived and set a smoke screen. The opposing ships diverged in the dark and Force K turned for Malta with ''Breconshire''; the rest of the ships returned to Alexandria and the Italian freighters reached Libya. Force K and ''Breconshire'' spent 18 December under air attack, until Malta Hurricanes arrived in the afternoon and at around the ships arrived in Malta.


Third year


January 1942


Operation MF 2

On 5 January, the fast supply ship was escorted from Alexandria by 15th Cruiser Squadron (Force B, commanded by Rear Admiral
Philip Vian Admiral of the Fleet Sir Philip Louis Vian, & Two Bars (15 July 1894 – 27 May 1968) was a Royal Navy officer who served in both World Wars. Vian specialised in naval gunnery from the end of World War I, and subsequently received sever ...
, made up of
light cruiser A light cruiser is a type of small or medium-sized warship. The term is a shortening of the phrase "light armored cruiser", describing a small ship that carried armor in the same way as an armored cruiser: a protective belt and deck. Prior to th ...
s ''Naiad'', ''Dido'', and ''Euryalus'' and the anti-aircraft cruiser ) and six destroyers. The cruisers served as a bluff, in the absence of more heavily armed ships capable of challenging a sortie by the ''Regia Marina''. ''Breconshire'' had sailed from Malta on 6 January escorted by four destroyers of Force C; the two forces met on 7 January and Force C with ''Glengyle'' reached Malta on 8 January, Force B with ''Breconshire'' arriving at Alexandria the next day.


Operation MF 3

On 16 January the convoys MW8A and MW8B with two ships each, sailed from Alexandria in Operation MF3, accompanied by ''Carlisle'' and two destroyer divisions. The 15th Cruiser Squadron sortied on 17 January to join the escort for both convoys. Force K (still short ''Aurora'') departed Malta to rendezvous with the convoy on 18 January. ''Thermopylae'' (6,655 tons), in MW8A, developed mechanical faults and was diverted to Benghazi but was severely damaged by bombing ''en route'' and had to be scuttled. On 17 January, the destroyer was torpedoed by ; the Dutch destroyer towed her clear of blazing oil, allowing most of her crew to be rescued before she sank. The three remaining freighters reached Malta, air attacks on the ships being intercepted by fighters from No. 201 (Naval Co-operation) Group based in Cyrenaica, the convoy and escorts' anti-aircraft guns; once the convoy was in range. Hurricanes from Malta also provided air cover and the ships docked on 19 January. On 26 January, in a similar operation, ''Breconshire'' and escorts from Alexandria met two ships which had sailed from Malta on 25 January transporting service families from Malta with escorts from Force K, which escorted ''Breconshire'' back to the island on 27 January.


February 1942


Operation MF 5

On 12 February, a three ship convoy MW 9, escorted by ''Carlisle'' and eight destroyers, sailed from Alexandria in Operation MF5; several hours later, two cruisers from 15th Cruiser Squadron, escorted by eight destroyers, sortied to protect it. On 14 February, was bombed and forced to seek shelter in
Tobruk Tobruk or Tobruck (; grc, Ἀντίπυργος, ''Antipyrgos''; la, Antipyrgus; it, Tobruch; ar, طبرق, Tubruq ''Ṭubruq''; also transliterated as ''Tobruch'' and ''Tubruk'') is a port city on Libya's eastern Mediterranean coast, near ...
, ''Clan Chattan'' was bombed, caught fire and
scuttled Scuttling is the deliberate sinking of a ship. Scuttling may be performed to dispose of an abandoned, old, or captured vessel; to prevent the vessel from becoming a navigation hazard; as an act of self-destruction to prevent the ship from being ...
in the afternoon; ''Rowallan Castle'' was near-missed, disabled and taken under tow but scuttled by ''Lively'' after it was realised she could not reach Malta before dark: the escort had been warned that the Italian battleship had sailed from Taranto to intercept the convoy.


March 1942


Operation Spotter

On 6 March, Operation Spotter, a Club Run by the aircraft carriers ''Eagle'' and ''Argus'' flew off the first 15 Spitfire reinforcements for Malta. An earlier attempt had been abandoned but the right external ferry tanks were fitted; seven Blenheims flew direct from Gibraltar. On 10 March, the Spitfires flew their first sorties against a raid by Ju 88s escorted by Bf 109 fighters.


Operation MG 1

Operation MG 1 began with convoy MW 10 of four ships sailing from Alexandria at on 20 March, each with a navy liaison party and
Defensively equipped merchant ship Defensively equipped merchant ship (DEMS) was an Admiralty Trade Division programme established in June 1939, to arm 5,500 British merchant ships with an adequate defence against enemy submarines and aircraft. The acronym DEMS was used to descri ...
(DEMS) gunners, supplemented by service passengers. The convoy was escorted by Force B, the cruisers , , , the anti-aircraft cruiser ''Carlisle'' and the six ships of the 22nd Destroyer Flotilla. The 5th Destroyer Flotilla sailed from Tobruk on an anti-submarine sweep, before joining the convoy on 21 March. ''Clan Campbell'' struggled to keep up because of engine trouble and the convoy timetable was not met. Several British submarines participated near Messina and Taranto to watch for Italian ships.
Long Range Desert Group The Long Range Desert Group (LRDG) was a reconnaissance and raiding unit of the British Army during the Second World War. Originally called the Long Range Patrol (LRP), the unit was founded in Egypt in June 1940 by Major Ralph Alger Bagnold, acti ...
parties were to attack the airfields at Martuba and Tmimi in Cyrenaica as RAF and FAA aircraft bombed them to ground Ju 88 bombers; 201 Group RAF provided air cover and reconnaissance of the convoy route. A club run, Operation Picket was to use ''Argus'' and ''Eagle'', with Force H as a decoy, but the Spitfire ferry tanks were found to be defective and the operation was called off. On 22 March, when MW 10 was through Bomb Alley, news arrived that an Italian squadron had sailed and from five Italian torpedo bomber attacks were made but with no hits. In the afternoon, German and Italian air attacks began, with bombs and torpedoes, again to no effect. Smoke was seen at and the escorts moved to intercept in rough seas as the convoy was hidden by a smoke screen. Italian cruisers commenced fire then turned to lure the British cruisers towards ''Littorio''; the British did not take the bait. The exchange was the beginning of the Second Battle of Sirte and Axis aircraft concentrated on the convoy, which manoeuvred so effectively that no ship was hit, but the ships and close escort fired much of their ammunition. During the battle near the convoy, the escorts kept laying smoke screens and the Italians came within as Force B dodged around in the smoke, attacking at every opportunity. German air attacks continued and Force B turned for Alexandria, very short of fuel as Force K joined the convoy for the last leg. The convoy had been ordered to disperse, three ships diverting southwards and ''Clan Campbell'' making straight for Grand Harbour, the diversions being calculated to bring the ships back together just short of Malta by daylight on 23 March. The detours were a mistake and ''Pampas'' was hit by a bomb during the morning but kept going, reaching Malta. ''Talabot'' was also frequently attacked but arrived undamaged, except from some small bombs dropped by a Bf 109 fighter-bomber. ''Clan Campbell'' was sunk from Malta and ''Breconshire'', after being taken in tow by destroyers and tugs several times, reached Marsaxlokk harbour on 25 March. Unloading of the ships was very slow and ''Luftwaffe'' attacks on 26 March sank ''Breconshire'' in the evening and continued bombing Valletta harbour into the night. ''Talabot'' and ''Pampas'' were set on fire before unloading, only of the of supplies were landed and several destroyers were seriously damaged.


Operation Picket

On 22 March, a Club Run by ''Argus'' and ''Eagle'' covered by Force H sailed from Gibraltar to deliver Spitfires to Malta and to divert attention from MG 1. Two Italian submarines spotted the British ships and one fired torpedoes at ''Argus'' with no effect but the operation was cancelled when the long range fuel tanks of the Spitfires were found to be defective. The operation was repeated on 27 March and sixteen Spitfires were flown off for Malta, the ships returning to Gibraltar on 30 March.


April 1942


Operation Calendar

As Malta's effectiveness as an offensive base diminished, forty-seven Spitfires were flown off as reinforcements. They were delivered by the
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...
carrier , escorted by the battlecruiser ''Renown'', cruisers and and six British and US destroyers. Most of the aircraft were destroyed on the ground by bombing.


May 1942


Operations Bowery and LB

In Operation Bowery, 64 Spitfires were flown off ''Wasp'' and ''Eagle''. A second batch of 16 fighters were flown off ''Eagle'' in Operation LB.


June 1942


Operation Style

On 20 May, departed from Milford Haven,
Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...
with a cargo of 32 Spitfires in cases. The aircraft were all Spitfire Mk VcT. Also on board were the ground crew who were to assemble them, a total of over 110 men. ''Empire Conrad'' was escorted by the 29th ML Flotilla and the corvette . The convoy was later joined by the
minesweeper A minesweeper is a small warship designed to remove or detonate naval mines. Using various mechanisms intended to counter the threat posed by naval mines, minesweepers keep waterways clear for safe shipping. History The earliest known usage of ...
s and . ''Empire Conrad'' arrived at Gibraltar on 27 May. The aircraft were transferred to the aircraft carrier where they were assembled. On 2 June, ''Eagle'' departed from Gibraltar escorted by the cruiser ''Charybdis'' and destroyers , , , and . On 3 June, the aircraft were flown off ''Eagle'', bound for Malta. Twenty-eight arrived safely, with the other four being shot down en route.


Operation Julius (Harpoon and Vigorous)

The arrival of more Spitfires from ''Eagle'' and the transfer of German aircraft to the Russian Front eased the pressure on Malta but supplies were needed.
Operation Julius Operation or Operations may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity * Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory * ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
was planned to send convoys simultaneously from both ends of the Mediterranean. The ships for Operation Harpoon sailed from Britain on 5 June and entered the Mediterranean on the night of 11/12 June. Several stations were called on to obtain one battleship, the aircraft carriers ''Eagle'' and ''Argus'', three cruisers, and eight destroyers for the escort and covering force to the Narrows, the close escort into Malta comprising the anti-aircraft cruiser ''Cairo'', nine destroyers, four fleet minesweepers, and six minesweeping motor launches. Once the convoy of three British, one Dutch and two U.S. freighters, carrying of supplies, had been swept through the Axis minefields, the minesweepers were to remain at Malta. The ships from Gibraltar and Alexandria were intended to arrive on consecutive days. Axis naval and air force attacks began on the morning of 12 June; one cruiser was badly damaged and one merchantman sunk. On 15 June, an Italian cruiser force engaged the close escort and as ''Cairo'' and as the escort destroyers made smoke, the fleet destroyers attacked the Italian ships. Two of the fleet destroyers were soon disabled the remaining three managed to hit an Italian destroyer and were then joined by the cruiser and the four smaller destroyers. Dive-bombers attacked the convoy soon after and one merchant ship was sunk and another damaged and taken in tow. Near noon, another air attack damaged another merchant ship and the order was given to scuttle the ships in tow, to increase the speed of the remaining two ships, because the Italian squadron was still lurking in the area. The escorts were scattered by the Italian cruiser force, that eventually finished off the tanker ''Kentucky'' and the cargo ship ''Burdwan''. The destroyer , repeatedly hit by the Italian cruisers and disabled during the battle, was finally sunk by an Italian S-79 torpedo bomber. The
Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...
was also lost in a minefield a few miles before arrival. The convoy arrived with of supplies under cover of the Malta Spitfires, which defeated several more air attacks. Operation Vigorous, a convoy of eleven merchant ships from
Haifa Haifa ( he, חֵיפָה ' ; ar, حَيْفَا ') is the third-largest city in Israel—after Jerusalem and Tel Aviv—with a population of in . The city of Haifa forms part of the Haifa metropolitan area, the third-most populous metropol ...
, Palestine and Port Said, Egypt sailed at the same time as Harpoon. The convoy was attacked by aircraft, torpedo boats and submarines for four days, threatened by an Italian fleet and turned back. The cruiser and destroyers , ''Airedale'', ''Nestor'' and two merchantmen were sunk.


July 1942


Operation Pinpoint

''Welshman'' departed Gibraltar 14 July, carrying powdered milk, cooking oil, fats and flour, soap, and minesweeping stores. She was in company of an aircraft carrier, ''Eagle''; two light anti-aircraft cruisers, ''Charybdis'' and ''Cairo''; and five destroyers, ''Antelope'', ''Ithuriel'', ''Vansittart'', ''Westcott'' and ''Wrestler''. ''Eagle'' flew off 31 Spitfires on 15 July. ''Welshman'' made an independent run close to the Algerian coast but was shadowed by Axis aircraft and attacked by fighter-bombers, bombers, and torpedo bombers until dusk. She reached Malta on 16 July and departed again on 18 July.


Operation Insect

''Eagle'' sailed from Gibraltar with two destroyers and five destroyers on 20 July, ''Eagle'' being missed by a salvo of four torpedoes from the and on 21 July another 28 Spitfires were flown off for Malta.


August 1942


Operation Pedestal

As supplies on Malta dwindled, particularly of aviation fuel, the largest convoy to date was assembled at Gibraltar for Operation Pedestal. It consisted of 14 merchant ships, including the large oil tanker , carrying a total of of cargo. These were protected by powerful escort and covering forces, totalling forty-four warships, including the aircraft carriers ''Eagle'', ''Indomitable'' and ''Victorious'' and battleships ''Nelson'' and ''Rodney''. A diversionary operation was staged from Alexandria. The convoy was attacked by Axis aircraft, motor torpedo boats and submarines. Three merchant ships reached Malta on 13 August and another on 14 August. ''Ohio'' arrived on 15 August, damaged by air attacks, under tow by destroyers and . The rest were sunk. ''Ohio'' later broke in two in Valletta Harbour but not before much of her cargo had been unloaded. ''Eagle'', the cruisers ''Cairo'' and and the destroyer were sunk and there was serious damage to other warships; Italian losses were two submarines and damage to two cruisers. This convoy, especially the arrival of ''Ohio'', was seen as ''divine intervention'' by the people of Malta. August 15 is celebrated as the feast of the
Assumption of Mary The Assumption of Mary is one of the four Marian dogmas of the Catholic Church. Pope Pius XII defined it in 1950 in his apostolic constitution '' Munificentissimus Deus'' as follows: We proclaim and define it to be a dogma revealed by ...
and many Maltese attributed the arrival of ''Ohio'' into Grand Harbour as the answer to their prayers. It had been agreed by military commanders at the time that if supplies became any lower, they would surrender the islands (the date, deferred as supplies were received, was referred to as the target date). Pedestal delivered of coal, freight and of oil aboard ''Ohio''. The commodities landed were enough for Malta to last until mid-November. The 568 survivors of the Pedestal convoy were evacuated, 207 men on three destroyers to Gibraltar and the remainder by submarine and aircraft.


Operation Baritone

On 16 August, a cruiser and twelve destroyers escorted ''Furious'' to the area south of Formentera in the south-west of the Balearic Islands, where she flew off 32 Spitfires; one crashed on take-off and two turned back, the rest reaching Malta that afternoon.


September 1942

Submarine was lost 17 September on a supply run from Gibraltar, either in a minefield or depth-charged by Italian torpedo boats north-west of Malta.


October 1942

Magic Carpet rides by submarine reached Malta on 2 October (''Rorqual''), 3 October (''Parthian''), and 6 October (''Clyde''), with petrol and other stores, departing for Beirut on 8 October and carrying survivors from Pedestal.


Operation Train

A continuous flow of new Spitfires to Malta had become necessary after the Axis air forces resorted to attacks by fighter-bombers; in another Club Run from 28 to 30 October, two cruisers and eight destroyers escorted ''Furious'' which flew off 29 Spitfires for Malta, of which two returned with engine trouble. Ten Italian submarines were patrolling but were not able to attack and Axis aircraft were held off until the afternoon of 29 October, when a Ju 88 managed to drop a bomb which landed behind ''Furious''.


November 1942


Operations Stone Age and Crupper

An attempt in early November to sneak an independently routed, disguised freighter to Malta from Alexandria failed; on Operation Crupper, the disguised merchant ships ''Ardeola'' (2,609 tons) and ''Tadorna'' (1,947 tons) from Gibraltar, were captured and interned at Bizerta while passing through Vichy territorial waters. ''Welshman'' made a dash from Gibraltar with a cargo of dried food and torpedoes during the Allied landings in French North Africa (Operation Torch), and six destroyers sailed from Alexandria on 11 November; both efforts succeeded. On 17 November, convoy MW 13 (two U.S., one Dutch, and one British merchant ship, carrying of supplies) departed Alexandria, escorted by three cruisers of the 15th Cruiser Squadron; from 18 November, this was reduced to ten destroyers. Axis air attacks began and after the main escort had detached, the cruiser was torpedoed and set on fire. Many of the air attacks were intercepted by Allied fighters flying from desert airfields and on 20 November, MW 13 arrived, escorted by ''Euryalus'' and ten Hunt-class destroyers. By 25 November, the ships had landed an adequate quantity of aviation fuel and Magic Carpet rides were cancelled. On 20 November, the minelayer sailed from Plymouth to Gibraltar with 2,000 depth charges for Malta and made a repeat run in December. The success of Stone Age relieved the siege of Malta, albeit by a narrow margin because the lack of military stores and food for the population would have been exhausted by December.


December 1942


Operation Portcullis

In Operation Portcullis, the five ships of convoy MW 14 arrived from Port Said with of supplies, the first convoy to arrive without loss since 1941. Nine more ships arrived in convoys MW 15 to MW 18, delivering of fuel and another of general supplies and military stores by the end of December; thirteen ships returned to Alexandria as convoys ME 11 and ME 12. Increased rations to civilians helped to stave off the general decline in health of the population, which had led to an outbreak of poliomyelitis.


December 1942 – January 1943


Operation Quadrangle

Portcullis was the last direct convoy to Malta; in Operations Quadrangle A, B, C and D, pairs of ships to Malta joined with ordinary west-bound convoys then rendezvoused with escorts from Force K, arriving with no loss. In Operation Quadrangle A, convoy MW 15 of two ships was a side convoy from the new Port Said to Benghazi service. When the main convoy arrived off Barce in Libya, the ships for Malta rendezvoused with eight destroyer escorts and empty ships from the island. The ships exchanged escorts for the return voyage to Grand Harbour, MW 15 arriving on 10 December. Operation Quadrangle B covered convoy MW 16 of one tanker escorted by six destroyers and a minesweeper. Four ships of MW 13 were formed into convoy MW 12 and nine destroyers departed Grand Harbour on 17 December. Quadrangle B was attacked by Ju 88s the next day to no effect. Several escorts handed over MW 12 at Barce to ships from Alexandria and took over convoy MW 17, two freighters in Operation Quadrangle C to Malta. Convoy ME 13 was omitted and convoy ME 14 with four empty ships sailed from Malta on 28 December with five destroyers. In December, of general cargo and of fuel oil was delivered. Convoy MW 18 with a tanker and a merchant ship departed from Alexandria in Operation Quadrangle D with six destroyer escorts, arriving at Malta on 2 January 1943.


Operation Survey

Convoy MW 19 left Alexandria on 7 January 1943 with five freighters and a tanker with nine destroyers and survived an attack by torpedo bombers at dusk on 8 January. During a night attack, a merchantman and a destroyer were near-missed and a destroyer evaded a torpedo. On 9 January a storm slowed the tanker and the convoy missed the meeting with Force K and later made rendezvous with three Malta destroyers. As the storm abated the ships gathered speed and for most of the run to Malta Beaufighters provided air cover, one being vectored onto a He 111 during 11 January, which was attacked and driven off, the convoy arriving at Malta during the evening.


Aftermath


Analysis

There were 35 large supply operations to Malta from 1940 to 1942. Operations White, Tiger, Halberd, MF5, MG1, Harpoon, Vigorous and Pedestal were turned back or suffered severe losses from Axis forces. There were long periods when no convoy runs were even attempted and only a trickle of supplies reached Malta by submarine or fast warship. The worst period for Malta was from December 1941 to October 1942, when Axis forces had air and naval supremacy in the central Mediterranean.


Casualties

From June 1940 to December 1943, about 1,600 civilians and 700 soldiers were killed on Malta. The RAF lost about 900 men killed, 547 aircraft on operations and 160 on the ground and Royal Navy losses were 1,700 submariners and 2,200 sailors; about 200 merchant navy men died. Of 110 voyages by merchant ships to Malta 79 arrived, three to be sunk soon after reaching the island and one ship was sunk on a return voyage. Six of seven independent sailings failed, three ships being sunk, two were interned by Vichy authorities and one ship turned back. The Mediterranean Fleet lost a battleship, two aircraft carriers, four cruisers, a fast minelayer, twenty destroyers and minesweepers and forty submarines. Many small ships were sunk and many surviving ships were damaged.


See also

*
Bonner Fellers Brigadier General Bonner Frank Fellers (February 7, 1896 – October 7, 1973) was a United States Army officer who served during World War II as a military attaché and director of psychological warfare. He is notable as the military attaché in ...
- the US military attaché in Egypt whose reports to Washington were being read by the Axis * Mediterranean U-boat Campaign (World War II)


Notes


Footnotes


References

Books * * * * * * * * * * * * * Websites *


Further reading


Books

* * * * * * *


Journals

* * *


Theses

*


Websites

* *


External links


Mediterranean naval campaign

Codenames: Operations of World War 2: Pinpoint access-date 6 March 2019





Documentary film: ''Convoy to Malta''

Mediterranean Convoy Operations
( London Gazette)
NZETC Spitfires over Malta
{{World War II Battle of the Mediterranean Malta in World War II Mediterranean Sea operations of World War II Naval battles and operations of World War II involving the United Kingdom