Background
Malta, 1940–1941
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 declared war in December 1941, and conducted theBattle of the Mediterranean
The Allies waged the Western Desert Campaign (1940–43) in North Africa, against thePrelude
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 inFirst year
July 1940
In theAugust 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 theNovember 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 toFebruary 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.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 ''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 aJuly 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 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 inSeptember 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 (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 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 ofDecember 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 AdmiralOperation 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 inMarch 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 andOperation 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 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,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 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 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 fromJuly 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 theOperation 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 - 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
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