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The Malta Convoys were a series of supply convoys to sustain the Mediterranean island of Malta during World War 2. The convoys were strongly opposed by Italian and German sea and air forces. A convoy is a group of vehicles or ships traveling together for mutual support. ...
Satellite image The Mediterranean Sea is a part of the Atlantic Ocean almost completely enclosed by land, on the north by Europe, on the south by Africa, and on the east by Asia. ...
German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ...
Download high resolution version (1332x792, 335 KB)Shaded relief of the Mediterranean Sea, created in 1982 by the Central Intelligence Agency. ...
Background Malta's geographical position, halfway between the strategic British bases at Gibraltar and Alexandria, close to the Sicilian Channel between Sicily and Tunis and on the sea route between Italy and its possessions in Libya, made it a vital base for control of the Mediterranean sea routes. For Britain this was the short route, via the Suez Canal, to its colonies in India, East Africa and the Far East and also to the major oil producers of Iraq and Iran. Antiquity and modernity stand cheek-by-jowl in Egypts chief Mediterranean seaport Located on the Mediterranean Sea coast, Alexandria (in Arabic, الإسكندرية, transliterated al-ʼIskandariyyah) is the chief seaport in Egypt, and that countrys second largest city, and the capital...
The Strait of Sicily is the strait between Sicily and Tunisia. ...
Sicilian disambiguates here; see also Sicilian language or Sicilian Defence. ...
1881 drawing of the Suez Canal The Suez Canal (Arabic, QanÄ al-Suways), west of the Sinai Peninsula, is a 163 km maritime canal in Egypt between Port Said (BÅ«r SaÄ«d) on the Mediterranean Sea and Suez (al-Suways) on the Red Sea. ...
During the first year of the war, however, this region was a military backwater. Much of the coast was under Allied control - either French or British: the rest was neutral. Moreover, the British and French fleets dominated; the only other effective regional naval power was Italy, but at this time she was neutral. As a result, British defences on Malta were neglected.
Italy declares war For a while, Italy held back from supporting Germany; the outcome in northern Europe was uncertain and no decision was required. Once the German blitzkrieg had crushed the French army, however, and Britain had been weakened and isolated, Italy took its opportunity and declared war in June, 1940. Blitzkrieg relies on close co-operation between infantry and panzers (tanks). ...
Immediately, the Mediterranean balance was radically altered. Britain only controlled Gibraltar in the west; Malta at the centre; and Cyprus, Egypt and Palestine in the east. France had withdrawn and could be amenable to Axis pressure, so the north African coast from Morocco to Tunisia, Corsica and France itself were at best closed, if not hostile. The French fleet itself also bacame a potential threat and had to be neutralised (Operation Catapult). The destruction of the French fleet further hardened French antipathy towards Britain. The Destruction of the French Fleet at Mers-el-Kebir, French North Africa (now Algeria), by the British Royal Navy took place on 3 July 1940. ...
Spain was also a potential Axis partner. The Fascist and Nazi governments in Italy and Germany had enthusiastically supported General Franco in the Spanish Civil War and might expect support in return.
Italy and its possessions dominated the central Mediterranean and anticipated easy victories in North Africa against the British forces in Egypt. There was also the potential of linking with Italian possessions in Somaliland and Eritrea. This was mistaken: the Italian army was poorly equipped and commanded and in December 1940, it was routed. Motto: Freedom, Democracy and Success for All Anthem: Samo ku waar Samo ku waar Saamo ku waar Capital Hargeisa Largest city Hargeisa Official languages Somali Government President republic Dahir Riyale Kahin Independence - Declared - Recognition From Somalia - 1991 - none Area • Total • Water (%) 137,600 km² (-) n/a Population • 2005 est. ...
Control of the sea routes remained vital. Aggressive British naval and air forces based on Malta threatened and destroyed Italian supplies for its African army: Malta was therefore a forward defence for the Suez Canal. No matter, it was thought, the Regia Aeronautica and Regia Marina would quickly isolate the island and neutralise it. The Regia Aeronautica, during World War II, was the Italian air force. ...
The Italian Regia Marina (literally: Royal Navy) dates from the proclamation of the Kingdom of Italy in 1861 after Italian unification. ...
The greatest potential weakness for Malta was its exposed supply line. First, it needed reinforcements, these had to be sustained and the bases needed supplies of fuel. The civilian population also had to be cared for. Everything must come by sea. So, the Italians attempted to starve Malta and to bomb its defences.
They failed. During 1940, without air cover from French territories, several supply convoys arrived safely at Malta and other through convoys passed between Gibraltar and Alexandria. The actions the Regia Marina attempted were beaten off, without serious loss. Even worse for the Italians, Fleet Air Arm aircraft sunk three battleships in the harbour at Taranto, negating the Italians' apparant advantage. The Fleet Air Arm is the operational group of the Royal Navy responsible for the operation of the aircraft on board their ships. ...
German involvement In January, 1941, responding to the Italian lack of success on land and at sea, the Germans sent help. The Afrika Korps was formed and sent to Libya (Operation Sonnenblume) and Luftwaffe X Fliegerkorps were moved to Sicily (Operation Mittelmeer) to protect the shipping lanes and defeat the British forces in Malta. The Deutsches Afrikakorps (often just Afrika Korps or DAK) was the corps_level headquarters controlling the German Panzer divisions in Libya and Egypts Western Desert during the North African Campaign of World War II. Since there was little turnover in the units attached to the corps the term is commonly...
During World War II. Operation Sonnenblume (German for sunflower) was the deployment of German troops (the “Afrika Korpsâ€) to the North African Campaign in February, 1941. ...
The Luftwaffe â–¶(?) (German: air force, IPA: [luftvafÉ™]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ...
Sicilian disambiguates here; see also Sicilian language or Sicilian Defence. ...
German involvement is not only more vigourous, but because of the occupation of Greece and Crete, it has a longer reach into the Eastern Mediterranean. British forces are now under increased threat. The pressure builds and, in early 1942, Malta ceases to be an effective anti-convoy base. Several warships are sunk in harbour and others are withdrawn. Supplies are dwindling with the loss of convoys. Greece and Crete Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek ΚÏήτη / Kriti; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ...
The convoys Supply convoys and reinforcements for Malta, other associated activities and Malta-based arracks on Axis convoys.
August 1940 - Operation Hurry Twelve Hurricane fighter aircraft flown off HMS Argus to reinforce the defences. The Hawker Hurricane is a fighter design from the 1930s which was used extensively by the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. ...
Argus in harbour in 1918, painted in dazzle camouflage, with a Renown class battlecruiser. ...
October 1940 Heavily escorted convoy from Alexandria reaches Malta safely. The escort includes four battleships and two aircraft carriers.
November 1940 - Operation Judgement Supply convoy from Alexandria arrives safely, coinciding with a troop convoy from Gibraltar and the air attack on the Italian battlefleet at Taranto. Battle of Taranto Conflict World War II Date November 12, 1940 Place Taranto, Italy Result Allied victory The Battle of Taranto was a naval battle that occurred on the night of 11 – November 12, 1940 during World War II. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft naval battle in...
Map of Italy showing Taranto in the bottom right Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, southern Italy. ...
November 1940 - Operation Collar Fast convoy leaves Gibraltar for Malta and Alexandria. Attacked by Italian fleet at Cape Spartivento. The Battle of Cape Spartivento, known as the Battle of Cape Teulada in Italy, was a minor engagement between naval forces of the British Royal Navy and the Italian Regia Marina on 27 November 1940, during World War II. The battle ended in a draw, but served to convince the...
January 1941 - Operation Excess
March 1941 Small convoy arrives from Alexandria.
April 1941 There are two separate exercises to reinforce Malta's air defences. A total of 32 fighters are flown off HMS Ark Royal, sailing from Gibraltar. Three battleships and an aircraft carrier cover the fast transport Breconshire from Alexandria to Malta. HMS Ark Royal (91), was the third ship of the Royal Navy to be named in honor of the flagship of the English fleet that defeated the Spanish Armada. ...
Malta's importance as a base is emphasised by the complete destruction of an Afrika Korps convoy and its Italian escort.
May 1941 - Operation Tiger Urgent supply convoy from Gibraltar to Alexandria (Operation Tiger) coincides with reinforcements for the Mediterranean Fleet, two small convoys from Egypt to Malta and 48 more Hurricanes flown off HMS Ark Royal and HMS Furious. Exercise Tiger was the code name for an eight-day practice run for D-Day, on April 28, 1944, at a beach in Slapton (Slapton Sands), South Devon. ...
Exercise Tiger was the code name for an eight-day practice run for D-Day, on April 28, 1944, at a beach in Slapton (Slapton Sands), South Devon. ...
HMS Furious was a modified Courageous class large light cruiser (an extreme form of battlecruiser) converted into an early aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy. ...
The Luftwaffe transfers much of its strength from Sicily to prepare for the attack on Russia, relieving some of the pressure on Malta.
Malta-based submarine HMS Upholder attacks and sinks a large Italian troop transport, Conte Rosso.
June 1941 Supply convoys became very difficult, with Luftwaffe and Regia Aeronautica bases in Crete and Libya attacking convoys from Alexandria, while convoys from Gibraltar are attacked from Sardinia and Sicily. Sardinia (Sardigna, Sardinna or Sardinnia in the Sardinian language, Sardegna in Italian, Sardenya in Catalan), is the second largest island in the Mediterranean Sea (Sicily is the largest), between Italy, Spain and Tunisia, south of Corsica. ...
Submarines bring in urgent supplies and HMS Ark Royal, Furious and Illustrious fly off more than 140 aircraft. The fourth HMS Illustrious (R87) of the Royal Navy was an aircraft carrier, arguably the one with the most distinguished and vital career of this proud lineage. ...
July 1941 - Operation Substance Six transports from Gibraltar escorted by 6 destroyers and covered by HMS Ark Royal, HMS Renown, Nelson, cruisers and destroyers. On 23rd July, south of Sardinia, there were sustained Italian air attacks: One cruiser is hit and a destroyer sunk. The transports reach Malta safely and an Italian raid to sink the transports in Grand Harbour fails. HMS Renown is a ship name used by the Royal Navy. ...
HMS Nelson was an ironclad battleship of the Royal Navy. ...
Grand Harbour is an excellent natural harbour on the island of Malta. ...
August 1941 - Operation Style A naval convoy from Gibraltar successfully carries in reinforcements and supplies, sinking an Italian submarine en route.
September 1941 HMS Ark Royal and Furious fly off over 50 Hurricane reinforcements in two separate operations.
Two large Axis transports are sunk by submarine HMS Upholder.
September 1941 - Operation Halberd Nine transports from Gibraltar, escorted by HMS Nelson, Rodney, Prince of Wales and Ark Royal. The Italian sailed to intercept but aboorted and returned home. Capital ships return to Gibraltar, with HMS Nelson damaged by a torpedo. One transport is sunk, but the rest reach Malta.
October 1941 Royal Naval Force K is formed at Malta to enhance the efforts against Axis shipping. Consists of 2 cruisers (HMS Aurora and Penelope) and 2 destroyers (HMS Lance and Lively).
November 1941 Force K intercepts an Italian convoy off Cape Spartivento and sinks all seven transports. Two Italian destroyers are also sunk.
More Hurricanes are flown off from Ark Royal and Argus, sailing from Gibraltar. Afterwards, on the return leg, Ark Royal is torpedoed by U-81 and sinks next day.
November 1941 Force K sinks an Italian destroyer.
An Italian convoy bound for Benghazi is covered by an Italian battlefleet. A flotilla from Alexandria plans to link with Force K from Malta but, the submarine HMS Urge torpedoes and damages the Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto and the Italians retire. Benghazi (Arabic بنغازي, transliterated BanÄ¡ÄzÄ«) is a seaport in Libya, Africa. ...
Vittorio Veneto was an Italian Vittorio Veneto class battleship, that served in the Regia Marina during the World War II. Her keel was laid down 1934 at Cantieri Riuniti dellAdriatico, Trieste; she was launched on 25 July 1937, and her construction was completed in 1940, after Italy entered in...
The Breconshire is escorted from Malta by Force B to rendezvous with Force K near the Gulf of Sirte and soon after, the British come across Italian battleships escorting a convoy to Tripoli. The ensuing engagement, from which the Italians withdraw, is the First Battle of Sirte. The Gulf of Sidra is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea of the northern coast of Libya; it is also known as Gulf of Sirte. ...
This page refers to Tripoli, the capital of Libya. ...
The First Battler of Sirte was a naval battle between the Royal Navy and the Regia Marina during the World War II. It took place on 17 December 1941, in the Mediterranean, north to the Gulf of Sirte, west of Malta, between the Regia Marina and royal Navy. ...
After seeing Breconshire safely into Malta, Force K sails again to search for the Tripoli convoy. While off Tripoli, they run into a minefield: HMS Neptune and Kandahar are sunk and HMS Aurora and Penelope are damaged. The ninth HMS Neptune was a Royal Navy Leander-class cruiser built by Portsmouth Dockyard, with pennant 20. ...
HMS Kandahar (F28) was a K-class destroyer of the Royal Navy. ...
Ten vessels of the British Royal Navy have been called HMS Aurora, named after the Roman Goddess of the dawn. ...
H.M.S. Penelope was built by Messrs. ...
January 1942 Three small convoys arrive from Alexandria. One escorting destroyer, HMS Gurkha is torpedoed and lost. HMS Gurkha (F63/G63) was an L class destroyer in Britains Royal Navy during World War II. She was originally to be named Larne in line with her class letter. ...
Two large Italian convoys get through to North Africa to resupply the Afrika Korps
February 1942 During the continuing heavy German air raids, HMS Maori is sunk in Grand Harbour. HMS Maori (L-24/F-24/G-24) was a Tribal-class destroyer laid down by the Fairfield Shipbuilding and Engineering Company, Limited, at Govan in Scotland on 6 June 1936, launched on 2 September 1937 by Mrs. ...
Three transports from Alexandria fail to get through to Malta; two are sunk and one disabled.
March 1942 HMS Eagle and Argus fly off the first Spitfires as reinforcements. HMS Eagle was an aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy sunk during World War II. The Eagle was laid down at the Armstrong yards at Newcastle-on-Tyne on February 20, 1913. ...
Argus in harbour in 1918, painted in dazzle camouflage, with a Renown class battlecruiser. ...
Spitfire in action The Supermarine Spitfire was a single-seat fighter used by the RAF and many Allied countries in World War II. The Spitfires elliptical wings gave it a very distinctive look; their thin cross-section gave it speed; the brilliant design of Chief Designer R.J. Mitchell...
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