The Island of Malta

The Siege of Malta was a significant military event in the Mediterranean Theatre of World War II that occurred between 1940 and 1943 on the island of Malta. Due to the strategic position of Malta (see map) it was a key fortress for either the axis or allied powers – notably, the island is in the middle of the Mediterranean near Africa, Italy and Turkey. It had been, since 1800, after two years of Napoleonic occupation, a colony of the British Empire – and its geographical importance had been noted by Britain for the entirety of the occupation. It was hence used as a significant military and naval fortress during this time – it happened to be the only military base between Gibraltar and Alexandria, Egypt. Despite its position, the British had moved the headquarters of the Royal Navy Mediterranean Fleet from Valletta, Malta in the mid-1930s to Alexandria, Egypt, as such, it was under-resourced when Italy declared war on Britain on 10 June 1940. It contained only 4 000 soldiers and 5 weeks worth of food. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Mediterranean region. ... Combatants Allies: Poland, British Commonwealth, France/Free France, Soviet Union, United States, China, and others Axis Powers: Germany, Italy, Japan, and others Casualties Military dead:17 million Civilian dead:33 million Total dead:50 million Military dead:8 million Civilian dead:4 million Total dead:12 million World War II... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... In general, allies are people or groups that have joined an alliance and are working together to achieve some common purpose. ... The Mediterranean Sea is an intercontinental sea positioned between Europe to the north, Africa to the south and Asia to the east, covering an approximate area of 2. ... A satellite composite image of Africa Africa is the worlds second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia. ... 1800 (MDCCC) was an common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... For other uses, see Napoleon (disambiguation). ... The British Empire was, at one time, the foremost global power, and the most extensive empire in the history of the world. ... This article needs to be updated. ... The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the senior service of the British armed services, being the oldest of its three branches. ... The Mediterranean Fleet was part of the Royal Navy. ... Port of Valletta Valletta, population 7048 (official estimate for 2000), is the capital city of Malta - The city is located at 35°5416 North, 14°3132 East (35. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... This article needs to be updated. ... June 10 is the 161st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (162nd in leap years), with 204 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ...

Between the island's vulnerability, its proximity with Italy, and its importance to the British Empire it was a logical asset for the axis powers. Just one day after Italy's declaration of war (the 11 June 1940) they began running bombing raids on the island. Most of the land forces of the axis had been thrown into invading Crete, hence bombing was the chosen method of Italy to dilute the threat of Malta. On this first day of bombing there were 6 attacks. The island's three Gloster Gladiator biplanes were unable to defend due to the Luqa Airfield being unfinished; however, the airfield was ready by the seventh attack. Initially, the Italians flew at around 5,500 m, after which they dropped down to 3,000 m in order to improve the accuracy of their bombs. Major Paine later stated that "[after they dropped down], we bagged one or two every other day, so they started coming in at [6,000 m]. Their bombing was never very accurate. As they flew higher it became quite indiscriminate." Mabel Strickland also stated, "The Italians decided they didn't like [the Gladiators and AA guns], so they dropped their bombs [30 km] off Malta and went back." These three Gloster Gladiators were to remain in the memory of the Maltese population as Faith, Hope and Charity. The British Empire was, at one time, the foremost global power, and the most extensive empire in the history of the world. ... June 11 is the 162nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (163rd in leap years), with 203 days remaining. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1940 calendar). ... To lose Crete because we had not sufficient bulk of forces there would be a crime. ... Crete (Greek Κρήτη Kriti; called Candia in the Venetian period and Turkish: Girit) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Gloster Gladiator was a biplane fighter, used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, during World War II. The aircraft had a top speed of around 414 km/h. ... Hs123 biplane. ... The Metre (or Meter) is the base fundamental unit of length in the metric measurement system as defined originally by the French Academy of Sciences during the French Revolutionary–Napoleonic war era, and subsequently adopted by various successive International Standards Committees as the utility, elegance, and self-consistency of the... The Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, produced in the United States. ... Mabel Edeline Strickland (1899 - November 29, 1988) was a English journalist and politician, the daughter of Sir Gerald Strickland (later Lord Strickland), the former Prime Minister of Malta. ... The Gloster Gladiator was a biplane fighter, used by the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy, during World War II. The aircraft had a top speed of around 414 km/h. ... The Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB) bomb, produced in the United States. ...

By the end of August, the Gladiators were reinforced by 12 Hawker Hurricanes which had arrived via the HMS Argus. During the first five months of combat, the island's aircraft destroyed or damaged around 37 Italian aircraft and resulted in Italian fighter plane pilot Francisco Cavalera saying, "Malta was really a big problem for us— very well defended." On Malta, 330 people had been killed and 297 were seriously wounded. August is the eighth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. ... The Hawker Hurricane is a fighter design from the 1930s which was used extensively by the Royal Air Force during the Battle of Britain. ... Seven vessels of the British Royal Navy have been named HMS Argus, after Argus, the hundred-eyed giant of mythology. ... A fighter aircraft is a military aircraft designed primarily for attacking other aircraft, as opposed to a bomber, which is designed to attack ground targets, primarily by dropping bombs. ... Francisco Cavalera, during World War II, was an Italian fighter pilot of the Regia Aeronautica. ...

In January 1941, the German Fliegerkorps X arrived in Sicily as the Afrika Korps arrived in Libya. The presence of the German Luftwaffe led to a notable increase in the bombing campaigns over Malta. A slight dip occurred later that year due to the Red Army on the Eastern Front taking military and fiscal precedence when it came to Nazi resources. In December of the same year the German forces turned their attentions back to Malta and continued with a significant intensity of bombing. Due to the bombing raids 31 allied ships were sunk, making the supply of resources incredibly difficult - the forces eventually gave up trying to supply the island and cut it off. For the movie, see 1941 (film) 1941 (MCMXLI) was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1941 calendar). ... Sicily (Sicilia in Italian and Sicilian) is an autonomous region of Italy and the largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, with an area of 25,700 sq. ... The seal of Afrikakorps The German Afrika Korps (German:Deutsches Afrikakorps ( (help· info)) (DAK)) was the corps-level headquarters controlling the German Panzer divisions in Libya and Egypt during the North African Campaign of World War II. Since there was little turnover in the units attached to the corps, the... The Deutsche Luftwaffe or (help· info) (German: Air Arm, IPA: [luftvafə]) is the commonly used term for the German air force. ... The short forms Red Army and RKKA refer to the Workers and Peasants Red Army, (in Russian: Рабоче-Крестьянская Красная Армия - Raboche-Krestyanskaya Krasnaya Armiya), the armed forces first organized by the Bolsheviks during the Russian Civil War in 1918. ... The Eastern Front was the theatre of combat between Nazi Germany and its allies against the Soviet Union during World War II. It was somewhat separate from the other theatres of the war, not only geographically, but also for its scale and ferocity. ... Look up December in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

It is agreed by many military historians that Malta was one of the most intensively bombed areas during the second world war – a total of 3,000 raids occurring during the 2 years of the siege. It should further be noted that in the first six months of 1942 only one 24 hour period lapsed between air raids. During the greatest times of starvation it is said that foods were rationed to three boiled sweets, half a sardine and a spoonful of jam a day. This article is about the year. ...

The island, having suffered so significantly, appeared to the axis forces to be neutralised - and hence it was decided that there was little point in continuing such intensive bombing raids and rediverted their efforts to other areas. This allowed the allied forces to take advantage and fly 61 Spitfire aircraft to the island from HMS Furious. With improved defenses in the area resources were soon delivered to the people of the island on 15 August 1942 (feast of St.Mary (Santa Marija) which is a public holiday in Malta) the tanker SS Ohio arrived, the last of five ships from a total of a fourteen ship convoy which sailed in Operation Pedestal, arrived in Malta with the waited food, ammunitions and much waited fuels, quelling the starvation and army shortages. The German forces soon attempted a coup de main in October. The increased defence in the area soon led the axis forces to lose control of North Africa. The still unpainted Spitfire protoype, K5054, shortly before its first flight The Supermarine Spitfire was a single-seat fighter used by the RAF and many Allied countries in World War II. Produced by Supermarine, the Spitfire was designed by R.J. Mitchell, who continued to refine it until his death... 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. ... August 15 is the 227th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (228th in leap years), with 138 days remaining. ... This article is about the year. ... The SS Ohio was an oil tanker. ... British shells fall astern of the Italian light cruiser Muzio Attendolo during the battle Operation Pedestal was a British attempt to get vital supplies to the island of Malta during World War II in 1942. ... A Coup de main is a swift attack that relies on speed and surprise to accomplish its objectives in a single blow. ... Look up October in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...  Northern Africa (UN subregion)  geographic, including above North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent. ...

Over the two years of the siege 1,493 non-military persons died and 3,674 were wounded. On 15 April 1942, King George VI awarded the George Cross (the highest civilian award for gallantry in the Commonwealth and the first of only two joint awards) "To honour her brave people, I award the George Cross to the Island Fortress of Malta to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history". President Franklin Roosevelt, describing the wartime period, called Malta "one tiny bright flame in the darkness." April 15 is the 105th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (106th in leap years). ... This article is about the year. ... George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George Windsor) (14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was the third British monarch of the House of Windsor, reigning from 11 December 1936 until his death. ... George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest Commonwealth decoration awarded for acts of conspicuous gallantry not in the face of the enemy and is equal to the Victoria Cross. ... The Commonwealth of Nations, usually known as The Commonwealth, is an association of 53 independent sovereign states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire. ...

See also

• Malta Convoys

The Malta Convoys were a series of supply convoys to sustain the Mediterranean island of Malta during World War 2. ...

Further reading

• Attard, Joseph. The Battle of Malta (London, 1980)
• Bradford, Ernle. Siege: Malta 1940-1943 (New York, 1986)
• Hogan, George. Malta: The Triumphant Years, 1940-1943 (London, 1978)
• Jellison, Charles A. Besieged: The World War II Ordeal of Malta, 1940-1942 (Hanover, NH, 1984)
• McAulay, Lex. Against All Odds: RAAF Pilots in the Battle for Malta, 1942 (Milsons Point, Australia, 1989)
• Shores, Christopher and Brian Cull. Malta: The Hurricane Years, 1940-41 (London, 1987)
• Smith, Peter C. The Battles of the Malta Striking Forces (London, 1974)
• Spooner, Tony. Supreme Gallantry : Malta's Role in the Allied Victory, 1939-1945 (London, 1996)
• Caroline Vernon. Our Name Wasn't Written - A Malta Memoir (Canberra, Australia, 1992)
• Wingate, John. The Fighting Tenth: The Tenth Submarine Flotilla and the Siege of Malta (London, 1991)

Caroline Nellie Vernon (2 August 1908 - 7 May 1988) was born in Woolwich, London to Emma Clark (nee Pearce) and Frederick Clark. ...

External links

• "Battle For Malta"