Quite a number of Maltese are under the impression that the Santa Marija Convoy (Operation Pedestal) of mid-August 1942 brought the Axis siege of Malta to an end. This is incorrect. Operation Pedestal prevented Malta from surrendering for another four weeks but it did not end the siege, and it was not until the following November that the Maltese islands’ siege was lifted. This was due to a number of factors.

When Italy declared war on Britain and France in June 1940, Malta became a prime target for the next three years because its strategic position in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea made it a very important base for Britain. It was a staging post on the British Suez Canal sea route to India, East Africa, the oilfields of Iraq and Iran, and the Far East. With Italy’s entry in the war, its position close to the Sicilian Channel between Sicily and Tunis made it an ideal base for maritime and air operations against the Italian and German (Axis) supply convoys to their armed forces in North Africa.

Italy had been the occupying power in Libya since 1911. With Italy’s entry in the war, it became imperative for the British to prevent the Italians from proceeding into Egypt, thus having an open route to the oilfields in the East. The Italians failed and were pushed back by the British forces under General (later Field Marshal) Sir Archibald Wavell (1883-1950). This brought into play the German forces, known as the Afrika Korps, under General (later Field Marshal) Erwin Rommel (1891-1944) – known as The Desert Fox – who was dispatched to North Africa to try and lead the Axis troops into Egypt, and ultimately to occupy the all-important oilfields in the East.

At the Battle of Gazala on May 26, 1942, Rommel defeated the British forces, now under General (later Field Marshal) Claude Auchinleck (1884-1981) who, despite the subsequent loss of Tobruk, managed to stabilise the British lines and succeeded in holding back the Afrika Korps in what is known as the First Battle of El Alamein.

General (later Field Marshal) Sir Archibald Wavell (1883-1950), who defeated the Italian army in North Africa before the arrival of the German forces. Photo: Wikipedia.com

General (later Field Marshal) Sir Claude Auchinleck (1884-1981), who fought the First Battle of El Alamein, that stopped the Italo-German Afrika Korps from entering Egypt. Photo: Cecil Beaton

General (later Field Marshal) Erwin Rommel (1891-1944), photographed at the Second Battle of El Alamein, which he lost. Photo: Wikipedia.com

However, Rommel’s plans were continually disrupted by the lack of much-needed supplies for which the maritime and air operations emanating from Malta were among the main culprits, hence necessitating its capture by the Axis and, conversely, why it was imperative that the island would continue to hold firm and not surrender. In this context, one understands the importance played by the various convoys sent to Malta, which had to get through irrespective of the losses incurred.

The much-needed convoy, codenamed Operation Stoneage, fought its way through from Alexandria between November 15 and 20. It consisted of five light cruisers and 17 destroyers escorting four cargo ships carrying about 35,000 short tons of supplies (roughly the same amount the Pedestal convoy had delivered)

Actually, throughout 1940, Britain delivered 160,000 tons of supplies together with fighter planes, ammunition and reinforcements without any loss, but 1941 witnessed naval and cargo losses, a trend that continued into 1942, a case in point being the Santa Marija Convoy in August, though 35,000 tons of supplies did get through to save the day.

In the autumn of 1942, both the Afrika Korps and the British Eighth Army, now under the command of General (later Field Marshal) Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), built up their strength for what they knew was going to be the coming, probably decisive, offensive while Malta continued its role of harassing the sea and air transport detailed for the Axis forces in North Africa.

General (later Field Marshal) Sir Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), commander of the British Eighth Army, photographed at the Second Battle of El Alamein. Photo: Wikipedia.com

On October 23, 1942, the British broke out of the El Alamein defensive line and attacked the Axis army at a time when Rommel was in hospital in Germany. He quickly returned to try and contain the British offensive that was being carried out with superior forces.

To complicate matters for the Axis, the Allied armed forces, under the US command of General Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969), landed in French North Africa – under the French government at Vichy allied to Germany – in a landing code-named Operation Torch; this meant that the Germans and the Italians were now fighting furious battles on two fronts simultaneously.

Major-General Dwight Eisenhower (1890-1969) who commanded Operation Torch, the US landings at Morocco in 1942. Photo: Wikipedia.com

The aim of the Allies was to advance along the coast from Morocco to Tunisia, and join with the British army of Montgomery. The plan ultimately succeeded but only after heavy fighting which bogged them up for a time.

Even so, during October and up till mid-November, Malta was not yet out of the woods. The Axis now regretted their failure to take Malta and, even though the capture of the island was by now unfeasible because the tide of war had turned against the Axis, a final attempt was made in October to subdue Malta’s striking power.

Axis prisoners-of-war at Tunisia in early 1943. Photo: Wikipedia.com

British soldiers in action during the Second Battle of El Alamein in November 1942. Photo: Wikipedia.com

Italian prisoners of war after the Second Battle of El Alamein (1942). Photo: Wikipedia.com

From October 10, there was a great increase in the number of air raids aimed to obliterate the airfields. These raids caused damage and loss of lives in populated areas. However, the attempt failed and, during this so-called October blitz, Italian naval traffic in the Mediterranean Sea carrying supplies to North Africa was regularly attacked, including during the night. The fighters based in Malta mauled the bombers even though they were escorted by Axis fighters.

Meanwhile, Malta received small amounts of supplies, especially by the minelayers HMS Manxman and HMS Welshman. Other small amounts were also delivered by submarines, notably HMS Traveller and HMS Thrasher. These supplies were sent to help Malta tide over till the arrival of a large convoy which was a necessity.

The submarine HMS Trasher that delivered small amounts of supplies to Malta in October/November 1942. It survived the war. Photo: Wikipedia.com

Official ship’s badge of HMS Manxman. Courtesy: Royal Museums, Greenwich, London

HMS Trasher’s ship badge. Photo: Wikipedia.com

HMS Manxman, a minelayer that delivered small amounts of supplies to beleaguered Malta. It was torpedoed in December 1942 but was repaired and survived the war. Photo: Wikipedia.com

HMS Welshman, a minelayer that delivered small amounts of supplies to beleaguered Malta. It was torpedoed on February 1, 1943, and went down with all its 152 crew members. Photo: Wikipedia.com

Incidentally, HMS Manxman was torpedoed off Bizerta on December 1, 1942, by the German submarine U-375 but managed to be taken to Gibraltar for repairs. HMS Welshman was not so lucky because it was torpedoed by U-617 on February 1, 1943, and went down with all hands – 152 naval officers and men, together with a number of soldiers and airmen on board.

The much-needed convoy, codenamed Operation Stoneage, fought its way through from Alexandria between November 15 and 20. It consisted of five light cruisers and 17 destroyers escorting the following four cargo ships carrying about 35,000 short tons of supplies (roughly the same amount which the Pedestal convoy had delivered): MV Denbighshire (8,393 tons), a British vessel built in 1939 for the Glen Line; MS Bantam (9,312 tons), a Dutch ship built in 1938; SS Robin Locksley (7,000 tons), a USA vessel built in 1941 for the Seas Shipping Company; and SS Mormacmoon (7,939 tons) a USA ship built in 1940.

The US merchant ship SS Mormacmoon that was part of Operation Stoneage and was one of the four ships that delivered much needed supplies to Malta in November 1942. Photo: Wikipedia.com

The Dutch merchant ship MS Bantam that was part of Operation Stoneage and was one of the four ships that delivered much needed supplies to Malta in November 1942. Photo: Wikipedia.com

The ships entered Grand Harbour safely on November 20 and ensured that Malta had enough supplies to last the island at least until mid-December and the arrival of another convoy. However, this convoy did not get through without a cost: in the single Axis attack on the convoy by torpedo bombers, the light cruiser HMS Arethusa was hit, killing 156 members of its crew, while the ship itself was severely damaged, though it was somehow towed to Alexandria for repairs and continued playing its part for the rest of the war. Moreover, the British lost five aircraft.

Meanwhile, the war pendulum in North Africa was swinging the way of the Allies. Benghazi was captured on November 20, 1942, by the British Eighth Army, which pressed on towards Tripoli, which was taken on January 23, 1943. This Allied advance in North Africa had a beneficial effect on Malta: between December 5, 1942, and January 2, 1943, no less than 13 merchant ships – including two tankers – entered Maltese harbours unmolested. Moreover, the number of alerts for air raids also decreased dramatically: from 153 in October to 35 in December 1942, and to a mere five air raids in February 1943.

Captain Stephen Roskill (1903-82), the official historian of the Royal Navy from 1949 till 1960, declared in his 1962 publication, The Strategy of Sea Power, that the Axis siege of Malta came to an end with the arrival of Operation Stoneage on November 20, 1942.