Map of the Strait of Sicily

On June 10, 1940, Italy declared war on Britain and France, thus beginning the continuous bombing of the Maltese islands for the next three years. Malta became a prime target because its position in the centre of the Mediterranean Sea rendered it a very important base for Britain because: a) it was a staging post on Britain’s Suez Canal sea route to India, East Africa, the oilfields of Iraq and Iran, and the Far East; b) it was close to the Sicilian Channel between Sicily and Tunis; and c) it was a base for maritime and air operations against Italian and German (Axis) supply convoys to North Africa.

For the Allied powers, Malta’s strategic value was important enough for the British to risk many merchant ships and warships to supply the island and thereby thwart the determined efforts by the Axis powers to neutralise the islands. One has also to bear in mind that by the 1940s, Malta had a population of about 275,000 souls who could not be fed by local produce alone and, in fact, imports made up two-thirds of the provisions needed.

The merchant ship SS Breconshire that carried supplies to Malta on a number of occasions. It was subsequently incorporated within the British Royal Navy. Photo: Wikipedia.com

All this necessitated the formation of what may be termed ‘Malta convoys’ to deliver the necessary supplies: food, medical supplies, fuel and equipment for the civilian population and the garrison; reinforcements, ammunition, military hardware and spare parts for the military forces. These convoys were escorted to Malta by units of the Mediterranean Fleet, Force H, the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Air Force throughout what became known as the Battle of the Mediterranean (1940-43) when the Allied ships were attacked by the Italian Regia Aeronautica and Regia Marina together with the German Luftwaffe and Kriegsmarine.

Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham (1883-1963), Commander Mediterranean Fleet June 1939 - March 1942. Courtesy: Imperial War Museum, London

Concurrently, there was the Battle of the Atlantic which was fought by U-boats and surface and air escorts. But, in contrast to the Atlantic theatre of war, operations in the Mediterranean depended on air power and the possession of land bases for the aircraft. The Allied forces in the Mediterranean were under the overall command of Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham (1883-1963) from June 1939 till March 1942.

Up to the end of 1940, Malta was supplied by 21 ships that reached the island with 160,000 tons of cargo without any loss, which also provided for the accumulation of a reserve of seven months’ supply. In the first four months of 1941, more supplies were delivered but there was the experience of the loss of a cargo ship, the freighter Parracombe, that was mined.

Up to the end of 1940, Malta was supplied by 21 ships that reached the island with 160,000 tons of cargo without any loss

During this (almost) first year of Malta’s involvement in the war, the following convoys were organised:

HMS Warspite entering Grand Harbour in Malta in 1936. Photo: Wikipedia.com

In July 1940, British cruisers and destroyers escorted two convoys from Malta to Alexandria: ‘Malta Fast 1’ was composed of El Nil, Knight of Malta and Rodi, while ‘Malta Slow 1’ included Kirkland, Masirah, Novasli, Tweed and Zeeland. Both convoys arrived safely at their destination. Meanwhile, the Royal Navy battleships HMS Warspite, Malaya, Royal Sovereign and the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle successfully engaged an Italian force of two battleships, 14 cruisers and 32 destroyers that was protecting an Italian convoy in what has been named the Battle of Calabria. One must always bear in mind that convoys supplying the Axis forces in North Africa were an ongoing affair.

A Hurricane and a Spitfire in flight. Photo: Wikipedia.com

In August 1940, it was deemed imperative that Malta had to be reinforced with fighter planes; so the training aircraft carrier HMS Argus was used to despatch 12 Hurricanes from a position to the south-west of Sardinia in what was code-named ‘Operation Hurry’. Known as ‘club runs’, similar operations continued until it became possible to fly the aircraft directly from Gibraltar.

In September 1940, Malta was supplied with provisions, ammunition and reinforcements through ‘Operation Hats’. A total of 36,000 tons of supplies were ferried on three freighters from Alexandria escorted by units from the Mediterranean Fleet.

In October 1940, ‘Operation MB6’ successfully reached Malta with four supply ships escorted by four battleships and two aircraft carriers. At Capo Passero, the Italian navy failed in its attempt to destroy the returning escorts.

November 1940 included three operations: ‘Operation Judgement’ was a convoy from Alexandria coinciding with a troop convoy from Gibraltar and a successful air attack on the Italian battle fleet at Taranto.

The aircraft carrier HMS Argus. Photo: Wikipedia.com

‘Operation White’ entailed 12 Hurricanes being flown off HMS Argus to Malta, but this action was carried out prematurely and eight of the aircraft ran out of fuel. They ditched at sea, resulting in the loss of seven pilots. Unfortunately, this tragedy occurred because the Hurricane pilots had been insufficiently trained about the range and endurance of their aircraft.

‘Operation Collar’ was a complex affair. It involved a three-ship convoy bound for Malta (two ships) and Alexandria (one ship) escorted by the cruisers HMS Manchester and HMS Southampton. Then, on November 23, a convoy made up of four ships escorted by eight destroyers and covered by three cruisers (Force E) left Alexandria for Malta. The next day saw the departure from Alexandria of Force D (a battleship and two cruisers) followed, on November 2, by Force C that included two battleships, an aircraft carrier, two cruisers and four destroyers. All arrived safely.

November 1940 was a really busy month that included sending 1,400 soldiers, RAF personnel and naval units from Gibraltar to Alexandria, two supply ships to Malta and another one to Crete. Italian reconnaissance aircraft spotted the Allied movements at both ends of the Mediterranean but the Axis attack was ineffectual and all ships reached their destinations successfully.

The tanker MV Pontfield. Photo: Wikipedia.com

December 1940 saw two convoys leaving Alexandria for Malta. Convoy MW 5A included two supply ships and convoy MW5B was made up of five merchant vessels and the tanker Pontfield. Escorted by a naval force of a battleship, two cruisers and a number of destroyers and corvettes, the convoys reached Malta on December 20. Then, four empty ships in Malta returned to Alexandria with the same naval escort while convoy MG1 comprising two vessels escorted by a battleship and four destroyers reached Gibraltar from Malta in what was the last naval action of 1940.

The cruiser HMS Southampton in 1937. It was sunk in January 1941. Photo: Wikipedia.com

‘Operation Excess’ in January 1941 successfully delivered 10,000 tons of supplies but at a heavy cost: the cruiser HMS Southampton was sunk, a destroyer was damaged beyond repair while the cruiser HMS Gloucester and the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious were badly damaged. This was the first occasion that the German Luftwaffe took part in an anti-convoy operation. It was also the prelude to heavy air raids on Malta in an unsuccessful attempt by the Axis to sink the Illustrious at its berth in Grand Harbour.

‘Operation MC8’, on February 19-21, 1941, successfully delivered troops, vehicles and stores to Malta on board three cruisers and two destroyers escorted by 14 warships.

‘Operation MC9’ took place when the six merchantmen of convoy MW6 left Alexandria March 19 and sailed by indirect routes and were helped by bad weather that enabled the convoy to evade Axis air reconnaissance. The ships all reached Malta safely but two were bombed at their berths.

The aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal. Photo: Hydro International

A Bristol Blenheim in flight. Photo: Wikipedia.com

April witnessed three convoys: ‘Operation Winch’ (convoy ME7) delivered a number of Hurricanes that were flown off HMS Ark Royal, all arriving safely on April 3. Later on that same month, there was the delivery of stores, ammunition, oil and aviation fuel. In ‘Operation Dunlop’, 24 Hurricanes were successfully flown off HMS Ark Royal that sailed from Gibraltar, all arriving on April 27. Bristol Blenheims and Beaufighters were flown to Malta directly from Gibraltar.

Malta was also used for offensive operations and, on April 16, four destroyers based on the island destroyed a supply convoy of five ships destined for the German Africa Korps in North Africa in what is known as the ‘Battle of the Tarigo Convoy’. The Axis lost all their five ships but the British destroyer HMS Mohawk was fatally torpedoed. So far, the Axis transports to North Africa had been virtually unopposed but this was no longer the case after this battle.

The freighter SS Parracombe, the first merchant ship sunk (on May 2, 1941) on the Malta convoy route. Courtesy: National Museums, Liverpool

The Italian destroyer Alvise da Moso that helped set the minefield that sank the SS Parracombe on May 2, 1941. Photo: Wikipedia.com

During ‘Operation Temple’, the British suffered their first convoy loss. The freighter Parracombe sailed from Gibraltar en route to Malta on the night of April 28-29. However, when it hit a mine on May 2, its bows were blown off and the ship sank with everything on board: 21 Hurricanes, equipment, ammunition and military freight. The minefield had been laid down by four Italian cruisers and two destroyers on April 24.

This loss was the prelude to a difficult year ahead in which at least 30 merchantmen were sunk, apart from losses by the British Navy that included a battleship, two aircraft carriers, four cruisers, 20 destroyers/minesweepers and forty submarines.

After April 1941, convoy duties became really hazardous, unlike the relatively not-so-dangerous pre-April sorties. But that is another story.