A detailed look at two days of heavy bombings in 1941, which left many dead and wounded.

By the end of 1940, Malta had not yet surrendered to Italian forces and the latter were also to experience two major reverses in Greece and Egypt.

On November 20 of that year, German Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler proposed to help ally Benito Mussolini but it was only in early December that the Italian Fascist leader accepted the German ‘offer’ of military aid. On December 10, Hitler issued the order code-named ‘Operation Mittelmeer’ and, on January 4, 1941, elements of Fliegerkorps X started arriving in Sicily.

A large convoy was prepared in the last days of 1940. It was to be known as Convoy Operation Excess. One of the merchant ships, MV Essex, was destined to reinforce Malta. As the convoy was approaching Malta, Hawker Hurricane Mk fighter aircraft were sent from Malta to escort the ships.

Italian and German aircraft attacked both the convoy and the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious, even when they were within reach of Malta.

HMS Illustrious reaches Malta

Friday, January 10, 1941

9pm: HMS Illustrious entered Grand Harbour smoking, listing and with its stern low in the water, to berth alongside Parlatorio Wharf, in French Creek, beneath Corradino Heights.

Of its crew, 126 had been killed in the attacks. Their remains were retrieved and transferred to a destroyer for burial at sea, while 91 others who had been injured were taken ashore for treatment at Mtarfa Military Hospital. Maltese dockyard workers and medical teams worked tirelessly to save the ship and the wounded. They started patching up the battered ship to enable it to leave Malta as soon as possible.

The first day of the Illustrious blitz

Thursday, January 16, 1941

During the day there were to be four air raid warnings. Two of them were in the morning. According to Charles J. Boffa’s book The Second Great Siege: Malta 1940-43, the local authorities were concerned that it was a matter of hours before the Luftwaffe would destroy the aircraft carrier.

In fact, at about 12.30pm of that day, a special announcement was broadcast over the Rediffusion:

“We were advised that, in the event of any air raids, all civilians must take immediate cover as special tactics will be employed by anti-aircraft batteries.”
The third air raid resulted in a heavy attack, which left many dead and wounded civilians andservicemen as well as devastation, especially at Senglea. Table 1 lists the number of air raid warnings and raiders past.

1.15am: Enemy bombers flew over Malta but no air raids were reported.

1.55pm: Malta’s radar system detected the approach of two large enemy formations from the north and the east. It consisted of 17 Junkers Ju88s escorted by Messerschmitt Bf110s, 44 Junkers Ju87R Stuka dive-bombers in five waves and 17 Junkers Ju88s from II and III/Lehrgeschwader 1, escorted by 10 Macchi MC200s. Ten Fiat CR42s appeared over Malta. Their specific target was HMS Illustrious.

Superintendent Storace’s diary of events

During the first Luftwaffe attacks on Malta, Cottonera, especially Senglea, fared the worst. According to Joseph Micallef’s book When Malta Stood Alone (1940-43), about 330 dwellings were damaged or destroyed.

The parish church itself was hit too. Bombs fell also and destroyed houses in St Joseph Street and Senglea Wharf. Eight civilians lost their lives while 10 people were caught under the debris, possibly of their houses.

In his diary, Stafrace refers to the Germans as the Huns and calculates that around 120 planes started diving from above Valletta onto Senglea and up again to return to their attack.

As the first attack passed over the island and anti-aircraft fire started to abate, suddenly No.198 Sergeant J. Mallia Vella, who was on observation duty, reported to him that Senglea could scarcely be seen with all the dust and smoke generated by the bombs.

Men of the ARP, the PWD, policemen, servicemen and civilians rushed to the rescue of those buried beneath the debris while intense bombing was still going on. Storace left the ARP centre and arrived at Senglea at 2.20pm.

He stopped his car in Victory Street, with his ambulance and squads. A woman, Elvira Balzan, aged 55, was rescued from her dwelling and was handed over to ARP No. 1233 Sergeant A. Dimech.

In St Joseph Street, a grandmother was reported to be buried in a demolished building. The ARP squad was directed to rescue the blind old lady from a cellar below street level. ARP No. 1084 Sergeant J. Bezzina with his squad was past the police station in St Joseph Street and started to rescue E. Bricier, aged 70, who was buried alive.

According to Joseph Mallia, during the above-mentioned raids, 53 people were killed and 36 others were injured, 19 of them seriously. Four of the wounded died later in hospital.

The second day of the Illustrious blitz

Sunday, January 19, 1941

As, in the previous days, the Luftwaffe carried out ferocious and intensive attacks to destroy and sink HMS Illustrious berthed at Senglea. However, it escaped further serious damage, although the HM Dockyard and the surrounding area again bore the brunt of the bombings. Table 2 shows the air raid warnings/air raids that occurred during the day.

6.30am: Rescue work continued in the early hours, where Storace detailed his men under their respective sergeants. At Two Gates Street, he lowered a flask with hot water and brandy through a hole to the Costa family and others, who were still trapped beneath the debris.

8.30am: The first air assault comprised 40 Junkers Ju87R Stukas and Junkers Ju88s. They appeared over Grand Harbour area to start a relentless tempo of operations that continued throughout the day.

9.30am-10.25am: The second air raid, comprising 20 Junkers Ju87Rs Stukas escorted by 24 Regia Aeronautica Fiat CR42s, appeared over HMS Illustrious.
It was in the mid-morning that Storace met the Commissioner of Police in St Margaret Square, Cospicua. He stopped his car and told him: “I congratulate you for the good work I have seen you doing in Senglea.”

In both of these air raid warnings, bombs fell over Senglea and masonry rubble left Senglea Gate blocked. The water police were ordered to bring their motorboat to transport four bodies from Senglea to Valletta. On the same day, Governor Dobbie visited Senglea again. Storace accompanied him to explain all the work that had been done.

Once again, the HM Dockyard area was hit and entire streets of buildings were razed to the ground. Rescue workers, who were still searching for victims of the January 16 raid had to shift tons of rubble by hand to reach those trapped under the debris.

The Senglea basilica of Our Lady of Victories, whose belfry clock-hands still marked 10 minutes to two when the church was first hit on January 16, was completely destroyed three days later.

During all these attacks, the Luftwaffe did not manage to directly hit the Illustrious but it was further damaged (and holed by splinters) by near misses.
However, the trawler Beryl was holed by a near miss and foundered at the HM Dockyard, off Somerset Wharf. The destroyer HMS Decoy was also damaged at the dockyard by a direct hit.

Charles Debono, curator, National War Museum