Maltese Siege

The Siege of Malta

(A heavily bomb-damaged Kingsway Street in Valletta, Malta. Service personnel and civilians are present clearing up the debris.)

Malta was a British Crown Colony from 1813 until 1964.

Malta is a group of Islands (the Islands of Malta, Comino and Gozo) that are 57 miles from Sicily and 309 miles from Tunisia in the Mediterranean Sea.

On September 3, 1939 Malta automatically declared War on Nazi Germany when the United Kingdom declared War.

In 1939 Malta had a Population of 270,000 People.

Malta was the only Allied Military Base between Gibraltar and Alexandria, Egypt (after the Fall of France in June 1940.)

Malta was an Important Radar Base for the British and the Americans during the War as it could cover all of Italy, all of French Vichy Africa and all of German-Occupied Balkans.

On June 10, 1940 Italy declared War on Malta (technically on the United Kingdom.)

That meant that from June 1940 Malta was sandwiched between Fascist Italy (57 miles away) and French Vichy Tunisia (309 miles away) both Collaborating with and supported by Nazi Germany.

On June 11, 1940 the first Air Raids started on Malta.

For the next 2 years, 5 months, 1 week and 2 days (until November 20, 1942 Malta was the most heavily bombed Territory of World War 2 with regard to size.

The Italians and the Germans regularly bombed Malta over that time period as well as any Allied Ships trying to bring fuel, military supplies and food to the Island.

The goal of the Axis Powers was to starve Malta into surrendering to them.

On April 15, 1942 British King George VI awarded the George Cross to the People of Malta for their Bravery under Attack.

The Malta Convoys were Allied Ships from the United Kingdom and, after December 1941, the United States to bring Military Equipment, Medical Supplies, Fuel and Food to Malta through the dangerous Axis-Controlled Mediterranean.

The Largest Malta Convoy was called Operation Pedestal in August 1942 in which the British and Americans used 4 Aircraft Carriers, 2 Battleships, 7 Light Cruisers, 32 Destroyers, 4 Corvettes, 4 Minesweepers, 11 Submarines, 7 Motor Launches, 14 Merchant Ships, 2 Fleet Oilers, 74 Fighter’s and 28 Torpedo Bombers to bring Essential Supplies and Military Equipment including Oil to the Island.

The Germans and Italians destroyed or sunk: 1 Aircraft Carrier sunk, 2 Light Cruisers sunk,1 Destroyer sunk,9 Merchant Ships sunk ,1 Aircraft Carrier damaged, 2 Light Cruisers damaged, 3 Merchant Ships damaged, 34 Aircraft destroyed and 550 Allied Soldiers and Airmen killed.

Despite the heavy loses Operation Pedestal was a Strategic Victory for the Allies as 29,000 tons of General Cargo, together with Gas, Oil, Kerosene and Diesel Fuel was delivered (and unloaded by Maltese Civilians during a German Air Raid) was enough to give Malta ten weeks' supply of Food and Military Equipment.

If Operation Pedestal had failed Malta would have had to surrender to the Germans and the Italians

There were a total of 3,343 Italian and German Air Raids on Malta during World War 2.

The Maltese spent a total of 2,357 hours (equivalent to 98 days) in Air Raid Shelters.

The Axis dropped 15,000 tons of Bombs on Malta.

The Germans and Italians created Operation Herkules (German: Unternehmen Herkules; Italian: Operazione C3) to invade and occupy Malta.

1,581 Maltese Civilians were killed.

3,780 Maltese Civilians were wounded.

50,000 Maltese Civilians were made homeless.

7,500 Allied (British, Maltese, South African, Canadian, Australian and New Zealander) Soldiers were killed defending Malta.

111 Churches and 50 Hospitals were destroyed.

The Siege of Malta was only lifted after the Germans lost the November 1942 the Second Battle of El Alamein in Egypt and the Allies (Americans and British) landed Forces in Vichy French Morocco and Vichy French Algeria in Operation Torch also in November 1942.

In 1943 the Americans and British planned the Invasion of Sicily from Malta.

Note 1: The George Cross, awarded by the British King George VI in 1942 remained on the Maltese Flag even when it became an Independent Country in 1964 (with Elizabeth II being the Queen of Malta from 1964-1974) and when Malta became a Republic in 1974.

Note 2: I learned all about Malta and its Role in World War 2 when I was researching to give a presentation to my Middle School Class in Darmstadt, Germany when I was 14 years old. We were deciding where to go for Spring Break and everyone liked my presentation and voted to go to Malta so we did.