Battle for Malta

MalteseHurricanes · 30-09-2006, 05:09 PM

G'day! I'm a new member here living in Australia with my heritage being from Malta. I've realized that there hasn't been much discussion on Malta's vitally important role in WWII. I'd like to ask the people here with more experience a question. If Malta was lost to Italy could the war have been won by the Axis?

Between 1940 and 1942 Malta was one of the most bombed places in the world. The Italians relentlessly bombed Malta on a daily basis. The Germans eventually sent their own aircraft to bomb Malta in aid of Italy. Malta was of such great importance because it was a navy base heavily disrupting the Italian supply lines. I can't give you an exact number, but a huge amount of supply ships where sunk preventing the Italians from advancing Africa.

It is also interesting to know that Malta had only two Hurricane fighter planes to defend it's shores. Bunkers where built all around the Island. The one my grandmother lived in covered three whole streets. From her own experience, she said she saw the bombers on a daily basis flying over her bunker. They where flying that low that she could make out the people inside the craft. I have a lot of relatives that survived who have told me so many stories of what life was like during the war in Malta and what had happened to them.

Maybe you guys could do a bit of research and find out a bit more on Malta's role in WWII. Could it be possible that if Malta was lost the Italians could have won the African campaign therefore allowing Germany to focus all of it's troops on the European front of the war? Germany wouldn't have needed to send the Italians aid if the war swung in Italy's favour. They would have had extra troops and supplies against Britain and Russia.

A good deal of information on this can be found here: http://aboutmalta.com/grazio/joe8.html

morse1001 · 30-09-2006, 08:33 PM

Welcome to the forum

Gnomey · 30-09-2006, 09:30 PM

Welcome to the forum, I would recommend this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fortress-Mal...e=UTF8&s=books

I have read it twice now (the second time when I was in Malta this summer). It should give some of the information you need.

Kiwiwriter · 01-10-2006, 04:31 AM

Welcome aboard, and thank you for sharing your interest in the Malta battles with us.

"Fortress Malta" is a terrific book. I also like "The Siege Within the Walls," "Red Duster, White Ensign," and "Faith, Hope, and Charity," on the three Gladiators. There are a number of books on the airmen of Malta. It was an incredible story, and I feel that her survival was a critical turning point of World War II.

raf · 01-10-2006, 07:34 PM

i can understand the importance of Malta.

but Gib was the one we needed most.

if you look at a world map Malta is tiny in the Med and not that best strategically placed

what was the importance of these 3 islands Sardinia , cosica and pantelleria island.

these seem to be in a more important place in the med

any ideas

30-09-2006, 05:09 PM	#1 (permalink)
MalteseHurricanes Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 1	Battle for Malta G'day! I'm a new member here living in Australia with my heritage being from Malta. I've realized that there hasn't been much discussion on Malta's vitally important role in WWII. I'd like to ask the people here with more experience a question. If Malta was lost to Italy could the war have been won by the Axis? Between 1940 and 1942 Malta was one of the most bombed places in the world. The Italians relentlessly bombed Malta on a daily basis. The Germans eventually sent their own aircraft to bomb Malta in aid of Italy. Malta was of such great importance because it was a navy base heavily disrupting the Italian supply lines. I can't give you an exact number, but a huge amount of supply ships where sunk preventing the Italians from advancing Africa. It is also interesting to know that Malta had only two Hurricane fighter planes to defend it's shores. Bunkers where built all around the Island. The one my grandmother lived in covered three whole streets. From her own experience, she said she saw the bombers on a daily basis flying over her bunker. They where flying that low that she could make out the people inside the craft. I have a lot of relatives that survived who have told me so many stories of what life was like during the war in Malta and what had happened to them. Maybe you guys could do a bit of research and find out a bit more on Malta's role in WWII. Could it be possible that if Malta was lost the Italians could have won the African campaign therefore allowing Germany to focus all of it's troops on the European front of the war? Germany wouldn't have needed to send the Italians aid if the war swung in Italy's favour. They would have had extra troops and supplies against Britain and Russia. A good deal of information on this can be found here: http://aboutmalta.com/grazio/joe8.html Last edited by MalteseHurricanes; 30-09-2006 at 05:16 PM.

30-09-2006, 09:30 PM	#3 (permalink)
Gnomey Per Ardua Ad Astra Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Royal Deeside/St Andrews, Scotland, UK Posts: 2,957	Welcome to the forum, I would recommend this book: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fortress-Mal...e=UTF8&s=books I have read it twice now (the second time when I was in Malta this summer). It should give some of the information you need. __________________ "Never in the field of human conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few" Sir Winston Chuchill, Summer 1940 "To him the people of Britain and the free world owe largely the way of life they enjoy today" Ensciption on Hugh Dowding's (AOC Fighter Command 1936-1940) Statue in London Aircraft of World War 2 Forum - A Warbird Forum

01-10-2006, 04:31 AM	#4 (permalink)
Kiwiwriter Very Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Newark, NJ, and Christchurch, NZ Posts: 2,431	Hi There!!! Welcome aboard, and thank you for sharing your interest in the Malta battles with us. "Fortress Malta" is a terrific book. I also like "The Siege Within the Walls," "Red Duster, White Ensign," and "Faith, Hope, and Charity," on the three Gladiators. There are a number of books on the airmen of Malta. It was an incredible story, and I feel that her survival was a critical turning point of World War II. __________________ "My intensity is intense." -- Roger Clemens "We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." -- Winston Churchill. "I am not a hero. The heroes are all dead. I am a survivor." -- Sgt. William Guarnere, Easy Company, 506th Parachute Regiment, 101st Airborne Division. Check out my little contributions to World War II history at my web pages: World War II Plus 55 or http://davidhlippman.wildbillguarnere.com

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30-09-2006, 08:33 PM	#2 (permalink)
morse1001 Very Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Wishaw, Lanarkshire, Scotland Posts: 4,585	Welcome to the forum

01-10-2006, 07:34 PM	#5 (permalink)
raf Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: wigan Posts: 388	i can understand the importance of Malta. but Gib was the one we needed most. if you look at a world map Malta is tiny in the Med and not that best strategically placed what was the importance of these 3 islands Sardinia , cosica and pantelleria island. these seem to be in a more important place in the med any ideas

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