high tide i don't think is important in Malta, how many can be in Malta 50 cm?
Absolutely critical actually as demonstrated during husky three years later. Actually the ideal tiing is a rising tide before dawn and a setting moon just before dawn, with the LCs approaching from the west to maximise the coover of darkness. In summer in the northern hemisphere you can get away with a an approach from the south as well.We need detailed topo maps of Malta and its coast to determine where this might occur. we need the 1940 nautical almanac to determine when it can occur.
Small changes in tide are still important, especially when using extemporised landing craft. . Your craft have to come in on a rising tide to avoid underwater obstacles, beach itself, unload the cargo, thereby reduciung the displacement, and decreasing the draft of the vessel. this allows the vessel to to refloat and thenn either reverse under its own power, but more usually for makeshift craft be towed by ocean going tugs back out to the transports for a reload of troops and supplies, waiting for the next change of tide. Without the change of tide, notwithstanding the decreased displacement of the vessel, it wont get off the beach. There are always vessels that get stuck, so there is always a wastage of vessesls just due to the conditions. Without the risng tide, you wont get sufficient "lift" to get the majority of your craft off the beach. And that will be critical in this scenario where you have just FOUR dedicated LCIs the rest being a depressing array of over optimistic conversions and lash ups.
If the currents are unfavourable, you will get many of the craft swinging after beaching, which is highly likley to cause the craft to get stuck....if the swell or the surf is high, you will lose the ship to broaching effect.
Properly designed LCs have design features to counter tidal and current drift. They have stern mounted anchors that hold the ship in place whilst unloading and can be used to pull the craft off the beach when it comes time for that. it gives the craft greater flexibility to unload and control the vessel in difficult conditions. For extempoprised craft, unless the conditions are spot on, most of them wont get off the beach, and thats a problem when you have 8000 defenders in front of you, and you can sealift roughly 3-4000 men at a time, tops. Foreget the theoretical totals, think tactical loading constraints, and what other maritime nations, with vastly greater experinece in these things, had to do and the numbers of people they could fit into their craft, when loaded for assault operations. Good rule of thumb, if the vessel is theoretically capable of carrying 3000 troops under ideal conditions, in real combat, they can carry about 1/3 of that number. I am sure there are USMC guys here that will confirm that basic planning rule.
Beyond that the italians will need to have undertaken some kind of beach survey to determine the underwater topography. You cannot have rocky bottoms, or beaches that shelve too little. The ideal situation (and you need nothing less than ideal for extemporised LCs) is a deeper approach and a beach shelving up at more than 15 degrees. Without a proper beach survey, and without a large purpose designed amphibious fleet, you have imediate cause for alarm.