Malta's Gladiators

[the lancaster kicks ass]

and did a terrific job holding Malta until better reinforcements arrived

the re-inforcements in question being a pathetic 4 hurricanes..............

 

[Gemhorse]

All in all, they lost some battles, but they won the war to keep Malta, against overwhelming odds...Malta's story is one of real courage and fortitude, something that would make any Englishman and Commonwealth citizen PROUD....

 

[johnny]

Rule Brittania! Just shows what a lots of courage and ingenuity can do.

 

[johnny]

It has always surprised me why the krauts never took Malta.Due to its strategic importance it should have been taken.They could then have strangle the supply lines to Monties 8th Army , set up a u-boat base and airbase and probably won the Africa campaign.

 

[Lightning Guy]

That's the thing: the Germans never made a real effort to take Malta. I think an interesting 'what-if' would be, what if instead of wasting his highly effective paratroops over Corsica Hitler had used them to secure Malta?

 

[johnny]

Would have been serious S**T for the Allies!

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

we wouldn't have won the war in north africa if we didn't have malta..........

 

[lesofprimus]

Definate agreement there....

 

[Gemhorse]

The History is well-worth the read ! - The Maltese people were very brave also, the tonnage of bombs dropped would be a study, the Axis Forces did try really hard to take Malta....the fact they couldn't achieve total Air Superiority determined that paratroops couldn't be used....and all in all, it was a decisive battle, because Rommel's resupplys couldn't be protected from our Beauforts, [and I think the RN's Swordfish were even employed at times]...-It was a very close thing, and it was one of those battles that folk don't really appreciate for the enormous 'keystone' that held the whole Axis battleplan in the Mediterranean, in place....they lost that and the Med and then Sicily, Italy and on into Germany, so it was very crucial....'Faith, Hope and Charity' is an awesome read......

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

many torpedo planes were operated in the med, swordfish, beauforts, beaufighters, wellingtons, i've just read a book called "the ship busters" about half the book's about the war in the med...............

 

[Lightning Guy]

I bet that would be an interesting read. I've always found the anti-shipping missions to be fascinating.

 

[plan_D]

Rommel was one of the people who didn't want to waste time with Malta. So, he can partly be blamed for the lack of effort on German side.

It was Crete...Corsica?

 

[Gemhorse]

Actually, it wasn't Rommel that was to blame....he would've been wrapt if they'd sorted Malta out, because it was the extraordinary defensive and offensive tactics of the small forces on the island that kept stuffing-up his supply convoys...they WERE the 'thorn in his side'... - The blame lay squarely at Hitler's feet, as he was going into Russia and drew-off much needed aircraft for that, Crete and the Western Desert and he also ruled-out a paratroop invasion after the heavy losses incurred capturing Crete;... then there was doubt [well placed] as to whether the Italian Navy could do it's bit...and besides, they still couldn't achieve Air Superiority over Malta...Between first Blenheims, then Beauforts based at Luqa, combining with the RN Submarines based at Lazaretto, they punched out the supply convoys...this was why Rommel was fatally overstretched at El Alamein...his problem was then compounded by the Axis stopping it's saturation attacks briefly on Malta, which gave them a much needed respite to restore their strike and defence. - As for the Hurricanes, in the early Spring of 1942, they were out-performed by the new Bf-109F's, but never out-flown, because our fellows were so good. Those pilots were experienced peacetime, France and BoB pilots, even if they were flying half a dozen/dozen [ depending on serviceability] clapped-out Hurri's. These were followed by about 16 Spitfires...they didn't last long and 46 flew in April '42...after 48 hours, only 7 were serviceable. They then got another 64 in, followed by another 17 twelve days later...That finally helped turn the tide........

 

[plan_D]

Actually Rommel was one of the generals that opposed the invasion of Malta because it would take his air cover away. Rommel advanced into Eygpt even after he was advised to hold on the border while he could be re-inforced and the Malta problem be solved.

Rommels over-excitment with his push past Tobruk led him to lead the Afrika Corps into a near impossible situation. Had Rommel agreed to the execution of an invasion of Malta and waited on the Eygptian border then the needed aircraft would have been diverted.

So although not all blame is on Rommel, some is and not all was on Hitlers shoulders because he wanted Malta in German hands more than anyone.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

malta would have won them the war in africa............

 

[plan_D]

Is that your argument against my facts or are you just stating the obvious?

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

it's more what i would have told rommel at the time..................

 

[plan_D]

He was informed of the strategic advantages of taking Malta before moving on into Eygpt. He was well aware of the facts, but he felt that a crushing blow must be dealt to the British 8th Army as soon as possible.

He was wrong to rush on ahead...but he could have never been right all the time. He was wrong, again during his organisation of the Panzer Divisions before D-Day.

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

to make a mistake once is only human, to make a mistake twice, is just plane stupid................

 

[cheddar cheese]

Or normal in my case.