A 1942 Malta invasion has been done to death over the years on a variety of sites. From the following is an Order of Battle at July 1942 that was put together by one (Maltese?)researcher back in 2005.
"According to my researches, this is the OOB of Malta ground forces as per early July (probable landing date):
INFANTRY
1939:
The Malta Brigade
- 2nd Btn, Devonshire Rgt
- 1st Btn, Dorsetshire Rgt
- 2nd Btn, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Rgt
- 2nd Btn, Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) Rgt
Independent
- 1st Btn, King's Own Malta Regiment
1942 (early July):
Southern Command
- 2nd Btn, Devonshire Rgt
- 1st Btn, Dorsetshire Rgt
- 1st Btn, Hampshire Rgt
- 3rd Btn, Kings Own Malta Rgt
3 KOMR defended Wied iz-Zurrieq and the perimeters of Luqa, Hal Far, Krendli.
Northern Command
- 8th Btn, Manchester Rgt
- 2nd Btn, Royal Irish Fusiliers (Princess Victoria's) Rgt
- 1st Btn, Kings Own Malta Rgt
- 2nd Btn, Kings Own Malta Rgt
1 KOMR defended the areas north of Bajda Ridge, Mellieha Ridge, Mellieha Bay, Marfa Ridge.
2 KOMR defended Ghajn Tuffieha, Gnejna, St. Paul's Bay, Bugibba, Bahar ic-Caghaq.
Central Command
- 2nd Btn, Queen's Own Royal West Kent Rgt
(D Coy was part of the Northern Command at some unspecified time)
- 11th Btn, Lancashire Fusiliers
- 10th Btn, Kings Own Malta Rgt
- 1st Btn, Cheshire Rgt
- Military Police Coy
1 Chesire was an MG battalion with 3 coys x 3 platoons x 4 Vickers MG, plus 4th company x 4 platoons x 4 4.2" mortars (after Niehorster).
Western Command
- 4th Btn, The Buffs (Royal East Kent Rgt)
- 1st Btn, Durham Light Infantry
- 8th Btn, Kings Own Royal Rgt
TANK
1st Independent Troop, 44th Royal Tank Rgt, composed of:
- detachment of 7th Royal Tank Regt (4x Matilda II)
- detachment of 3rd (King's Own) Hussars (2x Vickers VIc)
ARTILLERY ETC.
1939 (with evolution => 1942):
16th Fortress Company RE
24th Fortress Company RE
4th H Rgt (6th, 10th, 23rd H Bty) RA => 4th Coast Rgt (6th, 10th Coast Bty) RA
7th HAA Rgt (10th, 13th HAA Bty) RA
26th AT Rgt (15th, 40th, 48th, 71st AT Bty) RA => 26th Defence Rgt (15th/40, 48th/71st Def Bty RA, 13th Def Bty RMA)
(1942: 30x 3.7" & 6" howitzers; 18-pdr guns according to HPS)
1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th H Bty, RMA => 1st H Rgt, RMA
5th, 6th HAA Bty, RMA (6th might have had Bofors, see below) => 2nd HAA Rgt, RMA (?)
7th Searchlight Bty, RMA => 4th Searchlight Rgt, RA/RMA (1942: 64 searchlights)
Additions 1940-42:
12th Field Rgt (1939: 6th/23rd, 49th/91st, ?th Fld Bty) RA (1942: 24x 25-pdr)
4th HAA Rgt (1939: 16th, 18th, 23rd HAA Bty) RA
10th HAA Rgt, RA
11th HAA Rgt, RMA
14th HAA (Relief) Bty, RMA
32nd LAA Rgt (1939: 55th, 98th, 103rd LAA Bty) RA
65th LAA Rgt, RA
74th LAA Rgt, RA
3rd LAA Rgt, RMA
225th LAA Bty, RA
ORGANIZATION OF THE COAST ARTILLERY
1) Outer Fire Command - 4th H / Coast Rgt RA
East coast:
- Fort Bingemma (1x 9.2" BL Mk X) - 1939: ?, 1942: 10th Coast Bty ?
- Fort Madalena (2x 9.2" BL Mk X) - 1939: ?, 1942: 10th Coast Bty ?
West coast:
- Fort San Leonardo (2x 9.2" BL Mk X) - 23rd H Bty until April 1942, then 6th Coast Bty
- Fort Benghisa (2x 9.2" BL Mk X) - 1939: ?, 1942: 6th Coast Bty ?
2) Inner Fire Command - 1st H Rgt RMA
- 1st Bty (East coast):
Fort Delimara (2x 6" BL Mk VII)
Fort San Rocco (3x 6" BL Mk VII)
- 2nd Bty (West coast):
Fort Tigne (3x 6" BL Mk VII)
Fort Campbell (2x 6" BL Mk VII)
- 3rd Bty (Center):
Fort St. Elmo (12x 6pdr 10cwt QF Mk I)
Fort Ricasoli (6x 6pdr 10cwt QF Mk I)
- 4th Bty: ?
(Maybe Fort Ricasoli ? Maybe converted to AA ?)
ORGANIZATION OF THE AA ARTILLERY
In september 1939 there were 34 HAA guns and 8 Bofors.
At some unspecified time during 1942 there were 112 HAA guns in 29 troops (27 x 4 + 2 x 2):
3" 20cwt - 3 troops x 4, 2 troops x 2, total 16
3.7" - 21 troops x 4, total 84
4.5" - 3 troops x 4, total 12 (1st - Fort San Giacomo, 2nd - Spinola Battery, 3rd - ?)
According to "British Army in WW2, an organizational history" :
4th HAA Rgt RA - 16x 3.7"
7th HAA Rgt RA - 20x 3.7", 4x 3"
10th HAA Rgt RA - 4x 4.5", 16x 3.7", 4x 3"
2nd HAA Rgt RMA - 16x 3.7"
11th HAA Rgt RMA - 6x (8x ?) 4.5, 16x 3.7", 7x (8x ?) 3"
Parenthesis are my guesses to make the total right with the other source.
According to HPS, 2nd HAA Rgt RMA had 4th (old H ?) and 5th Bty, while 11th HA Rgt RMA had 11th and 12th Bty.
There were also 118 Bofors (at some unspecified time in 1942).
According to "British Army in WW2", each LAA Rgt on Malta had (or had to have) 36 Bofors (2 Bty x 3 Trp x 6 guns ?).
According to HPS, 3rd LAA Rgt RMA had 6th and 7th Bty."
It is amazing how the numbers build up. For example - 1 Coast Regt Royal Malta Artillery, controlling 1-4 Coast Batteries, had 30 officers and 964 other ranks in 1942 (with 96 seconded to 4th Coastal Regt RA)
There were a few more cruiser tanks around, referred to later in the thread.
Edit:- Then, in the event of a real invasion, think of the RAF ground personnel and RN shore personnel on the island who would have been handed a rifle and told to contribute to the defence. Maybe not trained infantry but more useful than sitting in bunkers doing nothing if they weren't going to be evacuated.