In the first years of World War II, Malta was stranded in the center of the Mediterranean—yet managed to keep a German invasion at bay for more than three years.

In August 1942, the British-held island of Malta in the central Mediterranean Sea faced a severe supply crisis. The island was cut off from the rest of the United Kingdom by hostile geography; it was surrounded by the Italian island of Sicily, a mere 60 miles to the north, and Axis-occupied Tunisia and Libya to the west and south—with the only friendly territory nearby being British-held Egypt, hundreds of miles to the east.

At the start of World War II, the British made the monumental decision to attempt to hold Malta in spite of these hurdles. With German and Italian aircraft and submarines devastating Allied convoys to the island, Malta suffered from shortages of food, fuel, ammunition, and aviation gasoline throughout the war’s early years—with the civilian population bearing the brunt of these shortages. To prevent the island from falling into complete obsolescence, the British launched “Operation Pedestal,” a heavily escorted convoy that became one of the most fiercely contested convoy battles of World War II.

Why Did the British Want to Defend Malta So Badly?

Why did the British want to defend an 120-square-mile island located so deep in hostile territory? Malta’s greatest weakness—its position far behind enemy lines—was also what made it so valuable to the Allied powers. Occupying a critical position between Sicily and Africa, British submarines and aircraft operating from Malta could threaten and disrupt Axis shipping supplying German and Italian forces in Libya and Egypt. These attacks were a constant and painful drain on the fuel, ammunition, and reinforcements being sent to Erwin Rommel’s Afrika Korps.

The Axis powers understood the nature of this threat, and Axis forces tried to neutralize Malta through bombing, blockade, and the interruption of British supply convoys. The Luftwaffe conducted hundreds of air raids on Malta, bombing the island for 154 consecutive days and nights. From January to July 1942, there was only one 24-hour period when no bombs fell on the island. The Maltese people were forced to live in underground bunkers. Their stores of food, medical supplies, and ammunition ran dangerously low. Malta lost more than 10,000 buildings and 1,493 civilians. 

Still, Malta remained loyal to the United Kingdom and the Allies.

By the summer of 1942—after the Allies had decided that the next major offensive of the war would fall on North Africa, and the island’s interdiction role would become more important than ever—Malta’s offensive capabilities were at risk of total loss. Were the British to lose Malta outright as an operational base, it would have strengthened Axis logistics during the North African campaign.

To save the island, the British assembled a massive convoy, known as Operation Pedestal, which departed from British-held Gibraltar on August 3, 1942. Consisting of 14 merchant vessels, including the American-built oil tanker SS Ohio, escorts included three major Royal Navy aircraft carriers—HMS Victorious, Indomitable, and Eagle—and the battleships HMS Nelson and Rodney, plus numerous cruisers and destroyers.

In total, the force included roughly 50 warships, and the aircraft provided through the aircraft carriers. British commanders expected resistance from Italian submarines, German and Italian aircraft, and Italian motor torpedo boats; along with heavy casualties. But the supplies were deemed indispensable, and the convoy pressed forward regardless.

The British Task Force Ran the Axis Gauntlet

Getting to Malta from Gibraltar involved sailing through hundreds of miles of hostile waters, facing attacks on all sides by enemy ships and aircraft. On August 11, 1942, the German submarine U-73 struck the first major blow when it torpedoed the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, which sank in minutes. Days later, Axis aircraft and submarines launched repeated attacks as the convoy passed through the Mediterranean. Merchant vessels were sunk or disabled under the heavy onslaught. The carrier HMS Indomitable suffered serious flight-deck damage; the Italian submarine Axum torpedoed cruisers HMS Nigeria and Cairo and the tanker Ohio. 

Miraculously, the Ohio survived the torpedo strikes and made it to the island, carrying approximately 11,500 tons of vital fuel. By the end of the journey, the tanker had lost its propulsion and was in danger of sinking. It had to be towed to Malta. After it delivered its fuel stores, the Ohio never returned to active service.

Of the 14 merchant ships in the convoy, only five reached Malta, and the Royal Navy lost HMS Eagle, Cairo, Manchester, and Foresight. Hundreds of Allied sailors and airmen were killed on the vital mission. But the surviving ships delivered approximately 32,000 tons of supplies to the island, helping Malta survive its immediate crisis and eventually resume more effective offensive operations against Axis shipping. By November, Allied landings in North Africa and advances in Libya had lessened the pressure on the island—although it would remain a major target of Axis attacks until the fall of Sicily in August 1943. If Operation Pedestal had been a failure and Malta had fallen, the war could have turned out very differently.

Malta remained a British colony until 1964, when it secured its independence as a member of the Commonwealth. But one lasting remnant of its time in World War II remains. The island received the George Cross—analogous to the military’s Victoria Cross—for its gallantry during the siege, and features the honor in its red-and-white flag to this day.

About the Author: Harrison Kass

Harrison Kass is a writer and attorney focused on national security, technology, and political culture. His work has appeared in Tablet, City Journal, The Hill, The Spectator, and The Cipher Brief. He holds a JD from the University of Oregon and a master’s in Global & Joint Program Studies from NYU. More at harrisonkass.com.

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