Operation Pedestal/Max Hastings
Pursuing my interest in the lesser known theatres of war in World War Two I read Max Hastings’ account of the fleet that battled to Malta in 1942 with great interest and enjoyment as it’s well researched and most readable.
After significant defeats at Singapore and Tobruk in 1942, Winston Churchill was concerned to recover the momentum by safeguarding Malta though it was more a question of morale than strategy.
Malta was subjected to bombing more intense than the Blitz but survived it for which the whole gallant island was awarded the George Cross.
However after that the island was deprived of food and fuel so the largest fleet ever assembled since the Armada was mobilised to protect a convoy.
It was an operation fraught with risk.
The fleet had to sail close to Sicily where Italian Torpedo boats, submarines and aircraft lay in waiting and by the coast of North Africa where the Luftwaffe could utilise bases.
There was also the risk of committing so many Royal Navy capital ships. A further danger arose as the Vichy government in Tunisia was by no means neutral – at one point using a search light to identify the fleet for Axis bombers.
Notwithstanding such perils the fleet set forth’s under Admiral Neville Syfelt.
The most intense attack from sea and air came between August 12th and 14th 1942.
Purely by luck a U-boat under the command of Hernan Rosenblum happened to chance upon HMS Eagle in its sights and promptly torpedoed the craft.
Other casualties followed as until the convoy came within the waters of Malta no air cover was provided.
There were extraordinary acts of courage like Captain Roger Hill of HMS Ledbury who defied orders to go through fire to collect casualties from HMS Manchester.
The most damaged boat of all was the American tanker SS Ohio that was all but sinking but trawled in by ropes from supporting vessels into Grand Harbour Vallettta to cheering crowds.
Both the Allies and the Axis powers made serious errors.
Communication between Allied ships was often haphazard and inaccurate. To preserve ships the decision was made by the Royal Navy to return to Gibraltar and not to protect the convoy.
The Italian fleet – the largest in the Mediterranean – based in Messina never engaged which exasperated the German High Command.
Although the Nazis had accurate intelligence based on intercepts and observation by a Vichy aviator in a flying boat who was later shot down, protesting vehemently his neutrality had not been observed, the view persisted that the convoy was heading to North Africa to attack Rommel’s Afrika Korps.
Thus the Luftwaffe in shielding North Africa was never fully deployed.
Both sides claimed victory but Malta was relieved.
Later in 1942 Rommel’s army was booted out of Africa, the Allied landing in North Africa under Operation Torch took place and the Wehrmacht sustained grievous casualties on the Eastern Front.
The tide of the war had been reversed.
This account is well worth reading by historians and non-historians alike.
Hastings places the operation in its military context, gives graphic description of life aboard the fleet and a blow by blow account of the key engagements. Maps, a glossary and photographs all assist the reader.
