The siege of Malta during World War II is one of the great epics of aerial warfare. Described in 1942 as both a ‘fighter pilot’s paradise’ and ‘the most bombed place on earth’, Malta suffered 154 consecutive days and nights of bombing, 100 nights more that London suffered during the Blitz. The destruction of Axis convoys by Malta-based aircraft proved to be one of the decisive factors in the defeat of Rommel’s forces in North Africa. This vital position would have been lost if it had not been for the successful defence of the island by a handful of greatly outnumbered Royal Air Force fighter squadrons. This book details the heroic story of the Spitfire Aces based on Malta. Drawn from an international team of Australians, British, Canadians, New Zealanders, Rhodesians and South Africans these pilots fought against extreme deprivation, physical hardships and overwhelming odds in one of the most crucial and decisive air battles of World War II.
Contents
Chapter 1 Malta assumes a role of major importance in World War 2
Chapter 2 US Navy aircraft carrier USS Wasp delivers 46 Spitfires and Nos 601 and 603 Sqns to Malta on 20 April 1942
Chapter 3 Operation Pedestal delivers desperately needed supplies to the island
Chapter 4 The Axis Air Forces make a last bid for air supremacy over
Chapter 5 Short career summaries of the leading Spitfire aces on Malta
Appendices
Paperback; September 2008; 96 pages; ISBN: 9781846033056