Located at a strategic point in the Mediterranean between Sicily and Tunisia, the island of Malta, sometimes called "Rommel's nightmare" (Wing Master; African theatre), was decisive for the British during the Second World War.
The siege began when Italy declared war on a dying France and Britain. The British had installed radar as early as 1939. Three Gloster Gladiator biplanes, "Faith", "Hope" and "Charity", were in place to protect the island from the fascist threat. The air raids began quickly ending the demonstrations of peace and sympathy towards the Italian neighbor.
The island was used by British intelligence to prepare the attack on Taranto using reconnaissance aircraft.
In 1941 another enemy attacked the island:the swastika. Rommel and the Afrika Korps helped Italy in dire straits on the African front. This changed the game. But there was a grain of sand in the Axis supply system:the British reinforcing themselves on the island were effectively attacking the enemy supply convoys (see Fire from the sky by Pierre Clostermann). The bombardment of the island intensified. The British increased the number of fighters on the island, whose RAF pilots ardently defended the installations. The supply of the island was done in terrible conditions. As in 1942, 800 German-Italian planes attacked the tankers of Operation Pedestal. The aircraft carrier Eagle was torpedoed by a U-boat, out of about fifteen ships, only about 5 managed to supply the island, including a tanker, terribly damaged, which was towed towards the bay of Saint-Paul under the bombs. The fuel was essential for the planes defending the island and for the bombers. The Axis, despite more than 1700 air raids on the island (more tons of bombs fell on this island than during the entire Battle of Britain), never made the Maltese population relent. A medal was awarded by George V for the courage and determination of the inhabitants of the Maltese fortress.
In 1943 after Rommel's flight from Tunisia and the decline of Italy and then its capitulation (of 1943), the Maltese had the honor of seeing the Italian fleet defeated in their ports, this fleet which had been threatening them for 3 years .
Tribute to the people of Malta who suffered from hunger, bombardments, the risk of invasion and so many other dangers, who perpetuate the tradition of an island in the heart of the Mediterranean and of History