Air Campaign 004 - Malta 1940-1942. The Axis’ Air Battle for MTO Supremacy COMP.pdf

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A I R C A M PA I G N

MALTA 1940–42

The Axis’ air battle for Mediterranean supremacy

RYAN K. NOPPEN |

I L LU S T R AT E D B Y G R A H A M T U R N E R

OSPREY

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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This electronic edition published in 2018 by Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

First published in Great Britain in 2018

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ISBN: PB 9781472820600

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3D BEVs by The Black Spot

Diagrams by Adam Tooby

Index by Alan Rutter

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Reference guide

Regia Aeronautica Organization:

Sezione

– four fighters, or three bomber or

other types of aircraft, depending on the

type of unit; basic Regia Aeronautica

tactical combat unit

Squadriglia

– three Sezione

Gruppo

– three Squadriglie of fighters, two

Squadriglie of bombers or other aircraft

Stormo

– two Gruppi

Brigata Aerea

– two Stormi

Divisione Aerea

– three Stormi

Squadra Aerea

– two or three Divisione

Aerea or Brigata Aerea covering a specific

territory

Regia Aeronautica Abbreviations and Terms:

C.T. –

Caccia Terrestre,

or land based

fighters

B.T. –

Bombardamento Terrestre,

or land

based bombers

B.a.T. –

Bombardamento a Tuffo,

or dive

bombers

R.S.T. –

Ricongnizione Strategica Terrestre,

or land based strategic reconnaissance

A.S. or Sil. –

Aerosiluranti,

or torpedo

aircraft

Luftwaffe Organization:

Rotte

– two fighters (leader and wingman);

basic Luftwaffe fighter tactical combat unit

Kette

– three bombers; basic Luftwaffe

bomber tactical combat unit

Schwarm

– two Rotten of fighters

Staffel

– three Schwärme or Ketten

Gruppe

– three Staffeln

Geschwader

– three to four Gruppen

Fliegerkorps

– several Geschwadern; basic

Luftwaffe operational combat unit

Luftflotte

– one or more Fliegerkorps

Luftwaffe Abbreviations and Terms:

JG –

Jagdgeschwader,

or fighter wing

ZG -

Zerstörergeschwader,

or heavy fighter

wing

KG –

Kampfgeschwader,

or bomber wing

StG –

Sturzkampfgeschwader,

or dive

bomber wing

LG –

Lehrgeschwader,

or experimental/

instructional wing

TG –

Transportgeschwader,

or transport

wing

Aufkl.Gr. –

Aufklärungsgruppe,

reconnaissance group

Author’s note

The focus of this text is upon the Regia

Aeronautica’s and Luftwaffe’s air campaign

to impose a state of aerial denial upon the

Royal Air Force on the island of Malta

through the neutralization of its aircraft

and aerial infrastructure. Regia Aeronautica

and Luftwaffe interdiction efforts against

British Mediterranean shipping and convoys

are treated as a separate air campaign and

are not examined in this text

A I R

C A M P A I G N

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

CHRONOLOGY

ATTACKERS’ CAPABILITIES 1940

DEFENDERS’ CAPABILITIES 1940

CAMPAIGN OBJECTIVES

THE 1940 CAMPAIGN

ATTACKERS’ CAPABILITIES 1941–42

THE 1941–42 CAMPAIGNS

ANALYSIS

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

Aerial view of Valletta and

Malta’s Grand Harbour

from 1938. Note the

large concentration of

Royal Navy capital ships

and the floating dock,

all tempting targets to

Mussolini who hoped to

displace British influence

in the Mediterranean.

(NARA)

In the late 19th century, the Mediterranean became the naval linchpin of the British Empire,

connecting India and the Far East to the British Isles. At the centre of the Mediterranean

lay the island of Malta, home of the Royal Navy’s largest squadron outside British home

waters, the Mediterranean Fleet. By the early 20th century, Malta’s Royal Navy Dockyard

possessed the most extensive docking and repair facilities outside the British Isles. At the

time, Britain’s expanding naval facilities in the Far East did not have graving docks capable

of accommodating the Royal Navy’s larger capital ships, leaving Malta as the closest

fully-equipped naval base. As Malta was ten days’ sailing time from Britain, warships were

ten days closer to the Far East, making Malta an ideal base for forward deployment.

The Royal Navy had paid little attention to the defence of Malta, let alone the

Mediterranean, in the years between the wars. After all Britain remained allied to the two

largest Mediterranean naval powers, France and Italy. Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s

however, Italy’s

Duce,

Benito Mussolini, who had become Prime Minister in 1922, became

increasingly discontent with the territorial status quo in the Mediterranean and sought

to expand the boundaries of his fascist state.

Beginning in 1926, Mussolini confided to his military leaders that it was his desire to

have free access to the oceans. He had decided to breathe new life into the concept of

Mare Nostrum,

championed in the previous generation by imperialists Francesco Crispi and

Gabriele D’Annunzio. At first Mussolini looked to expand Italian territory in the Balkans

and Africa but he came to realize, and increasingly told his generals and admirals so, that

Italian hegemony in the Mediterranean could only be achieved by eventual conflict with

France and Britain. A window of opportunity to act upon these designs came nine years later

in 1935, when Adolf Hitler publically announced his programme of German rearmament.

As the attention of France and Great Britain was drawn towards the unexpected threat of a

militarily resurgent Germany, Mussolini believed the time had come to test the resolve of

the great powers. Italian leaders had long had designs on Abyssinia, adjacent to the Italian

colony of Somaliland. Using a border incident between Abyssinian troops and Italian askaris

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