The Siege of Malta in World War Two

Page 6 of 7

• 1. First siege
• 2. Force K
• 3. Second siege
• 4. Fighting back
• 5. Pedestal
• 6. Battle of attrition
• 7. Find out more
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Battle of attrition

Malta was now enabled to play a key role in the Mediterranean campaign. After the loss of the surface striking forces, its effect on Axis supply lines had been, at best, marginal. There were always more supplies at Tripoli than could be transported to German troops at the front. Indeed the effort put into supplying Malta was disproportionate.

As historian Correlli Barnett has argued, the island had become the Verdun of World War Two, drawing Allied forces into a debilitating battle of attrition. Having been awarded the George Cross as a propaganda gesture, the island of Malta could not be allowed to fall as Singapore had done. Indeed the North African campaign was being fought in 1942 as much to sustain Malta as vice versa.

'... Malta could not be allowed to fall as Singapore had done.'

Yet in the late summer of that year Malta probably did play a role of some significance. As Stephen Bungay has shown, its renewed air and submarine striking forces prevented Rommel from fully exploiting the sea port of Tobruk, thus neutralising it as a supply point for his troops at Alamein.

In this way, therefore, Malta eventually vindicated, at least to some extent, the effort put into preserving it as a base across Axis communications. And after the Allied victories in North Africa, late in 1942, to which the island had finally contributed, the long siege of Malta was raised at last.

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Published: 2004-06-02