spent two hours rescuing them. Hill wrote: 'I cannot speak too highly of the sheer guts of these men. They were singing and encouraging each other and, as I went through them explaining that I must get the ones nearest the flames first, I received cheerful answers of 'That's all right, sir. Go and get the other chaps...' The whole story is told in meticulous detail by Brian Crabb in a new book, which came out a few months ago, Operation Pedestal: The Story of Convoy WS21S. and prepared a new convoy operation from Gibraltar, with an unprecedented number of escorts using ships taken from the Far East and from the Home Fleet, which had vessels to spare since the suspension of Arctic convoys, following the Convoy PQ 17 disaster. [10] Axis command [ edit ] This book reveals the true story of Operation 'Pedestal', the convoy to relieve the desperate plight of Malta in August 1942. Thirteen modern cargo ships and the new American oil tanker Ohio

In August 1942 operation 'Pedestal' was launched in a desperate last attempt to relieve the island. The largest, the most expensive and, possibly, the most important of all the Malta convoys. The consequences of failure can only be a matter of conjecture but there can be no doubt that General Montgomery and the 8th Army would have had a much tougher time at El Alamein later that year had Rommel been in possession of the many thousands of tons of supplies that were destroyed by Malta based aircraft and submarines in the September - October following 'Pedestal'.

Additional Resources About WW2 Armies

Wade, Frank (2005). A Midshipman's War: A Young Man in the Mediterranean Naval War, 1941–1943 (2nded.). Victoria, BC: Trafford. ISBN 978-1-4120-7069-0.

Admiral Arturo Riccardi mentioned the oil shortage and that in a few months Caucasian oil would be available. [31] Bronzo, Ascianghi, Alagi, Dessiè, Avorio, Dandolo, Emo, Cobalto ( sunk), Otaria, Axum, Asteria, Brin, Volframio, Granito, Dagabur ( sunk), Giada ( damaged), Uarsciek, Velella Shot down and killed, after shooting down a Ju88 just north of Malta, while flying Spitfire BR366 – 126 Squadron – 10 August 1942) Holland, James (2004). Fortress Malta: An Island Under Siege, 1940–1943. London: Cassell Military. ISBN 978-0-304-36654-5. But for Apprentice Gregson's gallant and determined action, undertaken with complete disregard of his personal safety, the injured man would have had little chance of survival.

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Carabott, Sarah (15 August 2022). "Looting of a convoy that stands testimony to the starvation of a nation". Times of Malta. Archived from the original on 15 August 2022. I have just finished reading your 'Operation Pedestal' book and must say what a great job you have done – much better than Peter Smith's book in my opinion. Co-incidentally I also had the June copy of ' Britain At War' magazine which includes the article 'Rough Justice' to hand – my brother and I share it and it had only recently been passed to me. This Court Martial of Captain Drew always rankled my Uncle, who was one of the torpedomen who set the scuttling charges and subsequently ended up in Vichy hands - he thought Drew been very unfairly treated. I seem to recollect that HMS Manchester The aircraft carrier HMS Victorious suffered eight fatal casualties, and all its air crew were lost in action. The ships took on board a grand total of 85,000 tons of cargo with each vessel being allocated a mixture of Malta’s vital needs, except kerosene and fuel oil. Flour formed the bulk of supplies, but petrol, aviation spirit in tins, shells and other explosives were present on all the ships. As the Axis campaign went on, the island was bombed mercilessly, and supplies of everything from food and fuel to medicines ran low.

was cheered through the streets of Trapani in Sicily for his exploits – and presented with a garland – in much the same way that the Maltese welcomed the battered Ohio

Object Details

On 5 January, the fast supply ship HMS Glengyle was escorted from Alexandria by 15th Cruiser Squadron (Force B, commanded by Rear Admiral Philip Vian, made up of Dido-class light cruisers Naiad, Dido, and Euryalus and the anti-aircraft cruiser HMS Carlisle) and six destroyers. The cruisers served as a bluff, in the absence of more heavily armed ships capable of challenging a sortie by the Regia Marina. [58] [c] Breconshire had sailed from Malta on 6 January escorted by four destroyers of Force C; the two forces met on 7 January and Force C with Glengyle reached Malta on 8 January, Force B with Breconshire arriving at Alexandria the next day. [60] Operation MF 3 [ edit ] He, for many years, remained something of an unsung hero for his part in the convoy, but since his story first came to light a decade or so ago, a street has been renamed in his honour in his native Vittoriosa.