The Grand Alliance (14 page)

O.S. Committee

The effective arrival of German aviation in Sicily may
be the beginning of evil developments in the Central
Mediterranean. The successful dive-bombing attacks
upon Illustrious and the two cruisers show the need for
having these ships fitted with aerial mine-throwers. I do
not know why Illustrious could not have had a couple.

The improved naval pattern of aerial mine should be
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pressed on with to the utmost. The need for high-speed
aircraft to catch dive-bombers out at sea seems very
great. Surely we ought to try to put half a dozen Grummans on Formidable before she goes into the Mediterranean.

2. I am very apprehensive of the Germans establishing themselves in Pantelleria, in which case with a
strong force of dive-bombers they will close the Narrows. I fear this may be another example of the adage

“A stitch in time saves nine.”

3. It is necessary now that “Workshop” should be
reviewed. It has become far more urgent, and also at
the same time more difficult, and once the Germans are
installed there it will become more difficult still. I should
be glad if revised and perfected plans could be ready
by today week. Plans should also be made to find an
opportunity at the earliest moment. The question of
whether to try it or not can only be settled after these
matters of method and timing have been satisfactorily
disposed of.

4. I remain completely of opinion that “Workshop” is
cardinal.

All agreements were obtained, but with our other affairs we could not meet the date at the end of January at which we had aimed. At a conference at Chequers on the morning of January 18, I agreed with the First Sea Lord and the other Chiefs of Staff to put it off for a month. I think I could have turned the decision the other way, but, like the others, I was constrained by the pressure of larger business, and also by talk about the commandos not being yet fully trained.

Keyes, who was not present, was bitterly disappointed. The delay proved fatal to the plan. Long before the month had passed, the German Air Force arrived in Sicily, and all wore a very different complexion. There is no doubt about the value of the prize we did not gain. Had we been in occupation of Pantelleria in 1942 many fine ships that were lost in our convoys, which we then fought through to Malta,

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might have been saved, and the enemy communications with Tripoli still further impaired. On the other hand, we might well have been overpowered by German air attack, lost our vantage, and complicated our defence of Malta in the interval.

I felt acutely the need of Pantelleria. But our hour had passed. Too much was upon us from many quarters. It was not till May, 1943, after the destruction of the German and Italian armies in Tunis, that, under a heavy bombardment, Pantelleria was taken by a British landing force at the order of General Eisenhower. We were then all-powerful in this theatre, and though the task was deemed very serious beforehand there was no loss.

Our first serious naval encounter with the German Air Force occurred on January 10. The Fleet was engaged in covering a series of important movements, including the passage of a convoy through the Central Mediterranean from the west, the replenishment of Malta from the east, and various minor chipping movements to Greece. Early that morning the destroyer
Gallant
was mined in the Malta Channel while attending on the battle fleet. Presently shadowing aircraft appeared, and in the afternoon the severe attack of the German bombers began. Their efforts were concentrated on the new carrier
Illustrious,
under Captain Boyd, and in three attacks she was hit six times with big bombs. Heavily damaged and on fire, with eighty-three killed and sixty seriously wounded, she successfully fought back, thanks to her armoured deck, and her aircraft destroyed at least five assailants. That night, under increasing air attack, and with disabled steering gear, Captain Boyd brought the
Illustrious
into Malta.

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During the night Admiral Cunningham with the battle fleet escorted the east-bound convoy south of Malta unmolested. The next day the cruisers
Southampton
and
Gloucester,
by then well to the east of Malta, were hit by dive-bombers approaching unobserved down sun. The
Gloucester
was only slightly damaged by a bomb which failed to explode, but the
Southampton
was struck in the engine-room. A fire started which could not be controlled, and the ship had to be abandoned and was sunk. Thus, although the convoys passed on safely to their destinations the cost to the Fleet was heavy.

The Germans realised the desperate position of the wounded
Illustrious
in Malta, and made determined efforts to destroy her. However, our air power in the island had already grown, and nineteen enemy planes were shot down in a single day during the contest. In spite of further hits while in the dockyard, the
Illustrious
was made capable of sailing on the evening of January 23. The enemy, seeing she was gone, tried hard to find her, but she reached Alexandria safely two days later.

By this time no fewer than two hundred and fifty German aircraft were working from Sicily. Malta was attacked fifty-eight times in January, and thereafter till the end of May three or four times daily with only brief respites. But our resources mounted. Between April and June, 1941, Admiral Somerville’s Force H ferried six considerable nights to within flying distance of Malta, and two hundred and twenty-four Hurricanes, together with a few of other kinds, reached the battle scene from the west. Supplies and reinforcements also got through from the east. By June the first fierce onslaught had been repulsed, and by the skin of its teeth the island survived. Its main ordeal was reserved for 1942.

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In General Dobbie Malta found a governor of outstanding character who inspired all ranks and classes, military and civil, with his own determination. He was a soldier who in fighting leadership and religious zeal recalled memories of General Gordon, and, looking farther back, of the Ironsides and Covenanters of the past.

Prime

Minister

to

21 Jan. 41

General

Dobbie,

Malta

I send you, on behalf of the War Cabinet, our
heartfelt congratulations upon the magnificent and ever-memorable defence which your heroic garrison and
citizens, aided by the Navy and above all by the Royal
Air Force, are making against Italian and German
attacks. The eyes of all Britain, and indeed of the whole
British Empire, are watching Malta in her struggle day
by day, and we are sure that success as well as glory
will reward your efforts.

Amid the stresses of the ever-expanding scale of events in the Mediterranean we tried to find means of bringing the war to the Italian mainland. The morale of the Italian people was said to be low, and a blow here would depress them still more and bring closer the collapse which we desired.

On February 9, Admiral Somerville carried out a daring and successful raid on the port of Genoa. Force H, comprising the
Renown, Malaya,
and
Sheffield,
appeared off the town and subjected it to heavy bombardment for half an hour. At the same time aircraft from the
Ark Royal
bombed Leghorn and Pisa and laid mines off Spezia. Complete surprise was achieved, and the only opposition from the shore batteries at Genoa was slight and wholly ineffective. Much damage

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was done to port installations and shipping. Aided by low clouds, Admiral Somerville’s ships withdrew, successfully evading interference from the enemy fleet, which was searching for them west of Sardinia.

The reinforcement of Malta, now that the Germans were taking an interest in the Mediterranean, was urgent.

Prime

Minister

to

6 Feb. 41

General Ismay, for C.

O.S. Committee

Although of course the difficulties of [the enemy]

assaulting Malta are enormously increased by the
British fuelling base in Suda Bay, nevertheless I shall
be glad to see a second battalion sent there at the
earliest opportunity, making seven British battalions in
all. Considering that in view of the Italian rout there
should be no great difficulty in sparing this seventh
battalion from Egypt, and that the trouble is carrying
them there by the Fleet, one must ask whether it is not
as easy to carry two as it is to carry one. It seems a pity
to let the baker’s cart go with only one loaf, when the
journey is so expensive and the load available, and it
might as easily carry two. Pray consider this. But no
delay.

By the beginning of April we were able to intensify our attacks on enemy shipping feeding Rommel’s forces in Libya. In this British submarines operating from Malta played a leading part, and the scale of their activities and successes mounted steadily. In this sphere Lieutenant-Commander Malcolm Wanklyn was outstanding, and his exploits later earned him the Victoria Cross. The following year he was lost with his ship, the
Upholder,
but his example lived among those who carried on his work.

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On April 10 a striking force of four destroyers under Captain Mack in the
Jervis
was sent to Malta to operate against enemy convoys. Within a week they achieved a spectacular success. On a night of bright moonlight they encountered a convoy of five southbound ships with an escort of three destroyers. All were annihilated in a general scrimmage at close range. Our destroyer
Mohawk
was also torpedoed and had to be sunk, but her captain and most of her crew were saved. In this action alone 14,000 tons of enemy shipping fully loaded with vital war materials was destroyed.