Malta Spitfire Aces

100 Pages·32.222 MB·English

by  Steve Nichols, Steve Nichols

Authorand profileartist
STEVE NICHOLShasbeen
anavid wartime aviationbuff,
artistand modellersince
childhood. Thisbookisthe
culmination ofmanyyears
rosearching theRAFinWorld
War2,and in particularits
involvementinthesiegeof
Malta.A memberofthe
BomberCommand Association
andtheEighthAirForce
HistoricalSociety,Steve
waswriter, illustratorand
historicalconsultantontwo
award-winningdocumentaries
ontheUnitedStatesEighth
ArmyAirForce. Hecurrently
livesinKansasCity,Missouri,
whereheteacheshighschool
historyandart,andalso
works asafreelance
illustrator/graphicdesigner.
Thisishisfirst book
forOsprey.
OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES· 83
Malta Spitfire Aces

SERIES EDITOR: TONY HOLMES
OSPREY AIRCRAFT OF THE ACES • 83
Malta 5 • fire Aces
OSPREY
PUBLISHING
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Coverartwork hI' Mark l'o,dl'lh",ail"
:\ircra(l I'rofile,andscaledrawing,IwStCVl' Nichul,
[ndL'x !'"/\lan l~ulIcr
Originated 111' l:nitnlCral,hi,
['rinll'dand hOllnd inChina dll'llugh J)ookhuild,.,.,
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pulledupbeneaththem.Inhis offagain,thistimetomeetaparty
words, 'Iletthefirstguyhaveit of20Bf109Fs.Beurlingwentaftera
full·outandcaughthiminthegas separatedrorteanddestroyedone,
tank.Downhewent.Istillhadtime withthesecondGermanfighter
forashotathisteammate,and creditedtohimasaprobable.
blewpiecesoffhiswingsandtail. TwodayslatertheCanadianace
Heflewoffinahurry,skiddingall destroyedyetanotherBf109F.Thus,
overthesky.Whathappenedto afternearlytwomonthsonthe
himGodknows.' island,hisscorenowstoodat16
SinceTakaliairfieldwasnow destroyed,oneprobablydestroyed
coveredin bombcraters,Beurling's andfourdamaged,surpassingthe
squadronlandedatnearbyLuqa. scoreofMalta'sprevious'aceof
Afterquicklyre·arming and aces'.Malayan-bornFitSgt'Paddy'
refuelling,theSpitfirestook SchadeofNo126Sqn.
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE 6
CHAPTER ONE
FIRST Bl,rZ 9
CHAPTER TWO
SPITFIRES INTO THE BREACH 13
CHAPTER THREE
BACK FROM THE BRINK 28
CHAPTER FOUR
DECEPTIVE LULL 50
CHAPTER FIVE
PfDfSrAl CONVOY AND
OCTOBER Bl,rz 64
CHAPTER SIX
AFTERMATH 80
APPENDICES 86
COLOUR PLATES COMMENTARY 90
BIBLIOGRAPHY 95
INDEX 96
~ PROLOGUE
o
a:::
a..
For 2') monlh, during [he d,trke,'1 daY' of \X1orld War 2, Ihe
kditcrr:111e,ln i,LlllLl of Malia cndured :1n uIHclmting siegc,
Cut-ofr, ,Ind alnJ(l>t wriltcn ofr. tvlalta cndured and smvivcd
despitl',111 mlck III thl' hi,tory of;leri:ll warEirl' Iherc ha, probably ncver
bccnaelmerlinkhClwccn acivilian popul:uion and iISaiI'dclences,
This aecounl f,lCusc, on [hc pan played hy Spid,re pilots and
squadrons in thc de.'pcr;l[l'defenceofidalia in 1942. In a rcpeat ofrhe
Ba[[lc ofthe Britain 111'0 ycars earlier, Ihe iconic Vickers-Supermarinc
tighteronccagain provcd to he thcdcciding(,(lor in Ihestruggle forair
suprcmacym'erastratcgictlh','ital island, r\11d ;ISill rill' Barrlcorr~rirain,
1'v1alta was defended Iw liler,tlly a handlld of I'ghtcr units that were
opposed hy anumericallysuperiorCIll'IllY rorce th;n thrcatcncd invasion
atalmostany liml'.
Unlikcin Ihc IlullcofBril;lin, howcver, Ihcoddsgreath' hvoured the
ThisspectacularaerialviewofMalta
Cerman and Italian units, the fight Iaslcd Illuch longer and the RAF
showsGrand HarbourandValettain
pilots ill\'olvcd endurl'd greater stress allli ph}'siClI hard,hip whcn Olll theforegroundandMarsaxlokkBay
of the cockpit. Indecd, vcteran RAF ace Sian Turtlcr, who was \X1ing inthedistance.HalFarairfieldwas
Commandcr Fll'ing;11Tabli in 1942,sUlllmcd up his Maltacxperiencc totherightofMarsaxlokkBay,and
inthisphotographitismarkedout
in justf'>LIr word.,- 'I[11';"ahaSlard,'
bythesolitarywhiteclouddirectly
Theislandol'ivlaliahadheen thcCl'lltrepicccofBritain\ strategic11;1\'al
aboveitIviaFrederickGaleaand
pbn For thc Meditcrr;lnean for aimosl accntury-and-a-halfprior 10 [he BrianCum
6
COlllnlenCCIllClllor\Xlorid \Xlar2, II pmscsscdaflrsr rarcdcep-walerP0rl "
:IJ
in thc li>rln orCl'and Ilarhour thaI provilkd a sraging POSl (or vcs,,,ls o
r
hcadinglO BriIish lerrilOril'sin rhl'.\1iddk L.lstand bcvond, o
Gl
Howc\'cr, with thl' lkvclopl11cnl ofair power hctween Ihc wars, ami C
m
thc risc of Eiscislll in IIl'arhv Ital~', I\lalta appearcd 10 bl' cxposcd and
indel'cllSihkin till'huild upIII\"orld \XI;lr2, Indenl. IlluchOflhcBrili"h
governlllenl, ;Ind cspcci;dl)' Ihc t\ir Ministr)" werc rcady w wrile il off
The only dissenrillg voicc calnc rrolll Ihc Adlllir;dly, which plallned 10
upgradeIheisl.lnd'.;lkkncl",ThU,', Ihl'CoIII111illectllrIlllperial I)l,ll'nce
PUI inlo Illolioll ;l plall Ihal would illlprovc MalIa's abililv 10 f'cnd olf
anack frolll Ihe ;Iir, Central 10 lhis was rhe basing offour RAI: fighler
sLjuadrollS Oil Ihl' isbnd, ,IS wcll as Ihc inslallalion of 172 ;lI11i-airerart
gUliS, Work wasalsoslarlcdonallall-wealherairstripat I.Ulp, Budgelal'\'
COllSlrainlSLjuickl~' cUrlaikd IhecOl1ll11iuce'spbns,
On ,J Sl'plel11hl'l' I'i,l'i, whcn CrC;ll Brilain dccbrcd waron Ccrlllal1\'
foll()\ving Ihe laul'!' counlr),'s invasion or !'oland, Malra's delenees
consisled ofjusl Sl'VCU suhl11arincs, 12 Illowr lorpedo boars and a kw
IllillCSWel'pl'l'S,Therl' Wl'I'L' 110 R,\F Ilghrerson the island,Thc pOWl'l'or
Ihe Ilali;lll NI:f!.i'lAemllllli/ici/caSI ilssludow overMalr;1 frolll rhe norlh,
thus cOIl\'incing Ihl' Adllliralr)' Ihar Ihl' island was [()O vulnerahle lO,ICt
as hOllll' lilr Ihe I~ol';d Navy's Mcdilcrraneall Fkel. Ir was decided Ihal
il would h;I\'e 10operate frol11 Akxandria, in [gypI, leavingIhe \\'L'Slern
AirCdeFHMMaynardwasthe
Medill'rTanc;111 10 rhc French N;lV\', Ilowevcr, in Junc l'i40 Fr,lncc
RAF'sAOCMaltain1940-41,Born
signed ;In arl11islice wilh Cerl11,ln\', ,11ll1 till' I~rilish gO\'L'rnlllCIH haslih
andraisedinNewZealand,hehad
had10filllhcvacuul11 krl hylhcrcnlovaloflheFrenchfleer!'I'OIll rheare,l seenactioninWorldWar1asan
bv instrucling Force 'I-I' lO SOrlic inlo thl' ,\tlcdirerranean frolll ils basc engineerintheRoyalNavalDivision,
priortobeingcommissioned asa
in Cihrallar,
flightsub-lieutenantintheRoyal
The need flJl' lighler" 10 dell'nd r\tlalra had heen cspoulllkd hI' NavalAirService,Acareerofficer,
Adlll Sir Andrl'\\' Cunningh;lnl, COll1nLIllller-in-ChicrMedill'l'ralleall Maynardhadrisentotherank ofair
I:ket, and Ihe island would duly cOl11e 10 delll'lld on Adlll Sir J;llnes vice·marshalbythetimeheretired
fromtheRAFinlate1945Ivia
SOlllllll'l'villc\ Forcc 'II' liH ils protl'clion, Despirc [hc Clcili[il's cum
FrederickGaleaandBrian
providcd bv rhc I~oval 0)a\')', and thc panial cOllSrruClion of ['1'0
intersecling all-wc;uher airstrips at !.uLja, in addition 10 airfields ;11
T;lkali ;Ind ILd !'ar, Ihe RAF rClllailll,d relUClall! 10 hasc ils lighler
sqlladrollSoutsideIhe Unill'd I\ingdolll,
In April I')40, Air OUICCI' COIllIll;\nding (AOC) on .\Ial[a, Air Clle
FHMMa)'n;lrd,rcceived l,erl11i"ionlouse1')LII'er;lredSeaCbdiawrslhal
had been on!'laded on lhl' jsbnd rnlill Ihe ai[erafi carrier I-IMS Clonoll.'
earlier in Ihc vcar, Thcse lllachinl'S subscqul'llllv li)rllled [hl' basjs ol'lhe
Hal I:ar Fighler Flight. Olknsive capabililyal Ihis lillle was providcd b~'
Fairl')'Swordfishol'lhercccntlv1'>rIllt:dinO Naval AirSquadron,
On II June l'i40, kss Ihall sevcn hours ;dier Ital\' had decbred war
on Ihc Brilish COlllnHlnwl'allh, Icn Savoia-Marcheni SMJ'J bOlllhl'rs
sunied ag;lillSl Craml Ilarhour and Iloti Far air SIalion. Thc H,tI Far
Fighler Flighl's Sea Claelialors msc 10 inlLTCl'pI thelll, and so hl'gan ;1
2'J-nlOnlh ordl';11 lilr the YiO,OOO cilizen" or :\lalra, and Ihc Allied
servicl'lllcnwhoddl'nded Ihl'lll,
111 realilY, lhl' N(~~ili Afro/hill/ii'll pwved nOI 10 he as powerful ;IS il
had seeIIIcd "rl'-war, ;lllei Ihe Ilaklll Navy was also unable ro l)I'l'VClIl
lhe nlOVl'lllent of,\lliedc()nv()y~ill Ihc Mediterranean, Consequcntly,;1
sillall nUlllbLT orHritish tlghlers - initially a handful ofSea CladialOrs 7
w HurricaneIP3731IJ wasoneof12
=>
t!J Hawkerfightersflown toMaltafrom
o
theaircraf1carri rHMS Argusaspart
-'
o ofOperation Hurryon2August1940,
cc
CL Itwassubsequentlyflown ona
regularbasisbyMaltaaceSgtFred
Robertson- heclaimedhissixth
victoryiniton 19January1941,At
leasttwootheracesmadeclaimsin
theaircraf1aswell.Eventuallypassed
ontonewlyformedN0127Sqnat
Habbaniyah,inIraq,inJune1941,
P3731 wasshotdownbyaVichy
FrenchDewoitine0,520overDeir'
es-ZorIonthebanksoftheEuphrates
River)on3JulyIviaReBAshworth)
raken ()\'er by the RAF, and then Hurricanes, which arri"ed on 21 June
I~40- WCI"Cabletolimitrheairatt:lC'"on,\blt;lit,ell~a,wellasonAIIied
,hiPI,ingill local watn"
More Hurricull'S had hl'ell rec,'i,nl hy August, alld Ihe Fighter Flight
becamc No 261 S(I11, Alrhough rhc ChiefsorSlafrrecogllised dur M;llra
would plav a crucial role as an ullsillkable b;lse lor ;lircraFr tasked wilh
trackiIlgthe1ll0Vellll'IltorlheIrali;Ul Fleetallddi,rupriIlgr\,is,uppl\-lines
ro North Arl'ica, the rl'illllJrcemcllt ol'the islanlf, dck-nce, cOllrillucd ;Il
aslowpace,
Durillg this pnimL !?igitl Atril/llllilictl r;lids agaillSr (;r:lnd H'lrbour
alld rhe surmundillg airtields were desultory, and rhev hiled ro stop
I)rirish cOllvoys supplving Malla ill rhe ;1U[umll of 1940, Air ekllll'lllS
on rhe island 1l0W illcludl'd \,('c'llingtons, ,\LII'\'lan(b, SUllderiallds and
Swordllsh, although thl' air dck-Ilc,' ,till consisled orjusr 0:0 261 Sqn
alld irs 15 HUITictne"
III No\'ember, rhl' Marylan,J, pla"ed a kev role in reconlloirrillg rhl'
Iralian BanleI:leelarTaralllObdl)J'Crhc FlccrAirArm'sfamoussrrikeon
the Ilightol'the IIrh, Despitc rhisSliccess, rheoverall combilled air;llld
seaoffemivc in the MedilelTanean dl'SITl)\'ed olll\' 2,3 percent orJuliall
>LIpplie'beillg,elltto North Arrica,
The 13riri"h had r<:;I,OIl Il)roptimi,m for Malr;I'ssur\'ival at ycar-elld,
Thi, wa, to challge, howe\,er, illl'arly j')41 with the arri\'al of(;erlllall
forces ill the.\1editerralle:lIl,
'Faith,'Hope'and'Charity'
undoubtedlythemostfamousof
allGladiators,evenifthelegendis
moremyththanfact,Thesethree
SeaGladiatorsoftheHalFarFighter
Flight,photographedhereinJune
1940,areN5520(whichsurvivesto
thisday),N5531 andN5519
8 IviaJPickering)