Jan '41: Third Battle of Malta
ITALY NAVAL INTELLEGENCE: Intelligence on Royal Navy research is as follows:
Light Aircraft Practical 28
Naval Combat Experience 23
Air Combat Experience 22
Capitol Ship Practical 18
Naval Engineering: 19
The British are currently researching:
Light Cruiser Escort Role (positioning)
Nav Tactics (Port Strike, Naval Strike)
Nav Strike Tactics
Aircraft Carrier Engine
Aircraft Carrier Hangar
Aircraft Carrier AA
Italian research at this time is*:
Destroyer AA 5
Medium Bomb 2
Air Launched Torpedo 2
Aero Engine 2
Small Aircraft Armament 2
Advanced Aircraft Design
Destroyer Crew Training 2 (DD org, moral)
Cruiser Crew Training 2 (CA org, moral)
Battleship Crew Training 2 (BB org, moral)
Fighter Pilot Training 3 (INT org)
Nav Port Strike 3 (port strike efficiency)
Nav Air Targeting 3 (NAV bombing target chance)
* Note: all but 2.5 leadership is currently diverted to officer training, which will take about another month to complete.
OPERATION SWORDFISH—3d Battle of Malta: With the successful landing at Tel Aviv, British forces were rushed eastward to defend the Suez Canal leaving Tobruk to fall to advancing Italian Infantry under Gen. Messe. Meanwhile General Fratini (lvl 4) was promoted to Field Marshal and given command of Army Group Cyprus, which is HQ for all Axis forces east of the Suez. By mid-February AG Cyprus was successful in capturing both Iraq and the Sinai peninsula including the eastern shore of the Suez Canal.
Thus, the stage was set for the diversionary attack on Malta to be followed by an invasion of Egypt at Alexandria. All Italian battleship groups had been deployed to their staging areas in Benghazi, Tripoli, and Palermo, and were ready for action. Four groups of interceptors were in position at Palermo and Tripoli to provide air superiority, while one naval bombing wing and two CAS wings were available for bombing missions from Sicily. A tactical bombing group and one naval bombing wing was available from Toranto for port bombing if needed.
Everything was ready to go by January 1 except the make-shift invasion flotilla, which was still in route to Toranto following troop transport duty. All ships and planes were then on station by mid-January awaiting on orders to proceed when the British struck first!
The 3d Battle of Malta began with the British fleet invading N. Africa in a bid to cut Italian forces off from their base of supply. So, it would be the Royal Navy starting the battle on the defensive, giving the Italian navy the option to choose the best time to strike.
(above--top) Royal Navy invasion fleet under Commander Summerville supporting a landing at Misurata while CAS bombers under Balbo attempt to sink the transports.
(above—bottom). British CAGs from Eagle and one other carrier in the region are jumped by interceptors from Polarmo.
(above) Italy begins day/night air superiority over the region, but only daylight bombing. RN CAGs are fairly depleted after a few days of action, and the 9th CAG is eliminated entirely.
(above--top) After nearly a week of air operations Commander Zara and three battleship groups converge on the West Central Mediterranean Sea from different directions, thus beginning the sea-phase of the battle for Malta. Note Zara easily gets positioning advantage over Rear Admiral Sommerville's invasion flotilla.
After a day of fighting the Italian fleet gets reenforcements while the British have lost roughly half their fleet. The Summerville is forced to retreat to the harbor of Malta, which is now at the mercy of Italian bombers from Toranto.
(above-top) Royal Navy relief force unexpectedly arrives to engage Adm. Zara's task group, which is making preparations to invade Malta. Cunningham quickly gets positioning advantage over the Italian fleet and sinks several ships.
(above—bottom) A few British ships trying to make a run for it are sunk, or forced to retreat back to Malta.
(above) As Malta is occupied by the Italians, three (3) carriers make a run for it (white arrows), are bombed from the air, but still manage to escape.
OPERATION SWORDFISH—Battle for Alexandria: As the Royal Navay is otherwise engaged at Malta, amphibious troops from Tel Aviv plan to make a landing in Egypt.
(above) Submarines and Tac bombers from Crete survey the Egyptian coastline and search for enemy ships at Alexandria. No ships in sight, and the British army is streaming eastward to defend the Suez Canal. A landing at El Hammam would both cut-off supplies to the British at Tobruk, and threaten Alexandria. The only British in the vicinity of the beaches are headquarter units.
(above) Bruce-Frazer's fast carrier group arrives from Malta, but his CAGs are all but depleted and retires almost immediately in the face of a well-armed invasion task group. Italian troops make it onto the beaches west of Alexandria with minimal resistance.
(above) As Alexandria falls, the Italian Desert Corps makes an end-run around British defenders along the coast (red arrows), sealing their fate. Air transports from Bengazhi are used to make timely air drops of supplies to keep the army moving forward.
(above) The battle for the Suez Canal rages during the month of March. Two corps of Italian light and mobile infantry off-load at the Port of Alexandria and battle their way eastwards to the Suez Canal. The British Army, disorganized and cut into pieces, is eventually forced to retreat southwards away from the coast. With no hope for re-supply or re-enforcement, the British army is defeated.
NAVAL BALANCE OF POWER IN THE MEDITERRANEAN:
(above) The 3d Battle of Malta proved a decisive victory for the Italian navy. The strategic fortification was captured, and Italy sunk three (3) battleships, two (2) cruisers, and two (2) light cruisers in the process. Italian losses were just one battleship and one cruiser.
As the numbers (top) seem to reveal, the surface fleets on both sides are doing most of the damage. British CAGs are responsible for sinking destroyers, while Italian bombers seem to do best against transport ships. Air power played a role in softening-up the enemy fleet, but it was the big guns of the surface ships that finished the job.
Note: prior sinkings are struck-out: Red for British KIA and Green for Italian KIA
Next Time: Invasion of Red Sea.