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The Malta convoys were Allied supply convoys of the Second World War.The convoys took place during the Siege of Malta in the Mediterranean Theatre. Malta was a base from which British sea and air forces could attack ships carrying supplies from Europe to Italian Libya.
Malta was a base for air, sea and submarine operations against Axis supply convoys and from 1 June to 31 October 1941, British forces sank about 220,000 long tons (220,000 t) of Axis shipping on the African convoy routes, 94,000 long tons (96,000 t) by the navy and 115,000 long tons (117,000 t) by the Royal Air Force (RAF) and Fleet Air Arm (FAA).
In the autumn of 1942, the British regained control of the central Mediterranean, through the combined effects of the survival of Malta, brought about by the success of Operation Pedestal (3–15 August 1942) and Operation Stoneage (16–20 November), the Second Battle of Alamein (23 October – 11 November) in Egypt and Operation Torch (8–16 November) the Allied invasion of French North Africa.
Right after the engagement, which pushed the British convoy too far south of their route, Gallant struck a naval mine at 08:35. [8] Mohawk took Gallant in tow toward Malta while the Force B cruisers provided protection from air attacks. [5] Convoys MC 4 and MW 5 arrived at Malta and convoy ME 6 departed for Alexandria. [3]
As Malta was running short of supplies, Convoy MW 10 sailed from Alexandria on 21 March. [2] The convoy was the subject of a half-hearted attack by the Italian Fleet; the Italians intercepted the convoy and inflicted much damage on several escorts in the Second Battle of Sirte but the weaker British force fended off the Italian squadron.
The main assault convoy was scheduled to begin landing on Malta just before midnight on the first day, after the airborne forces had landed in the afternoon and secured the heights above the beaches. The bulk of the first-wave assault troops would come from the 20th Infantry Division "Friuli" (10,000 men) and the 4th Infantry Division "Livorno ...
Bombers from Malta and Cyrenaica missed the convoy and Force K in Malta remained in port. [11] The convoy arrived on 5 January, a notable Axis success; British submarine attacks on the convoy on its return journey failed. On 22 January, Operazione T18, another battleship convoy, got four of five ships to Tripoli.
Operation Vigorous (known in Italy as Battaglia di mezzo giugno 1942, "the Battle of mid-June 1942") was a British operation during the Second World War, to escort supply Convoy MW 11 from the eastern Mediterranean to Malta, which took place from 11 to 16 June 1942.