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Malta had a civilian population of some 175,000 people, both Maltese and British. As a result of the bombing and siege, housing and food shortages developed. Malta was dependent on the British convoys delivering supplies. With the substantial British garrison, there was no way that the island could feed itself. Food rations were cut for the garrison. The civilians fared even worse. Civilians built whatever shelters they could piece together. Natural shelters were heavily used such as caves. People dug into the sandstone cliffs. Many lived in underground 'cubicles'. Schools along with other buildings were destroyed. Classes continued in the open air, but at carefully selected sites. The girls wore protective sun hats. News reel footage show well-drilled school children with their teachers accustomed to Axis bombing raids moving smartly in good order to nearby bomb shelters when the air-raid sirens went. It is difficult to imagine school children, especially the younger children, taking Axis air raids in their stride as part of the daily routine, but this is exactly what they did. Food shortages were much more difficult to address. One survivor recalls, "
I remember my father telling me that there were only 10 days supplies left. As our ration at the time was very limited -- only one slice of bread each per day -- leaving the table hungry wasn't unusual. My poor mother struggled to feed us. I remember she became painfully thin, and began to look old. My father recorded he lost 8 in off his waist and felt quite fit except when walking quickly his heart beat sounded like a going in his ears.
How our poor dog Handak survived I don't know as he was ordered out of the dining room when my mother realized we were slipping tidbits under the table. The poor dog was hungry too. First our canaries died and then the chickens (no doubt a meal was made of each hen). They stopped laying for lack of food although the gate to the chicken run was left open so they could find what they could in the garden.
I used to queue at the Victory kitchen in Floriana for our one meal a day. Divided between seven of us, it was pathetic; maybe enough for one and a half people -- but I must say, it was always very tasty. My mother learnt to serve it on small plates. One day my father acquired a sack of oatmeal riddled with weevils. My mother asked me to try and clean it -- an impossible task -- so it was cooked with the weevils! My sisters and I played 'loves me, loves me not' with weevils rather than fruit stones." 【Hutchinson】 The food shortages got so severe that they led to sickness and disease among both the British military garrison and civilians. The Axis planes dropped more than 14,000 bombs and destroyed some 30,000 buildings. That number may not sound large in World War II terms, but the point is it was concentrated on a very small pinpoint in the Mediterranean. Malta itself is a small island and most of the bombs were dropped on Valletta, a small port. There were many civilian injuries as a result of the bombings. There were, however, relatively few fatalities. Medical supplies ran low. Until Pedestal and the arrival of the tanker SS Ohio and a few supply ships, it looked liked starvation would force Malta to surrender to the Axis forces. Incredibly given the intensity of the bombing, only 1,500 civilians were killed. People in Valletta and 'the three cities' were evacuated.
Between 1940 and 1942 the British colony of Malta was subjected to relentless aerial attacks by first the Italian Regia Aeronautica and the German Luftwaffe.. The Royal Navy and Royal Air Force fought to defend the island and keep the military and civilian population supplied. Malta had a civilian population of some 175,000 people, both Maltese and British. Waves of ancient peoples including the Phoenicians, Romans, Byzantines, and others passed over the islands in ancient times, but by the medieval era the island had become largely depopulated (10th century AD). It was then populated by people from Sicily and Calabria with some Arab influence. The Normans seized the island (1091). They thoroughly Christianized the island, but left a minimal genetic imprint. An Ottoman attempt to conquer the island from the Knights Hospitaller failed -- the Great Siege of Malta (1565). Admiral Horatio Nelson pursuing Napoleon seized Malta for Britain (1800). He ejected an unpopular French garrison that Napoleon had imposed 2 years earlier. Not all British colonies supported Britain, but the Maltese civilian population with few exceptions proved loyal and assisted in the British effort to hold Malta. They would face the Second Great Siege. King George VI during the height of the battle awarded the George Cross, Britain's highest honor, to the beleaguered people of Malta (April 15, 1942)
Malta since ancient times has been a strategic point in the central Mediterranean, basically a potential Knights cork in the bottle between the eastern and western Mediterranean basins. And was developed as as a military and naval strong point by various powers throughout history. With the fall of France, it was the only Allied base between Gibraltar and Alexandria. The Mediterranean had been quiet until Italy, thinking the British had been defeated, entered the War (June 10, 1940). Until, then the French fleet and a British squadron dominated the Mediterranean. The Italians hoped hat their powerful navy could seize the island, but major British naval victories,many over convoys, meant that Malta wold have to be invaded or bombed into submission. Losses in taking Crete so horrified Hitler (May 1941). (This was before the Ostkrieg hen heavy losses became common place.) He ruled out another parachute assault, and decided on bombing he island int submission. The Grmans launched Barbrossa, the lrgest invasion in human history (junr1941). This woould proive to be the decisive campign of the War. The Luftwaffewoyldbgin to draw back squadroind fom Barbrossa to bomb Malta (Septtember 191). Operaions would be eben more sunstntil 1942). These wold be imprtnt assetts that could have supported the Ostkrieg.
With France out of the War, Italy on paper had the dominant naval force. The Italians began the siege and bombing (June 11). Malta was totally unprepared for the War. In fact, he British judged Malta indefensible. Britain was desperately bracing for a German invasion. The BEF was rescued from Dunkirk, but their weapons had to be left behind. Little help was available for Malta. Existing defenses on Malta were minimal: fourteen coastal defense guns, no operational fighter aircraft and less than 5,000 British troops. Food supplies were only sufficient for 16 weeks. The air raids began immediately. Malta had no air defense. Then the British found three biplane Gladiator fighters in crates and were immediately assembled and pressed into service to intercept the Italian bombers--appropriately named Faith, Hope, and Charity. With the Italian forces in Libya disintegrating, Hitler dispatched Gen. Erwin Rommel and a small German force which would become an the Afrika Korps (February 1941). And with Malta being used to block supplies, the German took a real interest in Malta. The Luftwaffe escalated the bombing. During the first 4 months of German operations, the Luftwaffe dropped some 2,500 tons of bombs. This was much more than the Italians, but only a fraction of what they would drop in the coming yer. The Axis planes dropped more than 14,000 bombs and destroyed some 30,000 buildings. That number may not sound large in World War II terms, but the point is it was concentrated on a very small pinpoint in the Mediterranean. Not only was Malta itself a small island, most of the bombs were dropped on Valletta harbor, a small part of a small island.
Malta began the war without any bomb shelters. Civilians built whatever shelters they could piece together. One civilian recalls fear and panic when the bombing began. Civilians sought what ever shelter they could find. He recalls the digging shelters and the communal experience of watching air raids from roofs. Civilians quickly after the Germans began bombing largely moved to the countryside which was largely untouched by the bombing. Some 60,000 people had left the cities (by May 1941). About 11,000 people nearly 70 percent of the population) left Valletta. 【Jellison, p.166.】 Natural shelters were heavily used such as caves. People dug into the sandstone cliffs. Many Maltese lived in underground 'cubicles'. The British had to focus on protecting military facilities. There were no bomb shelters for civilians when the bombing began. So 2,000 miners and stonemasons were organized to build civilian shelters. The miners threatened to strike because of poor pay. The British threatened to draft them into the military. They capitulated but staged a go-slow work effort. 【Jellison, pp. 111-13.]
Schools along with other buildings were destroyed. Classes continued in the open air, but at carefully selected sites. The girls wore protective sun hats. News reel footage show well-drilled school children with their teachers accustomed to Axis bombing raids moving smartly in good order to nearby bomb shelters when the air-raid sirens went. It is difficult to imagine school children, especially the younger children, taking Axis air raids in their stride as part of the daily routine, but this is exactly what they did.
As a result of the bombing and siege, housing and food shortages developed. With the substantial British garrison, there was no way that the island could feed itself. Food rations were cut for the garrison. The civilians fared even worse. While shelters could be sorted out, Food shortages were much more difficult to address. One survivor recalls, "I remember my father telling me that there "were only 10 days supplies left. As our ration at the time was very limited -- only one slice of bread each per day -- leaving the table hungry wasn't unusual. My poor mother struggled to feed us. I remember she became painfully thin, and began to look old. My father recorded he lost 8 in off his waist and felt quite fit except when walking quickly his heart beat sounded like a going in his ears. How our poor dog Handak survived I don't know as he was ordered out of the dining room when my mother realized we were slipping tidbits under the table. The poor dog was hungry too. First our canaries died and then the chickens (no doubt a meal was made of each hen). They stopped laying for lack of food although the gate to the chicken run was left open so they could find what they could in the garden. I used to queue at the Victory kitchen in Floriana for our one meal a day. Divided between seven of us, it was pathetic; maybe enough for one and a half people, but I must say, it was always very tasty. My mother learnt to serve it on small plates. One day my father acquired a sack of oatmeal riddled with weevils. My mother asked me to try and clean it, an impossible task, so it was cooked with the weevils! My sisters and I played 'loves me, loves me not' with weevils rather than fruit stones." 【Hutchinson】 The food shortages got so severe that they led to sickness and disease among both the British military garrison and civilians.
Malta was dependent on the British convoys delivering supplies. Food was needed for the population and oil for the defenses--especially the fighters defending the island. The Royal Navy organized relied convoys were organized from both Gibraltar and Egypt. The Italians hoped to stop the convoys with naval power, but a series of Royal Navy actions brilliantly fought by Admiral Cunningham prevented this. So the siege would be enforced by Axis, largely German air power. They wreaked terrible losses savaging the relief convoys. The civilian population was on the point of starvation. And there was no fuel for Malta's fighter defenses. Finally Operation Pedestal finally fought through an American tanker - SS Ohio (August 1942). Further convoys bought in enough supplies to save Malta (November and December 1942).
There were many civilian injuries as a result of the bombings. There were, however, relatively few fatalities. Medical supplies ran low. Incredibly given the intensity of the bombing, only 1,500 civilians were killed. People in Valletta and 'the three cities' were evacuated. Malta is a good example as just what an inneficent way bombing is in killing people. We watch dosumentary afterdocumentry that goes on and on about the deaths attrivutblke to bombing. This is a false impression. Tens of millions of civilins were killed in World War II, nut the vast majoriy weere killd by bthe Axis poers who found far moe leahal ways of killing peoplke than bmmbing. Notice that despite a hge effort by the Germans and Italins, only 1,500 civilimnd were killed. And Malta began the War without a single bomb shelter. The bombing durng World War II was very effective at detroung buldings and infrastuctut, but there were many far more efective ways of killing people. Bombing leathality was just not what many authors expected or reported after the War.
Hutchinson, Margaret (nee Staples). "My memories of Malta during the Second World War," WW2 People's War website. (2005) Article ID: A7075578.
Jellision, Charles Albert (1984). Besieged: The World War II Ordeal of Malta, 1940–1942 ( Hanover, NH: University Press of New England, 1984).
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