The Island of Malta GC 15 April 1942

11 June 1940 - 20 July 1943

With its strategic position in the Mediterranean – it was only 58 miles from Sicily and 178 from Tunisia – Malta immediately became vulnerable to attack when Italy declared war on the Allies on 10 June 1940. The first Italian air raid took place the following day. The island’s importance was increased by the fighting in North Africa. At the hands of the Luftwaffe and the Italians, it rapidly acquired the unenviable distinction of becoming one of the most heavily bombed places on earth. Supply ships had the greatest difficulty reaching it and by spring 1942 it had only a month’s stock of grain left. An invasion of the island by the Axis powers, Operation Hercules, was also being planned. After the Great War, Dunkirk had been awarded the DSC and Verdun and Ypres the MC. In fact, April and May 1942 were to be Malta’s most difficult months. After that, the tide of war was eventually to turn against the Axis powers and the island suffered its last air raid in July 1943.