In Passage Perilous: Malta and the Convoy Battles of June 1942 (Twentieth-Century Battles)

An invaluable account of one of the most overlooked sea battles of World War II. By mid-1942 the Allies were losing the Mediterranean war: Malta was isolated and its civilian population faced starvation. In June 1942 the British Royal Navy made a stupendous effort to break the Axis stranglehold. The British dispatched armed convoys from Gibraltar and Egypt toward Malta. In a complex battle lasting more than a week, Italian and German forces defeated Operation Vigorous, the larger eastern effort, and ravaged the western convoy, Operation Harpoon, in a series of air, submarine, and surface attacks culminating in the Battle of Pantelleria. Just two of seventeen merchant ships that set out for Malta reached their destination. In Passage Perilous presents a detailed description of the operations and assesses the actual impact Malta had on the fight to deny supplies to Rommel’s army in North Africa. The book’s discussion of the battle’s operational aspects highlights the complex relationships between air and naval power and the influence of geography on littoral operations. “An important and highly recommended addition to the literature on World War II in the Mediterranean.” —IPP Naval Maritime History List of TablesList of MapsPrefaceAcknowledgments1. The Vital Sea2. Malta and the Mediterranean War to 19423. The Mediterranean War January to May 19424. Global Snapshot-June 19425. Operation Vigorous6. Operation Harpoon7. The Battle of Pantelleria8. The August Convoy9. Torch to the End of the WarConclusionAppendixNotesBibliographyIndex The Vital Sea -- Malta And The Mediterranean War To 1942 -- The Mediterranean War January To May 1942 -- Global Snapshot, June 1942 -- Operation Vigorous -- Operation Harpoon -- The Battle Of Pantelleria -- The August Convoy -- Torch To The End Of The War. Vincent P. O'hara. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 241-251) And Index. Presents a detailed description of the operations to relieve Malta in 1942 and assesses the actual impact Malta had on the fight to deny supplies to Rommel's army in North Africa