Operation Pedestal
By late July 1942, the island of Malta faced a desperate shortage of fuel. Air Vice-Marshal Keith Park warned that only a few weeks of aviation fuel remained for the fighters defending the island. Without this critical resource, the Maltese air offensive against Axis shipping would cease to function. The population endured rationing with daily intakes as low as 800 calories for adult men and even less for women and children. A mass slaughter of livestock began in August to reduce fodder imports and convert grazing land for crop growing. Meat was supplied through Victory Kitchens while the island prepared for potential surrender if supplies did not arrive before September. The British Admiralty recognized that losing Malta would be catastrophic for the North African Campaign.
Vice-Admiral Neville Syfret convened a conference on the 29th of July at Scapa Flow to organize the massive escort force. The convoy comprised fourteen merchant vessels including Ohio, an American-owned tanker with a British crew carrying oil. As insurance against the loss of Ohio, other ships carried fuel in drums totaling thousands of gallons. Two battleships, three aircraft carriers, seven cruisers, thirty-two destroyers, and seven submarines formed Force F. Aircraft carriers Victorious, Argus, and Indomitable were assigned specific roles within the operation. Eight hundred and nine Naval Air Squadron personnel flew Fulmars from Victorious while eight hundred and six NAS operated Martlets from Indomitable. Envelopes marked "Not to be opened until 08:00 hours August 10" contained personal messages signed by the First Lord of the Admiralty wishing the masters God Speed. The convoy sailed from the River Clyde on the night of the 3rd of August escorted by Nigeria and twelve destroyers.
Feldmarschall Albert Kesselring commanded German ground forces but held no authority over Axis operations in North Africa or convoy organization to Libya. Benito Mussolini had monopolized authority over Italian armed forces since 1933 as Minister of War, Navy, and Air Force. Fliegerkorps II and Fliegerkorps X remained subordinate to the usual Luftwaffe chain of command. German inter-service rivalries obstructed cooperation with little unity between German and Italian forces. Supermarina constantly overruled subordinate commanders while ships in different squadrons never trained together. Admiral Eberhard Weichold wanted the Luftwaffe to provide air cover for Italian ships but Marshal Ugo Cavallero decided the fleet could not operate without sufficient protection. The Regia Aeronautica possessed three hundred twenty-eight aircraft including ninety torpedo-bombers and one hundred fifty-one fighters. The Luftwaffe deployed four hundred fifty-six aircraft though most torpedo-bombers had been sent to Norway too late for the operation.
At 13:15 on the 11th of August a German submarine fired four torpedoes at HMS Eagle which sank eight minutes later south of Cape Salinas. The wreck lay at coordinates 38°05′N 03°02′E where about five hundred men were lost along with all but four Sea Hurricanes. At 17:40 Lookout returned to the convoy after forcing an Italian submarine to dive. By evening Indomitable had worked up to eighteen knots but damage to its flight deck left it out of action. Aircraft that could not be accommodated were thrown overboard as Charybdis, Lookout, Lightning, and Somali gave assistance. Twelve SM.79s managed to drop torpedoes at long range while another ship was hit sending crewmen flying through the air before being scuttled the following day. The loss of Eagle with sixteen aircraft and damage to Indomitable kept forty-seven more aircraft out of action reducing operational fighters to eight Sea Hurricanes three Martlets and ten Fulmars.
At 00:40 on the 13th of August four boats of the German III Squadron and thirteen torpedo boats of the Italian 18th MAS launched fifteen attacks against the merchant ships. S 58 and S 59 sighted the first ships at 00:20 attacking and damaging each other before turning away for Porto Empedocle. MS 16 or MS 22 attacked Manchester from close range scoring hits that flooded boilers fuel tanks and magazines wrecking three propeller shafts. The ship took on a twelve-degree list until counter-flooding reduced it to five degrees. Between 03:15 and 04:30 about off Kelibia torpedo boats hit and sank Wairangi Almeria Lykes Glenorchy as they took a short cut to catch up with the convoy. Rochester Castle was torpedoed but escaped at seven knots catching up by 05:30 when Charybdis Eskimo and Somali arrived increasing escort strength around Rochester Castle Waimarama and Melbourne Star.
At 07:00 on the 13th of August the convoy was about thirty miles from Malta where Axis reconnaissance reported four freighters two cruisers and seven destroyers. At 09:15 sixteen Ju 87s escorted by eight Bf 109s and eight Bf 110s attacked hitting Waimarama which disintegrated while aviation fuel on deck burst into flame. A Spitfire shot down a Stuka that crashed onto Ohio killing six sailors and wounding two others. At 16:30 Melbourne Star Port Chalmers and Rochester Castle reached Grand Harbour at Valletta where Operation Ceres began unloading immediately. Penn tried to tow Ohio but the tanker listed and snapped the tow line before a bomb broke its keel in a later attack. Brisbane Star evaded U-boats managing steam at twelve knots despite bow damage while Sousse harbour master tried to impound it until persuaded to let it sail after dark.
Ohio discharged oil into two tankers and water was pumped in simultaneously to reduce structural failure risks as it settled on the bottom just as the last fuel emptied. The surviving ships' cargo unloaded in Malta by about three thousand soldiers before transfer to guarded stores though some supplies were looted including by police officers watchmen British soldiers and Maltese civilians. German reports claimed all tankers had been sunk yet four merchant ships and a tanker reached Grand Harbour giving the island ten weeks of supply beyond existing stocks. Axis shipping suspended during the operation partly because transport Ogaden sank off Derna on the 12th of August while Axis ships made longer journeys after Ohio arrived. Admiral Eberhard Weichold summed up the view that Britain achieved strategic success bringing Malta back into action in the final phase of struggle in Egypt. James Sadkovich wrote in 1994 that Operation Pedestal was a tactical disaster comparable to Convoy PQ 17 while Richard Woodman called it a strategic victory raising morale averting famine and inevitable surrender.
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Common questions
What was the fuel situation for Malta in late July 1942?
By late July 1942, the island of Malta faced a desperate shortage of aviation fuel with only a few weeks remaining for defending fighters. The population endured rationing with daily intakes as low as 800 calories for adult men and even less for women and children.
When did Vice-Admiral Neville Syfret convene the conference to organize Operation Pedestal?
Vice-Admiral Neville Syfret convened a conference on the 29th of July at Scapa Flow to organize the massive escort force. The convoy sailed from the River Clyde on the night of the 3rd of August escorted by Nigeria and twelve destroyers.
How many aircraft were lost when HMS Eagle sank during Operation Pedestal?
At 13:15 on the 11th of August a German submarine fired four torpedoes at HMS Eagle which sank eight minutes later south of Cape Salinas. About five hundred men were lost along with all but four Sea Hurricanes and sixteen aircraft total.
Which merchant ships reached Grand Harbour at Valletta after the attacks in mid-August 1942?
Melbourne Star Port Chalmers and Rochester Castle reached Grand Harbour at Valletta where Operation Ceres began unloading immediately. Four merchant ships and a tanker ultimately reached Grand Harbour giving the island ten weeks of supply beyond existing stocks.
Who commanded the German ground forces and Italian air forces during Operation Pedestal?
Feldmarschall Albert Kesselring commanded German ground forces but held no authority over Axis operations in North Africa or convoy organization to Libya. Marshal Ugo Cavallero decided the fleet could not operate without sufficient protection while the Regia Aeronautica possessed three hundred twenty-eight aircraft including ninety torpedo-bombers and one hundred fifty-one fighters.