Lascaris War Rooms

The Lascaris War Rooms are a former command post in Malta . Originally set up by the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force (RAF) to lead the sea and air defense of the islands during the Second Great Siege of Malta, they also served as the Allied Forces Headquarters for Allied troops in the Mediterranean region during World War II from 1942 onwards . In the vault below the Lascaris Battery there is now a museum. The Lascaris War Rooms were included in the National Inventory of the Cultural Assets of the Maltese Islands recorded.

background

The islands of the Maltese archipelago, which belonged to the British Empire from 1804 , were of outstanding importance for it, as they were on the main route between the British Isles and the British colonies and dominions in Asia and Australia . Due to their location, they dominated the western Mediterranean . At the same time, the island's infrastructure - ports , docks , coal stations - was important for the operational readiness of the British war and merchant navy. The removal of the islands or the destruction of the maritime infrastructure by a potential enemy would seriously disrupt communication between the motherland and the overseas possessions, impair supplies to the British Isles, weaken the operational readiness of the British fleet and sooner or later also the position of the United Kingdom in the endanger the Asia-Pacific region.

At the same time, the main supply routes for the Italian and German troops deployed in North Africa ran in the immediate vicinity of Malta.

When Italy entered the war on June 10, 1940, the British crown colony was in immediate danger. The Regia Aeronautica began bombing the islands on June 11th . Malta is about 90 km south of Sicily and could be reached by attacking aircraft within thirty minutes. At first it was assumed that the archipelago would not be sustainable due to its proximity to Italy. The air defense, initially only consisting of Gloster Sea Gladiator , was strengthened in early July 1941 by the addition of Hawker Hurricane to the 261st Squadron of the RAF.

Since the islands could not supply themselves due to the high population density and the low fertility of the soil, the supply of convoys was of crucial importance. These Malta convoys were also of great importance for supplying the units of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force stationed in Malta with fuel and ammunition, which in turn were supposed to disrupt the supplies of the German and Italian troops fighting in North Africa in order to gain access to Egypt to refuse or at least to make it more difficult. The protection of ships in the ports of Malta during unloading was particularly important.

Overall, the need to build an effective air defense became apparent. In addition to the stationing of fighter pilots and anti-aircraft guns, most of which were provided by the Royal Malta Artillery , it was also necessary to set up an early warning system and a corresponding management organization. The radar-based early warning system was set up from March 1939. For reasons of secrecy, they were called AMES (Air Ministry Experimental Station). First, the 241 AMES was set up at the Dingli Cliffs . This station was able to detect soaring aircraft. The 242 AMES was set up in Ghar Lapsi in June 1940 for the reconnaissance of low and medium-high flying targets; further stations followed in 1942.

At the same time, the naval forces stationed in Malta and the coastal artillery were to be commanded. After the Royal Navy was initially still able to take offensive actions, from the end of 1940 it had to essentially limit itself to repelling Italian speedboat attacks on the island and protecting convoy trains.

Because of the constant air raids, the previous headquarters of the Royal Navy on the island, HMS St Angelo , was not suitable as a command post. The command of all air defense forces and the allied naval units was therefore established in the Lascaris War Rooms.

Location and structure

Kings Way, one of Valletta's main streets, after a bombing raid

The Lascaris War Rooms are located below the Lascaris Battery on the southern land front of the Valletta's fortifications around 20 m below the upper plateau of the fortifications. The facility is accessed through a tunnel that runs below the Lascaris Battery from both the St James Bastion and the Grand Harbor . The complex consists of several rooms carved into the limestone, which were originally laid out in the 17th century and served as slave quarters during the rule of the Order of St. John . It was put into operation in July 1943 after the Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean, Admiral Andrew Cunningham, moved his headquarters from Algiers to Malta.

Allied naval forces stationed on the islands were led from the Navy Plotting Room . It was from here that the air raid on Taranto , in which the Regia Marina lost half of its battleships , took place. As a result of the attack and the shortage of fuel, the Italian Navy ceased operations with capital ships during the following years of the war.

The island's air defense was conducted from the Anti-Aircraft Guns Operations Room . The air situation picture was shown on large map tables with airplane symbols. Large display boards were used to show the operational readiness of the individual fighter squadrons. The interceptors were alerted from the Operations Room and then brought up to the enemy aircraft by radio. Since the area of operations over the islands was relatively small, the shooting of the anti-aircraft artillery had to be coordinated while the fighters were in action, in order to avoid accidentally shooting down one's own aircraft. An analogous command system was used during the Battle of Britain .

A feared German-Italian attack on the island was to be defended from the Coast Defense Room . However, the Hercules operation was not carried out.

From February 1943, parts of the Allied Forces Headquarters of the Allied Forces of the Mediterranean Theater of Operations (MTO) were set up in another room . From here, General Dwight D. Eisenhower led Operation Husky in July 1943 .

A total of around 1,000 people worked in several shifts in the facilities, with around 240 soldiers and helpers per shift.

Todays use

A museum was set up in the facilities in 1978, which uses authentic exhibits to trace the task and operation of the command post.

The Coastal Defense Room in WWII
Lascaris War Rooms during the invasion of Sicily
entrance
The restored Lascaris War Rooms
Radio center
Map of Sicily
Card room

Individual evidence

↑ see, inter alia, Bonham-Carter

literature

Joseph Bonnici, Michael Cassar: A chronicle of twentieth century Malta. Book distributors limited, Malta 2004, ISBN 99909-7227-3 .
Charles Stephenson: The Fortifications of Malta 1530-1945. Osprey Publishing Limited, Wellingborough 2004, ISBN 1-84176-693-3 ( Osprey Fortress Series 16).
Tony Spooner: Faith, Hope and Malta GC. Ground and Air Hereos of the George Cross Island. Grécy Publishing Limited, Manchester 2008, ISBN 978-0-907579-58-8 .
Peter Elliott: The Cross and the Ensign. The Naval History of Malta, 1798-1979. Harper Collins Publishers, London 2009, ISBN 978-0-00-735288-3 .

Web links

35.894497 14.51105Coordinates: 35 ° 53 ′ 40.2 " N , 14 ° 30 ′ 39.8" E

[1] see, inter alia, Bonham-Carter