Operation pedestal
The Operation Pedestal convoy was one of the most important British convoy operations in the Mediterranean to supply Malta during World War II . After two Allied convoys ( Operations Vigorous and Harpoon ) to supply the besieged Malta had suffered considerable losses in June 1942, another convoy with supplies for the besieged island was put together in Gibraltar in August (Operation "Pedestal"). It consisted of 14 merchant ships accompanied by 4 aircraft carriers , 2 battleships , 7 cruisers and 16 destroyers . Despite the high losses (9 cargo ships, 2 cruisers, 1 carrier and 1 destroyer), the convoy must count as a partial Allied victory. It was the first convoy to reach the island in six months. Now the British air sovereignty over the Sicilian strait (Strait of Sicily) was further secured.
Course of the battle
The convoy left Gibraltar on August 9, 1942. As the Italian fleet was running out of fuel, the Axis air forces attacked the convoy first, and later Italian submarines and a cruiser squadron near Sicily were also to intervene in the battle, as the British were fighting Battleships and aircraft carriers normally retreated to Gibraltar off Sicily because of the threat posed by air forces stationed there.
On August 11, the German submarine U 73 sank the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle . The Italian submarine Dagabur was rammed and sunk by the British destroyer HMS Wolverine . However, the destroyer was badly damaged in the process. Italian warplanes damaged the flight deck of the carrier HMS Victorious . Airplanes took off from British aircraft carriers to Malta and attacked airfields in Sicily from there.
On August 12th, the Italian navy attacked the British convoy with 6 cruisers, 17 destroyers and several submarines. The submarine Cobalto was lost while the boats Alagi , Axum and Bronzo succeeded in sinking the cruiser Cairo and two merchant ships, damaging the cruisers Nigeria and Kenya and the large tanker Ohio . During air strikes by Ju 87 bombers , the Indomitable carrier was damaged by two 500 kg bombs. The destroyer Foresight was also sunk.
On August 13th, Italian speedboats (MS) sank the cruiser Manchester . After the Italian naval association no longer received protection from the air, it withdrew to Messina . The British submarine Safari damaged the Italian cruisers Bolzano and Attendolo . German warplanes damaged the Ohio tanker again.
consequences
Mainly due to the arrival of the Ohio tanker on the holiday of the Virgin Mary, hence the name "Santa Marija Convoy", the British supply situation in Malta improved considerably. With the aircraft carriers, additional warplanes were brought to Malta, which also improved the operational situation of the Allies in the long term. A total of 5 out of 14 cargo ships reached the port. From Malta, the supply routes of the Axis Powers to North Africa could be fought effectively again, which should have significant consequences for the upcoming second battle of El Alamein .
literature
- Peter C. Smith: Pedestal. Malta Convoy of August 1942 . 2nd Edition. Crecy Publishing, Manchester 1999, ISBN 0-947554-77-7 .
People involved
- Heinz-Georg Wilhelm Migeod took part in the attack on the convoy as a German Stuka pilot. [1]
