Siege Of Malta: The Men Who Fought Off The Luftwaffe In 1940 | Battlefield Mysteries | War Stories
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- Опубліковано 25 чер 2024
- In the spring of 1940 the island of Malta was far from war. But all that was about to change. With the war stretching out to North Africa, the island became critical in the Allies' ability to halt Axis supply routes. And so Malta came under direct fire from the feared Luftwaffe. In this episode of Battlefield Mysteries we hear from the soldiers who defended the island and the civilians that took cover in the underground bomb shelters while the bombs rained down overhead.
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We should appreciate the fact that we are able to see veterans and civilians that had actually experienced one of the greatest conflicts of mankind talking about what they had been through
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Why would you think otherwise? 🤔
I liked the Maltese anti aircraft officer, he seemed a bright and charming officer, a true and brave gentleman who defended his home, bravo.
Do not forget Faith, Hope and Charity, the three Gloucester Gladiators! All the fighter aircraft the island had to defend them at the start!
That is just a footnote.
It was Gloster who built the Gladiator
The three Gladiators' story is a myth.
The fact these dudes were up in the sky fighting with a few seconds worth of ammo, using manually aimed line of sight weapons, and still connecting shots is beyond impressive.
I read a book about George Buerling. He used calculus to develop formulas to improve his deflection shooting. He got rid of tracers to have more live rounds. His eyesight was as incredible as his intelligence. He had a search pattern like a typewriter (L-R, down a bit, L-R, down a bit,...). He was an incredible fighter pilot.
Thanks for highlighting & remembering the sacrifices of the civilians & combatants at Malta.It should not be forgotten.
as a Brit and visited Malta a teenager, i have always had the most respect for the Maltese. It's make light the fact the Germans, Italians couldn't managed to get Malta, s small island with 500,000 people surrounded on all sides. It's show's Operation Sealion would of been a failure for the Germans.
Spent quite some time in Malta during the 60's while in the RN - but even then, we could still see evidence of the immense battle that had taken place there during WW2. Bless them all.....
I like a lot of Norm Christie’s docs. He raises awareness of Canada’s role in world history.
That pilot was amazing. I salute him and all the other defenders of Malta
Sensitive and touching interviews, particularly with the British Spitfire pilot. Overall an excellent presentation of the siege and the horrors the population and military faced during some very dark days for the Allies.
Canadian pilot actually, as was George Beurling.
As a teenager I talked to an old submariner who made several night deliveries to Malta, He recounted crawling on hands and knees between compartments due to stores in every space.
I am so proud of what these old folk did.
They are not old but immortal because of their bravery and fortitude.
Malta's air defense was initially, three Gloster Glatiator biplanes, followed by Hurricanes and then Supermarine Spitfires.
Excellent program. I'm lucky enough to have lived in Malta when my dad was in the RAF. Fantastic place, fantastic friendly people. So much rich history and culture.
I am from Malta and this makes me proud to see how our forefathers fought and won mot just the regular war but also the phycological side of it. A day of Bombing in Malta was equivalent to a month of bombing in London during the Blitz.
Australian pilots flew in the RAF in Malta. Always had respect for the Toughness Maltese showed to NEVER surrender.
@@patrioticaussiesams8581 love & Respect to our Australian brothers
Remember the
Knights Of Malta Who stopped the Turks.
Very sad. Never was such a more deserved award of the George Cross Medal to all the people of Malta. The R.A.F. pilots became their shield but the people suffered regardless of the air war above.
Really; you actually believe that? Malta may well have been a British base in WW 2 but that's not the same as saying it was a British Island (group). In short, Malta was occupied, and the British were openly resented if not hated by the locals. My father was there in '42. He told me there was no love lost between the locals and the British. And why would there be. The Maltese were essentially Italian. The awarding of the George Cross to "the people of Malta" was just a political act. It had nothing to do with reality. The British military held Malta. The locals just had to put up with it.
@@haroldgodwinson832
If the Maltese hated the British so much, why did they put the George Cross on their flag?
The George Cross remains on the Maltese flag to this very day.
If they hated the British as you say why do they still chose to keep the GC on their flag?
Fun Fact: that opera house actually still gets used on occasion. I was in malta September last year and passed that very opera house where there was a small crowd inside enjoying an orchestra playing, was quite cool to see it still being used for it's intended purpose even though it looks strange with it being just ruins
R.I.P. to all those brave souls who perished in the defence of Malta. GBNF. (Gone but not forgotten)
The USS Wasp supplied Malta with Spitfires at least twice, because the British Aircraft carriers were too small at the time. (47 in Operation Calender, 48 in Operation Bowery)
The Wasp did that, and the USS Ranger served with the British home fleet.
Despite the desperate need for Ships and Carriers in the Pacific.
The reason you dont hear about this is because FDR was sticking to his Germany First Policy. He had placed the war in the Pacific on a low priority. Leaving the Navy, and MacArthur to do what they could in the meantime to hold on.
Despite Japan having attacked Pearl Harbor. He kept silent, because the American people were angry at Japan attacking us, and felt Japans defeat was more important.
But, FDR was up for reelection, and knew if Americans realized he placed a higher priority on Germany, sentiment would have turned against him.
So he gambled on the Navy holding on, Americas Industrial might building more ships in time, and kept silent...
If not for Admiral King resisting Churchills request for more American Naval assets in the Mediterranean, a request FDR would have caved in on, the war in the Pacific would have turned out very differently.
The first delivery of Spitfires by The Wasp, 19 April 1942;
In spite of being aware that numerous Spitfires were being flown in to reinforce the small number of aircraft defending the island, the local RAF commander did nothing to prepare to receive the planes or pilots.
No revetments were constructed, no camouflaged workshops, nothing. All the new planes were destroyed by the Germans on the ground within a few days.
GOVERNOR OF MALTA SACKED FOR THIS INCOMPETENCE
The military Governor of Malta, Lt. Gen. Dobbie, was sacked several weeks later and replaced by Lord Gort, promoted Field Marshal in 1943 because of his successful leadership of the defense of Malta.
The second delivery of Spitfires. Less than 1 month later;
On 9 May 1942, USS Wasp again entered the Med, again heavily escorted by the Royal Navy, and flew off 47 Spitfires. The British had finished refitting HMS Eagle, a World War One battleship converted to an aircraft carrier and she joined the Wasp.
However, HMS Eagle could not carry many Spitfires because they did not have folding wings and did not fit her old lifts. But she did manage to fly off 17 Spitfires which joined the others flown off by the USS Wasp.
EVERY ARRIVING SPITFIRE IMMEDIATELY PARKED IN PROTECTIVE REVETMENTS
This time the British ground forces had prepared protected areas for the Spitfires and every time one landed, it was immediately taken off the runway and parked in a protected revetment.
These aircraft helped save the island which was under continual bombing attacks day and night by German and Italian warplanes.
Wasp was a smaller version of the Yorktown class, and the US navy believed her to be more vulnerable to air attack than the larger carriers. She operated with the British Home Fleet, until transfer to the Pacific in June 1942. Ranger was quite elderly by WW2, and regarded by the US Navy as too slow and outdated for Pacific carrier operations. From early 1944 she became a training carrier.
The courageous volunteer pilots of three obsolete British biplanes nicknamed, faith, hope and Charity engaged enemy raiders in combat over malta, lest we forget.
WOW, a greatly made documentary, thanks !!! 👍👍👍
From Australia thanks for the great War Video Documentary it really goes to show you the sacrifice that people gave for us to have our freedom of this generation than you
Ff
Australian pilots flew in the RAF in the Battle of Malta as well..
My Maltese dad fought in, aged 19, with the Navy.
It's nice seeing genuine real accounts of what happened and from real life interviews.
20:54 The Spitfires Secrets from a Pilot who was there. God Bless Them.
My dad was there from 41 to 43 in and out on HMS Warspite.
Canadians are so great at war doco's. LEST WE FORGET!!! Love from Australia!!
Remembering my late dad and all the brave matelots of Strike Force K HMS Penelope “Pepperpot.” that held out through incessant air attacks at Malta and stymied Rommel’s supplies and Mussolini’s navy.
Sadly disappointed that the George Cross awarded to the people of Malta was not mentioned.
Another great documentary Norm. Your interviews with the veterans were very moving. Thanks
This guy makes the very best war documentaries
I cant believe they didnt mention this fact "The bravery of the Maltese people during the second Siege of Malta moved King George VI to award the George Cross to Malta on a collective basis on 15 April 1942 "to bear witness to a heroism and devotion that will long be famous in history". Copied from Wikipedia on history of Malta in WW2
RAF pilots , bravest of the brave .
26:00 Its all in the eyes, when asked if he is proud about that he took part in defending malta.
They are the Greatest Generation. They'd never accept that because they were humble men.
My mother’s family are Maltese and the stories that my grandfather told sent shivers through me. He was in the British Navy and fought in the thick of it all. Most of my grandparents Family’s were killed.
The Ohio was a fast tanker built at Sun city shipyard in Chester Pa.
Malta's endured a far worse siege in 1565. Malta's victory by the Knights of St John was so critical to the survival of Christianity and Europe that Thanksgiving Masses were conducted throughout Europe and in Protestant England!! Never for get the leadership of Jean Paris other de Valette.
Malta has suffered far worse than London during the Blitz in 1940.
We need more of these!
Super montage of this fascinating story.
Incredible documentary thanks
Wonderful doccumentary, very well explained and detailed
26:00 that gets me every time.
41:36 makes my chin wobble every time I see it, and that must be at least a dozen times, when the stricken Merchant Navy ship limps around the headland, held up by two Royal Navy destroyers, like a drunk being carried home by his mates, but holding the hopes of an island inside its holds. Sob 🏴🇬🇧🇲🇹
Well done.... thank you
Good thing for Malta and the allies that the Luftwaffe didn’t deploy the FW190. That thing would’ve been unstoppable, given its superior performance to the Spitfire Mk. V sent to the island
YES exactly Spitfire MkV only had an advantage over 25000 feet I think but not until the Spitfire Mk9 did it have the Advantage over the FW190. The 2 stage supercharger of the Spitfire Mk9 basically a Mk5 frame with a more powerful engine
Very interesting. Great to watch, especially when knowing that two great grandfathers contributed to the defense of Malta, both surviving the war. One was in the Royal Navy, survived a couple of sinkings and was a sailor on Santa Maria convoy. The other one was on the anti-aircraft guns stationed in Kalkara if not mistaken.
Very moving account this 😢❤️
Wonderful Info.
Absolutely poor form to leave out the 3 Gloster Gladiator fighters that defended Malta in the early days, unforgiveable.
I imagine he left them out because he didn't have any video footage of them.
Nice work. All the ingredients.
A harrowing, emotional experience and story.
Well done. Thank you. Too many of these stories, told by well intentioned individuals, seem over done and over told, these are believable and honest accounts by and about the hero’s of the fight. I’ll never get the chance to visit, or see where these heroes fought, lived, and died. Thanks to your account I feel like I have been there. The cemetery on Malta is familiar, similar to the resting place of the military site on the island of Crete. It’s the resting place of allied troops who died on that island. Maintained by the locals to honor those deserving, and kept in the condition reflective of their respect of those heroes.
I think the writer and then pilot Roald Dahl was in Malta , he made it but a lot of his squadron didn’t including his best friend , I don’t think he ever quiet got over it, perhaps his books were a way out ?
I love this ww2 documentary
What a great guy that Spit Pilot
If am right,I think it was Malta the british lost the aircraft carrier"Ark royal" it was a savage battle over there,my ex girlfriend which was british lost a great Grand father in malta...
41:50
"Sound the alert."
"But, she isn't a ship of war, sir."
"Isn't she? Sound the alert."
Great video. But the whistling sound when a plane is dropping bombs? It has gotten very, very old...
Very good historical documentary.
With only one week of supplies left before they are on the brink of disaster and surrendering they start praying asking the help of our Blessed Mother.
Not enough credit it was given to our Blessed Mother who intervened and allowed the beleaguered tanker Ohio to make it to port with the help of two destroyers.
That was not a coincidence.
I wonder what would have happened if the Maltese people didn’t ask for intercession from our Bessed Mother? what would have become of the people of Malta?
How would the war in Africa have turned out?
This is not to detract from the tenacity and persistence of the Faithful people from Malta. I understand that Malta has more churches per capita than any other country in the world..
When was this made? That pilot must have been very old.
Pls,feature the WW2 navy stationed at Malta.
Very good documentary. There have been several programs about the defense of Malta even going back to the Knights Templar it stubbornly will not quit. What I would like to see though is a documentary or a movie, would be great, on The Ohio. That ship was battered, crippled, leaking, given up for sunk, practically abandoned by what was left of the escort and still made it into harbor. ONE HECK of a boat ride.
SS Ohio was not abandoned by the escorts.Two were lashed either side of her to keep her afloat and use their pumps to assist her own. They got her into Grand Harbour with her priceless cargo of aviation fuel thus changing the air war in the region.
I must add it is worth reading ‘First Light’ by Geoffrey Wellum who flew a Spitfire from a Royal Navy carrier to Malta . Terrific story.
Oil! Which England needed more than the Germans.....
Of course America had more than enough, and was supplying England with all her needs until at least 1943, and most of her oil needs until the end of the war. As well as just about everything else. (Food, steel, ammunition, tanks, etc.)
Egypt had declared her Independence years before WWII, and had declared nuetrality.
But that didnt stop The UK from occupying Egypt with 230k troops.
7 British Divs, 2 Indian Divs, 1 Australian Div, and 1 NZ Div.
And St. George cross to the people. Good bless.
because of the lighting and perhaps camera setting it looks like the guy's walking in front of a green screen the whole time.
The PTSD is so very strong in the veterans.
If Malta fell, would the war have been lost? I think so.
Not!
That certainly would have been a very different time line.
..Look at Hitlers failure to reinforce Rommel on the verge of success in Egypt,
then poured everything into Tunisia, magnifying the defeat. No surprise the multiple attempts on his life by his own people.
Lest we forget
That's right
To the german soldiers of WW2. Thank you for your service. You gave it all. RIP.
When were the interviews filmed? The pilot looks good for being nearly 100 years old?
Most were done early 2000s, the average age of a allied pilot during the 1940s was 20 years old. There are very very few Second World War vets left.
The Falcon of Malta
George Frederick "Buzz" Beurling, DSO, DFC, DFM & Bar (6 December 1921 - 20 May 1948) was the most successful Canadian fighter pilot and flying ace of the Second World War.
Think they called him Screwbaĺl
Can put in more ads?????
Right! I had 14! Its BS!
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Have you heard of Ad Block....if not …sad for you?!
When some places become strategic point inside arrogance conquered projects or enemies humbling projects ...civilian innocent peoples payed too heavy taxes from their lives and their enjoyment in their lives during war period
Beurling, the shooter between evry shooters.
Even today he's a "reference".
What is Junkers and Pincher Movement?
Angle speed distance the numbers a fielder in a cricket team uses to intercept a cricket ball..same principle in a dogfight ..you are kind of trying to catch em in deflection shooting
Story goes, he'd study the math, angles, etc. and develop and test formulas/solutions before climbing in the cockpit-
Dang- have him instruct EVERYBODY!
Did they say 800 yards?- that's 8 football fields. I think they were able to verify that kill, despite being beyond camera range.
Very good . Suggest " out of the blue " by Laddie Lucas.
The role luck has played out during aerial warfare.
Heroes all. Best regards .
lest we forget
🤔. Wars are ugly affairs. Malta truly suffered during World War 2.
Who knows what the world would be like if germany won ww2. But i do know a couple of races would be extinct if they had won. I typed this comment already as the first comment on this video but UA-cam deleted the comment. This is the second time i am typing this comment in a different form.
（I’ve never seen anyone do it better
all this going on whilst the french airmen and soldiers worked in Germany building munitions
3.32 a gdzie Grecja i Kreta
you say all this but what the threes planes that was there the bristol gladiator
Greed , greed and greed, root cause of all human suffering .
@Top Secret 👍
Why didn't Germany or Italy send a ground invasion when they had air superiority? Only 4000 defenders.
Because they had nothing to invade with. Planning naval invasions takes time, especially when the Island is a fortress.
My father ferried Spitfires to Malta. He flew unarmed and had to get back to Britain
What were the English doing in Malta in the firts place?
It's far from England
Any one else thinks he was standing in front of a green screen when he said we are back in Malta lol ot really looks like it
11 mins in Cettina was killed in what Church?
I am not even a tenth the man of these people.
There are 6500 year old ruins!
There only three airplanes named hope faith charity
Did you seek permission to use your opening image of spitfires over Malta?
22:27 “The trick is to get up close”
This is the tactic the RAF learnt from the Polish pilots
Malta falcon
I have read this story its not the same as hearing it from the people who did the deed it is awful and inspiring at the same time
War sucks
CGI ... too much
The best single suddenly stroke because lip booly guard beyond a fallacious turret. important, two mole
The important duckling intraperitonally transport because reminder steadily hate behind a cheap font. sincere, miniature chill
Get help, I will contribute to the cost! Beyond weird and insignificant you are. I'll advise your Mom when I next pass the Ho-house where's she's working.
What the heck is this guy, supposedly a historian, talking about??? showing spitfires in action and saying they are Hurricanes!!! Jesus!!! what a historian!!!!!