MALTA's Impact on the North African Campaign WW2... And More! TIK Q&A 5

The Siege of Malta was a major event in WW2, and the fate of the island directly impacted the amount of supplies Rommel received in North Africa. But is this really the case? Let's look at the role the island played, and the events going on around it - like what was happening in Iran, Iraq, and the rest of the Middle East.

00:29 swe420den - Is Malta's value as a base overstated and the axis decided it wasn't a priority?

14:02 Torin Palmer - How big of a role did the Middle East campaign against Vichy France, Iraq, and Iran play during the war?

17:04 Alex Bujnicki and Kevin Kaiser - How would taking Cairo have impacted the outcome of the war? Would the Axis have been able to exploit the Oil fields in Egypt and Iraq, or would the Allies have been able to at least defend the Iraqi ones? Where did the fuel for the British desert gear come from?

29:12 Alex Bujnicki - How was Turkey so easily able to stay out of the war with a massive superpower on every border?

This video is discussing events or concepts that are academic, educational and historical in nature. This video is for informational purposes and was created so we may better understand the past and learn from the mistakes others have made.

History isn’t as boring as some people think, and my goal is to get people talking about it. I also want to dispel the myths and distortions that ruin our perception of the past by asking a simple question - “But is this really the case?”. I have a 2:1 Degree in History and a passion for early 20th Century conflicts (mainly WW2). I’m therefore approaching this like I would an academic essay. Lots of sources, quotes, references and so on. Only the truth will do.

[AdrionYT]

Nothing better than seeing a TIK video pop up on a cold winter evening. Your mastery over such a broad scope of sources is also deadly accurate, I'm starting to wonder if you're a computer, so I imagine you're even schooling other WWII historians at this point. And look at that when sick you stick to your deadlines, what a great mindset you have. Get better soon.

[NathamelCamel]

Well, according to my Italian HoI4 game, Malta was the turning point for my war as it gave me air superiority and a good base for my naval bombers. It means I could bomb the tea and defending British forces in Lybia and remove a British air base that was naval bombing my ships. So in total, Malta is the best strategic location ever and if you ever want to win a war or survive as a nation, take Malta, if you don't, just look at the Ottomans.

[clementbruera]

Hi TIK, I don't agree with you on certain points regarding Malta.

1. At the beginning of the war, Italians didn't took Malta for a few reasons: Mussolini entered the war thinking it was just a matter of time before the surrender of both France and Great Britain so why risk thousand of lives? And the second reason is Italy didn't had the means to take the island: even if badly defended it was nonetheless a fortress and in 1940 Italy lacked paratroopers (there was only a company - or batalion, don't remember- of Lybian paratroopers...Yes, Lybians!) and had not ships for a landing assault.

2. Malta was indeed a problem for the resupply of the Italian-German army in N.A. but as you said the harbours capacities were limited, so even sending more supply was pretty useless, the ships waiting to be unloaded were sunk by aircraft coming from Egyptian airfields and Alexandria (not from Malta).

3. Malta herself lost a lot of planes, warships and merchant ships, was it worth it?

4. The invasion in 1942 was cancelled because the good old Rommel spoke directly to Hitler as always, infuriating both Kesserling, Cavallero and the other Italian generals.
The initial plan was to let Rommel take Tobruk and then focus on Malta. Rommel agreed with that but then after the battle of Gazala he changed his mind, wanting to pursue the British and spoke directly to Hitler (no chain of command for him) thus stopping the invasion of Malta.

5. You have strange numbers about % of supply lost (I think outdated). In November 1941 37, 6% of supplies arrived in N.A. In december 82%. The average supplies arrived from July to December 1941 was 73, 2%.
From January to June 1942 it was 94, 2% and from July to December 73, 9%.

Please put a like so TIK can see this comment.

[IrishCarney]

I urge you to read "Hitler's Malta Option" by Steven Kavanaugh. It goes into great detail how the Germans learned their lessons from Crete and would have done much better with an airborne assault on Malta, which would also have had a better chance because there would have been fighter cover for the airborne troops as well as for the Italian Navy, but Hitler ignored those facts and refused to allow it.

[painter]

Always a joy to listen and watch your videos...even gone back to re-watch many and started taking notes. University may have expelled me but your school is much more rewarding. Thank you

[comikdebris]

Those old biplanes were Gloster Sea gladiators. Named Faith, Hope and Glory. A story worth telling

[stevep]

In 1941 BP ( British Petroleum) built an oil refinery app. 125 thousand barrel at Trainor PA. USA that was to refine Venezuelan crude oil. Also a gasoline unit was built at the Gulf refinery in South Philadelphia PA USA. There were 7 oil refineries on the Delaware river refining app. 1 million barrels of oil per day. On the Atlantic ocean of New Jersey was another small refinery plus the largest refinery area wise on the east coast.

[robh]

Nice video. I have always been curious about these topics.

[ryanstewart]

You are doing a great job right now, take a break though if you need it.

[nicholasconder]

The famous trio of Gloster Gladiators biplanes: Faith, Hope and Charity.

[samuelhargreaves]

My great grandad manned one of the AA guns during the early war period, he used to tell us that they only had 2 interwar biplanes and a dozen AA guns but were able to fight off numerous bombing raids/ offenses from the Italians. He also told us that on one occasion an Italian convoy was sunk and thousands of cans of tinned peaches washed up ashore, the soldiers had to steal them because it was against code of conduct to steal food. He proudly said that there wasn't a point during the war were he felt like Malta would surrender

[christopherjcarson]

Brilliant and detailed
presentation, very
engaging!

[kelloggswag]

Thanks for answering my question so well. I hope become a patron again once my situation improves.

[fghjjjk]

My grandad was 1st battalion Cheshires and defended the grand habour after they defeated rommel in N Africa. The Cheshires that were there finally got the Maltese cross medal 50 years after defending it!

[chrispaul]

I'm a Kiwi and for a long time a WW2 Junky. The 2 NZEF fought in North Africa, Greece, Crete and Italy. I have read a lot and talked to many WW2 Veterans, including the Staff Officer, later Chief of Staff NZ Army and Ambassador to Vietnam, who was Driver/ Radio Operator with Lt General Frieberg in a two man tank at the Apex of the Breakthrough at Alemein.

[janwitts]

The memoir 'war in a stringbag' has a small section covering why Malta stopped interdicting NA and then resumed.

At 28:55
That’s why Churchill didn’t want Wavell to finish off the axis during operstion Compass. Churchill wanted as many points of contact as possible to stretch the axis thin.

[andrewwmacfadyen]

RN Costal Forces Motor Torpedo Boats based in Valletta made an often over looked but major contribution to interdicting Axis supply lines. The geography of Malta with its lack of landing beaches makes invasion difficult and costly this probably why the option of siege was considered the best option for the axis.

[terencewinters]

Malta was a critical thorn in the side of the axis. It has always been a critical pinch point between Sicily and Tripoli and was significant in the Ottoman Centuries wars of 1500 to 1600 as an interdiction route for axis supplies. . But Crete was considered more important being closer to Suez an el alamein.

[claytontube]

Malta Convoy is a great little book if you can find one. One of the first books I read as a kid. The tanker "Ohio" barely made it in with just enough oil to keep them going. The ship had to be towed in and was unloaded quickly before it broke in two.