Malta’s Role in the Sicilian Campaign, July 1943
By Charles Debono, Curator of the National War Museum in Valletta
Landing Craft Tanks berthed at Ta’ Xbiex.
Photo, caption as found at Times of Malta
Canadians who served in Combined Operations and were involved in the invasions of Sicily and Italy write and talk about their times in Malta. Some visited Hill 10 Hospital to recover from fatigue and ailments (e.g., dysentery) while others poured hours of labour into repairing landing craft (damaged during the invasion of Sicily, July 1943) before participating in the invasion of Italy in September.
A few of the opening paragraphs of C. DeBono's lengthy article about Malta's role follows:
After the Allies captured the first Italian territories of Pantelleria and the nearby islands, they turned their attention towards Sicily. The impeding assault brought to Malta more British and American warships besides a large number of landing craft. Many infantry battalions arrived in Malta and were billeted in barracks, under canvas along the countryside and on troopships anchored off the coast....
On July 7, the Supreme Commander General Dwight Eisenhower arrived in Malta. He was joined by Lord Louis Mountbatten, Chief of Combined Operations....
The Allied invasion force for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily, consisted of British, American and Canadian armies....
Spitfires from Malta were flown in protection of the invasion armada, which consisted of approximately 2,000 ships and craft of all sizes.... None of the invasion convoys was attacked from the air during the daylight hours of July 10, 1943.... Undoubtedly Operation Mincemeat played its part in the Allied plan of deception....
It was during the Sicilian Campaign that news of Mussolini’s
demise on July 25, 1943, reached Malta. The Maltese paraded with
an effigy of Mussolini along Kingsway, Valletta, during celebrations
marking the end of his rule in Italy. (Times of Malta)
Operation Husky began on the night of July 9, where paratroops were to be dropped to take key positions. However, of the 137 gliders that had crossed the Mediterranean, 68 US Wacos and one Horsa ditched in the sea with the loss of 252 highly-trained troops....
The Eastern Naval Task Force carrying the British Eighth Army was to make landing at five designated points, codenamed ACID North, which was from Cape Murro di Porco; ACID South, which was from a point south of Avola to a point halfway between Calaberando and Marzamemi; BARK East, which was a short stretch of coast north of Marzamemi; BARK Middle, which was from Cape Passero to Cape Correnti; and BARK West, which was from Pozzallo eastwards to a point on the coast south of Pachino....
The full article, published Sunday, July 28, 2013, may be found online at Times of Malta.
Please link to Articles re Combined Ops, "Merchant Mariner 'True Hero'"
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