Malta Story (1953), starring Alec Guinness, Jack Hawkins, Anthony Steel and Muriel Pavlow, is a black and white war film telling the story of the defence of Malta in 1942 when Spitfires were the island's main defence from air attacks. On the 20th April a reinforcement of 47 Spitfires reached Malta. As there was no return route for all the ferry pilots, they simply reinforced the existing units. A supply of fuel, glycol, oil and ammunition was waiting ready in each pen and a human chain put up to refuel the aircraft by hand. One exciting event in defense of Malta was the German efforts to jam the radar stations. Thus, despite the presence of the large Vokes tropical filter under the nose which cut the top speed by 15-20 mph, the Spitfire Mk. RV Jones instructed the Malta operators to continue their business as usual as if the jamming did not affect them. This book is dedicated completely to covering the markings and colors of Spitfire Mk Vs on Malta in 1942. 601 and 603 Squadrons and set off for the Mediterranean. Without the tank he had no chance of reaching Malta or other friendly territory and he decided drop it and attempt landing back at the USS Wasp’s deck once all the other aircraft were airborne. Forty-eight spitfires took off from the deck of the ship towards Malta. IV on Malta. The first aircraft reached Malta from Gibraltar on 25 October. For an individual pilot this could mean several days’ wait between his flying days. The time has now arrived for our Spitfire squadrons to put an end to the bombing of our airfields by daylight. During attacks on the Island our fighters destroyed 16 aircraft, probably destroyed 10 and damaged 27. The unloading was done under additional protection of a smoke screen. “Our day fighter strength has during June and July been greatly increased, and the enemy’s superiority in numbers has long since dwindled. The Axis put up four bombing raids on the harbour that day, with the heaviest air battle taking place in the morning, when about 20 Ju 87s and 10 Ju 88s escorted by Bf 109s were intercepted by 37 Spitfires and 13 Hurricanes. The February convoy from Alexandria had failed to reach the island due to intense bombardment from German aircraft stationed in Crete. Also, the HMS Eagle transported 17 Spitfires in this mission. The Luftwaffe knew of the arrival of the Spitfires in advance and bombarded the Ta’Qali airfield where the Spitfires were parked. The moment their work was done a Malta pilot took over the machine and took off to intercept the inevitable German raid. The general tactics adopted by Sqn/Ldr Turner was similar to that of the Battle of Britain. Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. Two-Seat Spitfires. Burma Spitfire Mystery Is Solved. USS Wasp (CV-7) photographed in spring 1942 with Vought SB2U Vindicator and Grumman F4F Wildcat aircraft on her flight deck. Further fighters that arrived in May and June strengthened the defenses of Malta. British claims that day were three Italian fighters and two bombers shot down. The following article in an excerpt from the forthcoming book dedicated to the Supermarine Spitfire, covering its wartime combat career from service introduction in 1938 to the VJ Day in 1945, and beyond. The entire task force returned to Gibraltar. Hurricanes were up to cover their landing at Takali. This, we suspected, caused a cry of ‘Achtung! 285 individual aircraft pens were erected on Malta during three critical months, involving the effort of some 3000 Army soldiers. The Spitfires that arrive on Malta in the early part of the film are low back models with teardrop canopies, which were not in wide spread service in 1942, when the film is set. The aircraft will not return to the aircraft carrier. Worse still, only five serviceable fighters remained on Malta after four days of action. The island was of strategic importance to Britain for its operations in North Africa, and it safeguarded the Suez channel. The RAF shouldn’t park its Spitfir’s until the Luftwaffe threat is over. This vital link for the allied war supply line was a constant annoyance to the Axis powers. One more incident occurred in the air as P/O Smith found his auxiliary fuel tank unserviceable after take-off. Air Vice-Marshal Sir Keith Park, Special Order of the Day, August 1942. HMS Welshman was disguised to look like a neutral French destroyer, the Leopard. The HMS Welshman made it to Malta with the essential supplies needed for the survival of Malta’s population. By dawn on 20 April Wasp reached her despatch position off Algiers. During the first attempt for delivery from the Eagle on February 28 a technical fault with the 90-gallon slipper tanks was discovered preventing their use and the operation had to be abandoned. Despite the setback of Operation Calendar, it proved that with the aid of the large American carrier new fighters could be delivered to Malta in quantity. Keeping radio silence, they would fly to a point twenty or thirty miles south of the island and gain height until ordered by ground control to intervene at whichever airfield in need of defence. As the Wasp’s deck was longer than that of HMS Eagle, no provisional flaps were needed for take-off. No, Prime Minister. During the time of her Atlantic and Mediterranean missions the ship was painted in a Measure 12 (Modified) camouflage pattern. 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