Second Sirte 1942

The Second Battle of Sirte was a key naval clash in the Mediterranean, and a vital moment in the struggle for Malta's survival.

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The Second Battle of Sirte was a key naval clash in the Mediterranean, and a vital moment in the struggle for Malta's survival.

Malta was the key to the hard-fought naval campaign being waged in the Mediterranean, a link in the vital Axis supply lines between Italy and North Africa. Struggling under a sustained Axis bombing campaign, Malta depended on convoys of supplies to survive. Axis air formations dominated the skies, making any attempt to relieve the island extremely hazardous.

In December 1941, a convoy from the east led to an inconclusive clash with the Italians at the First Battle of Sirte. In late March 1942, when the British tried again, the situation escalated. The decisive clash came on the afternoon of 22 March. British destroyers launched a series of spirited torpedo attacks against the Italian battleships, and by the evening, the Italians broke off the action. However, at dawn, Axis aircraft appeared and a series of intense air attacks followed, forcing the British to call off the operation. All four merchant ships in the convoy were lost.

This highly illustrated title by renowned naval historian Angus Konstam demonstrates the importance of radar, intelligence and airpower, and above all determination and grit in the face of a superior enemy. It remains one of the most daring naval battles of the war.