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By tk *The course for Saturday's 2.4-mile open water swim in Charleston Harbor was slightly longer than least year's *Study to reveal much about coastal habitats *Guard urges boating safety *HILTON HEAD/TYBEE ISLANDS: Each beach offers unique fun, food and shopping *Coast Guard charges captain in tour boat sinking *Beach driving’s fate up for debate *PENSACOLA BAY WATERSHED COMMUNITY WEB SITE
The Air Officer Commanding Malta had been bombarding his Air Ministry in London and his Command Head Quarters in Cairo about his plight both in aircraft type and availability of pilots, all of whom were tired and at the end of their rope. Air Marshall Tedder at Cairo sent off Group Captain Basil Embry to Malta to appraise the situation there, he soon summed up the desperate position, making out a trenchant case for the Island to be quickly supplied with SpitfireV and Kittyhawk fighter aircraft, and a batch of fresh pilots to fly them. Action was soon forthcoming, 15 pilots to be despatched from England by a Sunderland flying boat, with another 15 pilots to soon follow them. Spitfires were flown into Malta from the carrier HMS Eagle on the 7th. of March 1942. Royal Navy submarines and RAF/ Fleet Airarm torpedo carrying aircraft out of Malta were wreaking havoc on Axis shipping carrying supplies and reinforcements to the German/Italian forces in North Africa. The German Command decided to invade Malta to rid themselves of this menace once and for all, Operation Herkules was to be mounted in the spring, but first of all the island defences had to be wiped out. That task fell to both the Luftwaffe and the Italian Regina Aeronautica. The bombing of the tiny fortress was intense, of the 6,728 tons of bombs to fall on Malta in April, 3,156 tons were dumped on the harbour at Valetta. More Spitfires arrive at Malta. King George VI grants George Cross to the people of Malta. Malta Government strikes a Medal to commemmorate the 50th. Anniversary of award of George Cross. The ribbon, two narrow stripes of white and red on a blue background, are to represent the Malta Flag and the George Cross. The closing date to apply for this medal was set at the 15th. of April in 1994. Award of this Medal.
Attempt to starve Malta into submission. Operation Pedestal. The convoy passed through the Straits of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean on the 10th. of August, for three days and three nights it was harried by both German U-Boats and Italian Submarines, E-Boats, dive and torpedo bombers, high level bombers. This convoy was subjected to the most ferocious and heaviest bombing attacks endured by any convoy in WW2. A number of the Naval Escorts were sunk, and only 5 of the merchant fleet remained afloat, a bomb had struck Ohio in her engine room, and two enemy aircraft had crashed on board, but her crew had put out the resultant fires, she was afloat but only just. 60 miles still to go to reach Malta, Ohio was dead in the water, three British destroyers were secured to her, HMS Bramham port side, HMS Penn starboard side, and HMS Ledbury at her stern. They then nursed the stricken tanker into Valetta Harbour to arrive on the 15th. of August, to the cheering crowds gathered around the seafront to welcome them. Malta was relieved to at last survive, General Montgomery went on to win his famous Battle of El Alamein. September in contrast to August was almost calm, but then in October the fighting again erupted on the 10th. of that month, but Malta, its Spitfires, and their pilots all stood firm, and the Island was saved. It had been a very close run thing, but in the end, the toughness of the people hanging on when all seemed lost, and the few aircraft and the men who flew them prevailed against seemingly impossibe odds. Malta and its people had indeed earned their GEORGE CROSS.
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