Second Sirte 1942

by Angus Konstam

ISBN: 9781472867223

Published: 2025-07-15

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...