Operation Pedestal with Sir Max Hastings
Warfare
History Hit
4.5 • 943 Ratings
🗓️ 11 May 2022
⏱️ 34 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
By the summer of 1942 Malta had been under siege by Axis forces for over a year and the situation on the island was bleak with food and fuel almost exhausted. This vital allied foothold in the Mediterranean had to be held at all cost in order to prevent the collapse of the allied effort in North Africa where Rommel's forces were finding much success.
In a desperate bid to prevent the loss of Malta, Winston Churchill ordered that a convoy like no other be dispatched to run the air and sea gauntlet in the Mediterranean. In August 1942 4 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 7 light cruisers, 32 destroyers, 11 submarines and a host of smaller vessels and aircraft accompanied 14 merchant ships as they attempted to battle their way to the beleaguered island fortress.
The legendary Max Hastings joins Dan in this episode from the archive to tell the story of the incredible bravery and tenacity of the men who took part in Operation Pedestal.
This episode was first broadcast on Dan Snow's History Hit, 13th July 2021.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | By the summer of 1942, Malta had been under siege by Axis forces for over a year and the situation on the island was bleak to say the least. |
| 0:17.5 | Food and fuel almost exhausted. |
| 0:21.0 | I was on the island last week as I was researching a new |
| 0:24.2 | article and a new TV series we're doing and I was speaking to a man who lived |
| 0:28.1 | through the bombing and the siege of Malta and he's got a bar that's just decked with all of the munitions all the way around |
| 0:36.8 | I mean if you're going to have weapons of war all the way around then it has to be a place you need to drink |
| 0:41.5 | because it's a fascinating but a saddening view and as he called them |
| 0:46.5 | they are sad horrific weapons of death and destruction and it truly was that case in Malta, this vital foothold that had to be held up at all costs because it was helping to shut off Rommel's supplies that he needed to win North Africa. |
| 1:02.0 | The Plains and the Sub the submarines it set off from Malta were able to target specifically his fuel supplies. |
| 1:09.0 | The Romel needed this for his tanks, he needs to move at pace, he needs to keep Blitzkree going and so if it wasn't |
| 1:14.4 | for the efforts of Malta and keeping Malta going then we might not have won North Africa. |
| 1:19.9 | And so Churchill had a decision to make what did he he need to do? What did he need to release in terms of resources to keep this island safe? |
| 1:28.0 | Well, I'm your host James Rogers. This is the History Hit Warfare Podcast. |
| 1:33.0 | And I could talk about this all day, |
| 1:35.0 | but to take us through this history, |
| 1:37.0 | we have the legendary Sir Max Hastings, |
| 1:40.0 | who joins Dan to tell him about Operation Pedestor. |
| 1:44.4 | It was in August 1942 that four aircraft carriers, two battleships, seven light cruisers, |
| 1:49.5 | 32 destroyers, 11 submarines, and a host of smaller vessels accompanied by aircraft, escorted just 14 |
| 1:56.2 | merchant ships as they attempted to battle their way through from Gibraltar to Malta. |
| 2:06.7 | This is a truly fascinating episode so please go and drop us a five-star review with just one click on Spotify or on Apple Podcast feel free to ride a review as well and remember you can always get in contact with us directly |
| 2:16.6 | Tell us what you enjoy tell us what you want more of tell us the topics that we need to cover |
... |
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