Rocket and Malta's strike reach — Naval History Live: Operations Tiger and Splice at 1:48:00

Notes

Operation Rocket shows how improvised the aircraft pipeline could be. Aircraft were assembled from crates aboard carriers, prepared for one carrier launch, and then committed to reaching Malta. Furious and Ark Royal flew off thirty-five Hurricane IIs, guided across by Blenheims from Gibraltar. Blenheims, Wellingtons, Swordfish, and Fulmars gave a supplied Malta the reach to threaten North African supply routes and Axis-held ports. In June 1941, 142 aircraft reached Malta, enough for some to continue to Egypt as replacements.

Source

Video

Naval History Live: Operations Tiger and Splice

Date

23 May 2024

Time

1:48:00-1:56:09

Kind

Notable Point

Transcript passages

1:48:00-1:50:20Later operations assembled crated aircraft aboard carriers and launched them after hasty conversion for carrier operations.
1:50:24-1:50:46During Operation Rocket, Furious and Ark Royal launched thirty-five Hurricane IIs guided by Blenheims from Gibraltar.
1:51:12-1:53:10Blenheims, Wellingtons, Swordfish, and Fulmars operated from Malta, making the island a major problem for the Regia Marina, Regia Aeronautica, and North African resupply.
1:53:21-1:54:05Wellington and Blenheim reach extended to North African supply routes and Axis-held ports, allowing a supplied Malta to strike back.
1:54:56-1:56:09Many aircraft reached Malta in June 1941, while Malta-based Force K provided a critical surface-attack capability.