Malta's World War II siege

The island-wide siege lasted from 11 June 1940 to 20 November 1942. It differed from the 1798-1800 blockade, when the French garrison in Valletta was itself besieged. The World War II campaign combined blockade and air attack, demanding repeated convoy runs through a contested Mediterranean. Britain supplied about 716 fighters over the campaign, while the Axis used roughly 2,000 aircraft. The figures cited include at least 1,300 civilians killed, about 2,300 airmen killed or wounded while operating from Malta, and 30,000 buildings damaged or destroyed. Many Maltese also joined the British armed forces and served beyond the island. Malta still contributed to air defence and attacks on Axis shipping. The strategic issue was whether the island could survive while continuing to disrupt the forces and supplies moving toward North Africa.