Operation Portcullis facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Operation Portcullis |
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| Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of the Second World War | |||||||
 Relief map of the Mediterranean Sea |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom |
 Kingdom of Italy Nazi Germany |
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Operation Portcullis was a special trip by ships carrying supplies to Malta during World War II. It happened from December 1 to 5, 1942. This operation was part of the Battle of the Mediterranean.
A group of Allied ships, called Convoy MW 14, sailed from Port Said in Egypt. Their mission was to bring much-needed supplies to the island of Malta. This trip followed another successful supply mission called Operation Stoneage. That earlier mission had helped to end the long siege of the island.
Four merchant ships, loaded with supplies, were part of Convoy MW 14. They were protected by seven destroyers and three cruisers. More warships from Malta joined them later. The good news was that the convoy was not attacked by enemy forces. All the supplies reached Malta safely and were unloaded quickly.
Contents
Why was Malta so important?
Malta's role in World War II
Malta is a small island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. During World War II, it was a very important base for the Allies. From Malta, Allied planes and ships could attack enemy supply routes. These routes were used by Germany and Italy to send supplies to their armies in North Africa.
In late 1942, the Allies started to gain control of the central Mediterranean. This happened because Malta survived the siege, thanks to supply convoys like Operation Pedestal and Operation Stoneage. Also, the Allies won important battles in North Africa, like the Second Battle of El Alamein and Operation Torch.
Malta becomes an offensive base
With new supplies, Malta became a strong base again. Allied submarines and aircraft based there began sinking many enemy ships. This made it very hard for Germany and Italy to get fuel and other supplies to their armies. The enemy armies in North Africa started to run low on fuel. This forced them to retreat.
By November 1942, Allied forces were pushing the enemy back. The Desert Air Force quickly took over abandoned airfields. This allowed Allied planes to fly closer to the enemy. Secret messages, decoded by the Allies (known as Ultra), showed that the enemy armies were running out of fuel.
How the convoy was planned
Axis command structure
The enemy forces (Axis) had a complicated command system. In Italy, Benito Mussolini controlled all parts of the Italian military. In Germany, Field Marshal Albert Kesselring was in charge of German ground forces in the area. However, he didn't control all operations or how convoys were organized.
German and Italian forces often had trouble working together. There was not much "unity of effort." The Italian Navy, for example, did not want German forces to tell them what to do. This made it harder for the Axis to fight effectively.
Convoy MW 14 ships
Convoy MW 14 included four merchant ships:
- Agwimonte
- Alcoa Prospector
- Suffolk
- Glenartney
These ships were protected by a group of warships. Seven Hunt-class destroyers were with them all the time. These included British ships like HMS Aldenham and Belvoir, and the Greek ship Pindos.
Later, the cruiser HMS Orion and three more destroyers joined from Alexandria. When the convoy was near Crete, more ships from Malta joined them. This group, called Force K, included two cruisers, Dido and Euryalus, and four destroyers.
The convoy's journey
On the evening of December 1, Convoy MW 14 left Port Said. The next day, they met up with a tanker ship, Yorba Linda, and two more destroyers. On December 3, the cruiser Orion and three destroyers arrived.
On December 4, Force K from Malta joined the convoy. This made the convoy even stronger. The ships sailed towards Malta at a speed of about 16 knots (18 mph or 30 km/h). They faced only a few weak attacks from enemy torpedo planes. These attacks did not cause any damage.
The convoy reached Grand Harbour in Malta early on December 5. The people of Malta and the soldiers on the island were very happy to see the ships arrive. Unloading the supplies began quickly. By December 9, all the ships were empty. This successful mission helped Malta greatly.
See also
