ROYAL NAVY SHIPS
IN MALTA
The Mediterranean Fleet was considered Great Britain's First Battle Squadron, while its Home Fleet was known as the Second Battle Squadron respectively. The above compilation is from an official HMSO publication: 'The Navy List' of January 1937
Apart from the ships garrisoned here, many others from the 2nd Squadron and other formations visited Malta over the years, to supplement, replace other vessels within the Mediterranean Fleet, in transit to other stations, or as parts of convoys during the Second World War
At dawn of June 11th, 1940, one day after Benito Mussolini's declaration of war, Admiral Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet put to sea with one aircraft carrier (HMS Eagle), 2 Battleships, 5 Cruisers and a force of screening of destroyers. The Battle Fleet swept the central Mediterranean as far as the south coast of Italy, in search of the enemy. For the Royal Navy, this marked the start of an intense and heroic sea campaign with many losses to both Allied and Axis forces
As a young destroyer commander in World War I, Cunningham was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and went on to earn a reputation as a master ship-handler in the interwar period. Serving mostly in the Mediterranean in the 1930s, the admiral was eventually named commander in chief of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1939. Photo from official wartime Admiralty account of the Naval War in the Eastern Mediterranean for September 1939 to March 1941:
"East of Malta ~ West of Suez (His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1943, Crown Copyright)
The photo above is taken from the wartime book 'Britain's Glorious Navy', and shows British Battleships, escorted by Cruisers and Destroyers on offensive patrol in the Mediterranean
The ships listed on this page all belong to the 1st Battle Squadron / Mediterranean Fleet. They are being presented here in the same categories given in the above Navy List
site under construction
Apart from the ships garrisoned here, many others from the 2nd Squadron and other formations visited Malta over the years, to supplement, replace other vessels within the Mediterranean Fleet, in transit to other stations, or as parts of convoys during the Second World War
At dawn of June 11th, 1940, one day after Benito Mussolini's declaration of war, Admiral Cunningham, Commander-in-Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet put to sea with one aircraft carrier (HMS Eagle), 2 Battleships, 5 Cruisers and a force of screening of destroyers. The Battle Fleet swept the central Mediterranean as far as the south coast of Italy, in search of the enemy. For the Royal Navy, this marked the start of an intense and heroic sea campaign with many losses to both Allied and Axis forces
As a young destroyer commander in World War I, Cunningham was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and went on to earn a reputation as a master ship-handler in the interwar period. Serving mostly in the Mediterranean in the 1930s, the admiral was eventually named commander in chief of the Mediterranean Fleet in 1939. Photo from official wartime Admiralty account of the Naval War in the Eastern Mediterranean for September 1939 to March 1941:
"East of Malta ~ West of Suez (His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1943, Crown Copyright)
The photo above is taken from the wartime book 'Britain's Glorious Navy', and shows British Battleships, escorted by Cruisers and Destroyers on offensive patrol in the Mediterranean
The ships listed on this page all belong to the 1st Battle Squadron / Mediterranean Fleet. They are being presented here in the same categories given in the above Navy List
site under construction