Operation Pedestal was a British convoy operation to supply the island of Malta in August 1942, during the Second World War. This article lists the ships and aircraft involved in the convoy and those of the Axis forces that opposed it.

From 1940 to 1942, the Axis besieged Malta in what became known as the Siege of Malta (1940). The island was a crucial base for the British in the Mediterranean theatre of the war and could not produce sufficient foodstuffs for the population and the garrison without regular deliveries by ship of food, medicines, equipment and military stores. The island ceased to be an offensive base for much of 1942 and the failure of Operation Harpoon (12–15 June 1942 ) left Malta so short of supplies that its surrender was calculated in weeks. Pedestal was a maximum effort to supply Malta in which ships from the Home Fleet were dispatched to Gibraltar to reinforce Force H, for the convoy and for Operation Torch. The next scheduled Arctic convoy, Convoy PQ 19, was cancelled for lack escorts that had been diverted for Pedestal.

The convoy sailed from Britain on 3 August 1942 and passed through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean on the night of Enough supplies were delivered for the population and the garrison on Malta to resume offensive operations. Fuel was carried by the US tanker , crewed by a British sailors, that reached Malta after an epic voyage, towed for much of the last leg by destroyers. Ohio sank in harbour but most of its fuel was recovered. The Axis attempt to prevent the convoy reaching Malta, with bombers, German E-boats, Italian MAS and MS boats, minefields and submarine ambushes, was their last sizeable success in the Mediterranean. More than Navy and Royal Navy sailors and airmen were killed, nine of the thirteen merchant ships were sunk and the tanker Ohio was severely damaged.

Pedestal was a costly strategic victory for the British. The arrival of Ohio justified the risks taken because its cargo of aviation fuel revitalised the Maltese air offensive against Axis shipping. Submarines and torpedo-bombers returned to Malta and Spitfire fighters flown from the aircraft carrier enabled a maximum effort to be made against Axis ships. Italian convoys had to detour further away from the island, lengthening the journey and increasing the time during which air and naval attacks could be mounted. The Siege of Malta was broken by the Allied re-conquest of Egypt and Libya after the Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November) and by Operation Torch (8–16 November) in the western Mediterranean, which enabled land-based aircraft to escort merchant ships to the island.

Order of battle, Force F

Force P +Convoy WS.21SShipYearFlagGRT Notes19407,821Sunk by MAS 554, no casualties193611,07619387,347Sunk by aircraft, 18 killed19141,796Sunk by aircraft, 1 killed193410,624Sunk by aircraft, no casualties194112,668Sunk by aircraft, no casualties19398,982Sunk by MS 31, 7 killed193612,80619409,265Damaged by aircraft, 2 killed, sank in harbour19338,535Convoy commodore A. G. Venables19377,79519408,380Sunk by S 36, 4 killed193812,843Sunk by aircraft, 83 killed193510,796Sunk

Ocean escort +Force P, Britain to rendezvousNameFlagTypeNotes Flag, Vice-Admiral Edward Syfret 10th Cruiser Flotilla Flag, Rear-Admiral Harold Burrough, 10th Cruiser Flotilla 19th Destroyer Flotilla 19th Destroyer Flotilla 19th Destroyer Flotilla Amazon-class destroyer From Western Approaches Command P-class destroyer 6th Destroyer Flotilla Q-class destroyer 19th Destroyer Flotilla From Western Approaches Command Shakespeare-class destroyer From Western Approaches Command, replaced V-class destroyer From Western Approaches Command V-class destroyer From Western Approaches Command W-class destroyer 19th Destroyer Flotilla W-class destroyer From Western Approaches Command 19th Destroyer Flotilla 19th Destroyer Flotilla

Operation Berserk

Rendezvous for convoy and escort signalling and manoeuvre rehearsals, 6 to 9 August

Force J +Gibraltar to rendezvousNameFlagType Notes Aircraft carrier From Gibraltar From Gibraltar V-class destroyer From Gibraltar W-class destroyer From Gibraltar W-class destroyer From Gibraltar

Force K +Freetown to rendezvousNameFlagTypeNotes From Freetown From Freetown L-class destroyer From Freetown L-class destroyer From Freetown L-class destroyer From Freetown

Force M +Britain to rendezvousNameFlagTypeNotes Aircraft carrier Flag, Rear-Admiral Lumley Lyster from Scapa Flow Flag, Rear-Admiral Lumley Lyster from Scapa Flow Flag, Vice-Admiral Edward Syfret from Scapa Flow From Scapa Flow From Scapa Flow F-class destroyer Minesweeper F-class destroyer Minesweeper Minesweeper HMS Buxton From Scapa Flow

Force W

+Fleet oiler and escorts, Britain to rendezvousNameFlagTypeNotes

Fleet Air Arm +Sea componentSquadronFlagTypeNo.Notes 801 Naval Air Squadron Sea Hurricane 16 Embarked in 813 Naval Air Squadron Sea Hurricane 4 Embarked in 800 Naval Air Squadron Sea Hurricane — Embarked in 806 Naval Air Squadron Martlet 9 Embarked in 827 Naval Air Squadron Albacore 16 Embarked in 831 Naval Air Squadron Albacore — Embarked in 880 Naval Air Squadron Sea Hurricane — Embarked in 809 Naval Air Squadron Fulmar 8 Embarked in 832 Naval Air Squadron Albacore 12 Embarked in 884 Naval Air Squadron Fulmar 8 Embarked in 885 Naval Air Squadron Sea Hurricane 5 Embarked in

+Land componentSquadronFlagTypeNo.Notes 828 Naval Air Squadron Albacore 27 Based at RAF Hal Far, Malta 830 Naval Air Squadron Swordfish 1 Based at RAF Hal Far, Malta

Force R +Fuelling detachmentNameFlagTypeNotes tanker tanker Ocean-going tug

Force X +Close escort to Malta (data from Smith unless indicated)NameFlagTypeNotes Torpedoed 12 August, Axum, 37°40'N, 10°06'E, scuttled 13 August Torpedoed by MS boat, 36°50'N, 11°10'E, scuttled Damaged, 12 August, U-boats Flag, Rear-Admiral Harold Burrough, damaged, 12 August, U-boat 6th Destroyer Flotilla F-class destroyer Torpedoed by aircraft, 12 August, 37°40'N, 10°00'E scuttled 13 August F-class destroyer 6th Destroyer Flotilla 6th Destroyer Flotilla 6th Destroyer Flotilla P-class destroyer 6th Destroyer Flotilla P-class destroyer 6th Destroyer Flotilla 6th Destroyer Flotilla 6th Destroyer Flotilla 6th Destroyer Flotilla 6th Destroyer Flotilla Ocean-going tug

Force Y

Operation Ascendant +ShipYearFlagGRT Notes193110,350Reefer ship, empty since Operation Harpoon, returning from Malta to Gibraltar1921 7,422Empty since Operation Harpoon, returning from Malta to Gibraltar

+EscortsNameFlagTypeNotes M-class destroyer Escort Escort

Force Z +Heavy cover and air supportNameFlagTypeNotes Aircraft carrier 11 August, sunk, , 38°05'N, 03°02'E Flag, Rear-Admiral Lumley Lyster Flag, Force F, Vice-Admiral Edward Syfret A-class destroyer 19th Destroyer Flotilla 19th Destroyer Flotilla L-class destroyer 19th Destroyer Flotilla L-class destroyer 19th Destroyer Flotilla L-class destroyer 19th Destroyer Flotilla Q-class destroyer 19th Destroyer Flotilla 19th Destroyer Flotilla 19th Destroyer Flotilla 19th Destroyer Flotilla V-class destroyer 19th Destroyer Flotilla W-class destroyer 19th Destroyer Flotilla W-class destroyer 19th Destroyer Flotilla W-class destroyer Sank Dagabur W-class destroyer 19th Destroyer Flotilla 19th Destroyer Flotilla 19th Destroyer Flotilla

Malta Escort Force +Vessels delivered to Malta in Operation HarpoonNameFlagType Notes 14th/17th Minesweeper Flotilla 14th/17th Minesweeper Flotilla 14th/17th Minesweeper Flotilla 14th/17th Minesweeper Flotilla ML 121 Fairmile B motor launch 3rd Motor Launch Flotilla ML 126 Fairmile B motor launch 3rd Motor Launch Flotilla ML 134 Fairmile B motor launch 3rd Motor Launch Flotilla ML 135 Fairmile B motor launch 3rd Motor Launch Flotilla ML 168 Fairmile B motor launch 3rd Motor Launch Flotilla ML 459 Fairmile B motor launch 3rd Motor Launch Flotilla ML 462 Fairmile B motor launch 3rd Motor Launch Flotilla

10th Submarine Flotilla +Patrols to intercept vesselsNameFlagType Notes S-class submarine Patrolling between Malta and Tunisia S-class submarine Patrolling off Milazzo U-class submarine Patrolling between Malta and Tunisia U-class submarine Patrolling between Malta and Tunisia U-class submarine Patrolling off Palermo U-class submarine Patrolling between Malta and Tunisia U-class submarine Patrolling between Malta and Tunisia U-class submarine Patrolling between Malta and Tunisia

Club Run to Malta +Operation BellowsNameFlagTypeNotes 40 of 42 Spitfires, 38 to Malta, 2 early returns

+Aircraft deliverySquadronFlagTypeNo.Notes — Spitfire VB 42 Embarked in 823 Naval Air Squadron Albacore 4 Spare aircraft, embarked in

Reserve Escort Group +Reserve destroyersNameFlagTypeNotes Amazon-class destroyer Shakespeare-class destroyer V-class destroyer V-class destroyer W-class destroyer W-class destroyer W-class destroyer

RAF Malta +RAF squadrons at MaltaSquadronFlagTypeRoleNotes 126 Squadron Spitfire Fighter 185 Squadron Spitfire Fighter 229 Squadron Spitfire Fighter 249 Squadron Spitfire Fighter 1435 Squadron Spitfire Fighter 235 Squadron Beaufighter Heavy fighter 248 Squadron Beaufighter Heavy fighter 252 Squadron Beaufighter Heavy fighter 89 Squadron Beaufighter Night fighter 39 Squadron Beaufort Torpedo-bomber 86 Squadron Beaufort Torpedo-bomber 217 Squadron Beaufort Torpedo-bomber 38 Squadron Wellington Night bomber 40 Squadron Wellington Night bomber 159 Squadron Liberator Night bomber 55 Squadron Baltimore Day bomber 69 Squadron — Reconnaissance Baltimore, Wellington, PRU Spitfire 203 Squadron Maryland Reconnaissance RAF Middle East Command

Operation MG 3 Convoy MW12a +Port SaidShipYearFlagGRT Notes19378,04919388,03919388,036

Escorts, Convoy MW 12a +Convoy MW 12a escortsNameFlagTypeNotes J-class destroyer K-class destroyer P-class destroyer P-class destroyer

Convoy MW 12b +Convoy MW 12b (Haifa)ShipYearFlagGRT NotesSS Ajax19317,540

Escorts, Convoy MW 12b +Convoy MW 12b escortsNameFlagTypeNotes J-class destroyer

Operation MG 4 +Rhodes diversion, 13 August 1942NameFlagTypeNotes J-class destroyer K-class destroyer

Axis order of battle

+Cruiser divisionsNameFlagTypeNotesFrom Messina 3rd Cruiser Division 3rd Cruiser Division 3rd Cruiser Division From Caligari 7th Cruiser Division Severely damaged Minelaying, Sicilian narrows From Palermo 8th Cruiser Division

Axis submarines + Axis submarine patrolsNameFlagClass NotesPatrol, west of MaltaPatrol line, north of Tunisia, Cap BonPatrol line, north of Tunisia, Cap BonPatrol line, north of Tunisia, Cap Bon, rammed and sunk by Ithuriel Patrol line, Algiers to Balearics, damaged by Sunderlands, 12 AugustPatrol line, north of Tunisia, Cap Bon Patrol line, Algiers to BalearicsPatrol line, north of Tunisia, Cap BonPatrol line, north of Tunisia, Cap BonPatrol line, north of Tunisia, Cap Bon, torpedoed Cairo, Nigeria, Ohio Patrol line, Algiers to Balearics, sunk by Wolverine, 12 AugustPatrol line, north of Tunisia, Cap Bon Patrol line, Algiers to Balearics Patrol line, Algiers to BalearicsPatrol line, north of Tunisia, Cap BonPatrol line, north of Tunisia, Cap BonType VIIB submarine Patrol line, Algiers to BalearicsType VIIC submarineType VIIC submarine Patrol line, Algiers to Balearics

Light forces +Italian and German motor torpedo boatsNameFlagTypeNotes MS 16 MS 22 MS 23 MS 25 MS 26 MS 31 MAS 543 MAS 548 MAS 549 MAS 563 MAS 533 , independent minelaying operation MAS 556 MAS 560 MAS 562 MAS 552 MAS 554 MAS 557 MAS 564 S 30 S 30-class Schnellboot 3rd Flotilla S 36 S 30-class Schnellboot 3rd Flotilla S 58 S 30-class Schnellboot 3rd Flotilla S 59 S 30-class Schnellboot 3rd Flotilla

Axis air forces