Many brave men were lost during this heroic and most bombarded convoy of the Second World War; awards were numerous, including another brave act by a crew member of HMS Ledbury were selected for their speed, size and reliability, protected by a large escort of Royal Navy warships. But on only the second day after their entry into the Mediterranean, the aircraft carrier Eagle Moses, Sam (2006). At All Costs: How a Crippled Ship and Two American Merchant Marines Turned the Tide of World War II. New York: Random House. ISBN 978-0-345-47674-6.

Churchill recognised the sacrifices made to resupply Malta at all costs: “In the end five gallant merchant ships out of 14 got through with their precious cargoes. The loss of 350 officers and men and of so many of the finest ships in the merchant navy and in the fleet of the Royal Navy was grievous. This is an excellent addition to the body of Pedestal literature – as well as a very detailed account of the battle, liberally sprinkled with first-hand descriptions from those who were there, there are more than a dozen appendices.

Additional Resources About WW2 Armies

Motobomba FFF torpedo: 50cm (20in) in diameter and weighing 350kg (770lb), 260lb (120kg) comprising the warhead. [49]

Pedestal's story has been well told countless times: the tale of the defiant Ohio, which simply refused to sink, and of other ships which defied all odds has been, rightly, repeated time and time again.series and the warships adapted illustrations from Jane's Fighting Ships. The bibliography is very impressive and comprises a good mix of primary and secondary sources. The entries here are clear and consistent and are a valuable resource for anyone wishing to conduct further research on this subject. which had been torpedoed and bombed to a standstill, was eventually towed, nursed and coaxed into Valletta's Grand Harbour on the 15th, against all odds. Her voyage is legendary and Captain Dudley Mason was deservedly awarded the George Cross for his action. In 2003, Ian Malcolm listed 160 men killed on Eagle, 132 on Manchester, 52 on Nigeria, 50 on Indomitable, 24 on Cairo, five on Foresight, three on Kenya. Merchant Navy casualties were 83 on Waimarama, eighteen on Clan Ferguson, 7 on Glenorchy, 5 on Melbourne Star, 4 on Santa Elisa, 1 on Deucalion, 1 on Ohio and 1 on Brisbane Star. [98] In 2010, Milan Vego wrote that about 350 men had been killed, Ohio never sailed again and the British lost a carrier ( Eagle), the cruisers Manchester and Cairo and the destroyer Foresight. The carrier Indomitable, the cruisers Nigeria and Kenya and three destroyers were damaged and under repair for some time. On the Axis side, the Italian cruisers Bolzano and Muzio Attendolo were damaged and not operational for the rest of the war, the Italian submarines Cobalto and Dagabur were sunk, the Italian submarine Giada and the German E-Boat S58 were damaged. [64] Shot down and killed by a Bf109, while protecting the 'Pedestal' convoy, flying Bristol Beaufighter T5101/W – 248 Squadron – 13 August 1942)

At 9.11pm on August 12, the cruiser HMS Kenya (Captain A.S. Russell) was torpedoed by the Italian submarine Alagi, seriously damaging its bow. It kept pace with the convoy and, later on, it made it to Gibraltar, suffering three fatal casualties. The merchant ships Rochester Castle, Brisbane Star, Melbourne Star, and Port Chalmers all sustained varying degrees of damage as well. Many brave men were lost during this heroic and most bombarded convoy of World War Two, and all are recorded in this well researched and thorough book, which tells the story of the convoy, accompanied by a fine selection of photographs and a host of technical details. The author's stated reasons for embarking on this publication aside, it is clear that this work is a labour of love and the product of intensive research. In Operation Pedestal, Brian Crabb has achieved a very good balance between detail and readability, and despite some very minor issues with the text, this book is highly recommended to anyone with the interest in the Second World War operations in the Mediterranean theatre in general, or the Pedestal convoy in particular. Suggestion: Bite the bullet: Because this book is selling very fast and will not be reprinted. (Over half of the copies have been sold since May 2014). Believe me, you will not be disappointed. BJC.This book reveals the true story of Operation Pedestal, the convoy to relieve the desperate plight of Malta in August 1942, which involved thirteen modern cargo ships and the new American oil tanker Ohio. They were selected for their speed, size and reliability, and were protected by a large escort of Royal Navy warships. Motor Vessel WAIRANGI built by Harland & Wolff LTD. In 1935 for Shaw, Savill & Albion Co. LTD., Southampton, Refrigerated Cargo". Mr Crabb has done as much work on the human side of the story as he has on the machines, producing where possible eyewitness accounts (the story of how destroyer HMS Ledbury

Hague, A. (2000). The Allied Convoy System 1939–1945: Its Organization, Defence and Operation. London: Chatham. ISBN 1-86176-147-3.

Brisbane Star’s damaged bow photographed after arriving in Grand Harbour on August 14, 1942. Photo: Wikipedia.com Squadron: S 59, S 58, S 30 and S 36, 18th MAS: MAS 556, MAS 560, MAS 562 and MAS 557, 2nd MS: MS 16, MS 22, MS 23, MS 25 and MS 26. 20th MAS: MAS 552, MAS 553, MAS 554, MAS 564. [69]