The Air Battle for Malta: The Diaries of a Spitfire Pilot

by James Douglas-Hamilton, P.B. "Laddie" Lucas

Overview

This book provides an intriguing and realistic account of the struggle for the possession of Malta during World War II. The air battle raged for two and a half years during which time 14,000 tons of bombs were dropped on a defiant population.The history is based on the diaries of Lord David Douglas-Hamilton, the author's uncle, who was the leader of a Spitfire squadron that defended the island during the worst of the crisis.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781781597880
Publisher:	Pen & Sword Books Limited
Publication date:	01/24/2020
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	254
Sales rank:	600,462
File size:	9 MB

About the Author

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton read history at Balliol College, was a boxing blue and President of the Oxford Union. After a spell in the legal profession, he became the Member of Parliament for Edinburgh West. From 1999 to 2007 he was a member of the Scottish Parliament. He retired from Parliament in 2007 and now sits in the House of Lords.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements     vii
Introduction   P. B. (Laddie) Lucas CBE, DSO, DFC     ix
Part 1     1
The Struggle for Survival     3
Hitler, Operation Hercules and Churchill     20
Part 2     31
The Squadron Commander and His Diary     33
The First USS Wasp Malta Relief Force     45
The Fighter Pilot's Paradise     55
The Victory of 10 May     75
Ferocious Encounters     86
The June Convoy and Invasion Postponed     99
July Battles and a Remarkable Escape     112
The Convoy Lifeline and a Fighter Offensive     127
The Breaking of the Luftwaffe - October 1942     138
The Raising of the Siege and The Call of Duty     146
Part 3     171
The Fighter Pilots and The Victory of Malta     173
Sources     186
Select Bibliography     197
Index     203