Appendix I — PRINCIPAL EVENTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND — MEDITERRANEAN CAMPAIGNS 1940–45

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Appendix I
PRINCIPAL EVENTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND MEDITERRANEAN CAMPAIGNS 1940–45

(With particular reference to Air Operations)
1940
june
10 Italy declared war on Great Britain and France.
11 Malta raided by Italian aircraft. First sorties by ‘Faith’, ‘Hope’ and ‘Charity’.
11 East African campaign began.
11 RAF Blenheim bombers made dawn attack on Italian airfield at El Adem.
28 Sunderland flying-boat operating from Malta attacked and sank first Italian U-boat to be destroyed by aircraft during the war.
28 Hurricanes made their first sorties from Malta.
august
5 Italians invade British Somaliland.
18 Evacuation of British Somaliland.
september
5 The first consignment of aircraft for delivery over the West African reinforcement route arrived at Takoradi.
13 Italian forces advanced across Egyptian border.
18 The first convoy of erected aircraft took off from Takoradi for the Middle East.
october
28 Italy invaded Greece from Albania.
november
1 RAF and Fleet Air Arm began attacks on Italian and Albanian ports from Malta.
11 First RAF offensive operation over Greece – attack on Valona airfield.
december
9 First British offensive in the Western Desert began.
16 British offensive opened in Italian East Africa.
16 Egypt cleared of all Italian forces.

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1941
january
3 Strong Luftwaffe contingents transferred to Italy and Sicily.
9 German and Italian air attacks on convoy in Sicilian Channel. HMS Illustrious damaged. HMS Southampton lost.
10 Beginning of the Illustrious blitz on Malta which continued for ten days.
22 Australian troops captured Tobruk.
february
6 British forces entered Benghazi.
8 El Agheila occupied by British forces.
march
Enemy air raids on Malta continue.
4 British forces from Egypt disembark in Greece.
28–29 Naval battle at Cape Matapan. RAF aircraft from Greece take part.
29 South African troops supported by SAAF occupied Diredawa, Abyssinia.
30 Enemy counter-offensive in Western Desert.
april
3 British forces evacuated Benghazi.
6 Imperial forces entered Addis Ababa.
6 Germans invade Greece and Yugoslavia.
12 Siege of Tobruk began.
18 Yugoslav Army surrendered to German forces.
27 Germans entered Athens.
27 Axis forces crossed the Egyptian frontier and occupied Halfaya Pass.
28 German forces captured Sollum – front line stabilised at Halfaya-Capuzzo.
may
1 First attacks by Blenheims based on Malta against enemy shipping in transit to North Africa.
2 Evacuation of Imperial forces from Greece completed.
2 Siege of RAF Habbaniya began.
6 Iraqi rebels driven from Habbaniya.
17 Italian forces in East Africa surrendered.
20 Germans invaded Crete – first large-scale airborne invasion.
28–31 British and Dominion troops evacuated from Crete.
31 End of hostilities in Iraq.
june
8 Imperial and Free French forces entered Syria.
15–18 Operation battleaxe to relieve Tobruk failed.

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july
11 Hostilities in Syria ceased.
25 British convoy arrives at Malta after two-day battle.
25–26 German air/sea attack on the Grand Harbour of Malta repulsed with heavy enemy losses.
30 AVM Arthur Coningham assumes appointment as AOC Desert Air Force.
august
25 British and Russian forces entered Iran.
november
18 British crusader offensive in Western Desert began.
december
10 Siege of Tobruk raised.
24 British forces retake Benghazi.
1942
january
11 AVM Keith Park takes up appointment as AOC Egypt.
21 Second counter-offensive in the Western Desert by Rommel, east from El Agheila.
29 German forces retake Benghazi and advance on Barce.
february
RAF operates intensively in support of ground forces. Bombers attack airfields in Sicily; and in North Africa the ports of Benghazi and Tripoli and enemy shipping are the main targets.
20 Western Desert battle line stabilised at Gazala.
march
Heavy German air attacks on Malta.
10 First operations by Spitfires from Malta.
april
Peak of enemy air attacks on Malta.
may
7–10 Spitfire reinforcements, flown off the aircraft carriers Wasp and Eagle, arrived in Malta.
26 Axis offensive opened at Gazala. Beginning of the Battle for Egypt.
june
10 Bir Hacheim evacuated by Allied forces.
11–12 First USAAF attack in the Middle East/Mediterranean theatre. Fifteen Liberators raided Ploesti oilfields.
17–18 Eighth Army withdrew to the Egyptian border, leaving a garrison at Tobruk.
21 Tobruk captured by the Germans.
july
Further enemy attempt to neutralise Malta by air attack.
1 German forces advancing into Egypt halted at El Alamein.
15 AVM Keith Park becomes AOC Malta.

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AUGUST 31 to SEPTEMBER 6 OCTOBER Battle of Alam el Halfa. Rommel's final attempt to break through at El Alamein defeated.
11–19 Final enemy attempt to subdue Malta by air attack is defeated.
23–24 Eighth Army offensive opened at El Alamein. RAF provides maximum air support.
november
RAF makes a great contribution to the defeat of Axis forces in the desert and to the success of the Allied invasion of North-west Africa.
3 In Egypt Axis forces began retreating westwards from El Alamein.
8 Allied forces landed in French North Africa (Operation torch).
11 Admiral Darlan ordered cease fire of French forces in North Africa.
German occupation of Tunis and Bizerta.
13 Tobruk recaptured by Allied forces.
14 Tunisia entered by British First Army from Algiers.
20 Benghazi entered by British Eighth Army.
december
13 German forces withdraw from El Agheila.
1943
january
23 British forces entered Tripoli.
29 Advanced units of Eighth Army crossed into Tunisia from Tripolitania.
february
14–22 Battle of Kasserine Pass.
17 Re-organisation of Allied Command. Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder assumed command of Allied Mediterranean Air Forces.
27 Eighth Army took up positions on the Mareth Line.
march
20–28 Eighth Army broke through the Mareth Line.
29 El Hamma occupied by British forces.
april
10 Sfax occupied by British forces.
21 British forces captured Enfidaville.

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may
7 Allies captured Tunis and Bizerta.
13 Allied campaign in North Africa ended.
june
11 Pantellaria occupied by Allied forces.
12 Surrender of Lampedusa.
july
9–10 Allied invasion of Sicily by air and sea.
august
16 Messina, Sicily, captured by Allied forces.
17 End of Sicilian campaign.
september
3 British and Canadian troops landed in southern Italy.
3 Armistice signed with Italy but not declared until 8 September.
9 British and American troops landed on Salerno beaches.
14 Allied landings in Sardinia.
23 Allied forces landed in Greece.
27 Foggia captured by Eighth Army.
october
1 Naples occupied by Fifth Army.
4 Corsica captured.
18 Volturno River line cleared of enemy forces.
23 Formation of Mediterranean Allied Strategical Air Force.
december
1 German line on Sangro River broken.
1944
january
22 Fifth Army troops landed at Anzio and Nettuno.
february
Battle for Cassino began.
15 Allied Air Forces bombed Montecassino monastery, dropping some 450 tons of bombs.
march
15 Cassino attacked by Allied Air Forces; 1100 tons of bombs dropped.
19 Operation strangle – the rail interdiction programme in Italy – began and continued until 11 May 1944.
april
2 Russian forces entered Rumania.
5 First of a series of twenty-four day and night attacks by American and British aircraft from the Mediterranean on the oil refineries at Ploesti.
8–9 RAF bombers flew the first minelaying mission to the Danube. Mines laid near Belgrade.

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may
11–12 Allied aircraft opened attacks against the Gustav Line in Italy.
18 Cassino and the monastery captured by the Allies.
june
1 Formation of the RAF Balkan Air Force.
4 Fifth Army captured Rome.
6 Allied armies landed in Normandy.
july
12–16 Twenty bridges across the Po River put out of use by Allied air attacks.
17 Eighth Army crossed the Arno.
august
1 Polish Underground Army began the Warsaw rising. Allied aircraft dropped supplies and incurred heavy casualties before the fighting ended on 3 October.
11 Eighth Army liberated Florence.
15 Allied invasion of southern France, preceded by an intensive four-day air bombardment and attacks by airborne troops.
30 Ploesti captured by the Russians.
september
2 Eighth Army broke through the Gothic Line.
october
4–5 RAF aircraft flew their last minelaying operation to the Danube.
14 Liberation of Athens.
november
2 Greek mainland cleared of German forces.
december
3 Beginning of civil war in Greece.
4 Eighth Army entered Ravenna, Italy.
1945
january
14 End of civil war in Greece.
17 Warsaw occupied by Russian forces.
april
10 Final offensive by Fifth and Eighth Armies in Italy began.
20 Bologna captured by Allies.
27 Genoa occupied by Americans. In this month the Mediterranean Allied Air Force dropped its record bomb load for one month – 56,296 tons.
may
2 Surrender of German forces in Italy.

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About this page...

Title: New Zealanders with the Royal Air Force (Volume III)

Author: Thompson, Wing Commander H. L.

Publication details: Historical Publications Branch, 1959, Wellington

Part of: The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945

This text is the subject of: ‘Something of Them Is Here Recorded’: Official History in New Zealand

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