Malta: The Hurricane Years 1940-41

Rating:
Summary: A SOBERING STORY OF A SPIRITED DEFENSE OF MALTA
Review: This book fully details the grim years of the Second World War for Britain in the Mediterranean when a small group of Hurricane fighters helped to keep Malta secure as a valuable base for the British. These planes succeeded the 3 Gloster Gladiator biplane fighters - named 'Faith', 'Hope', and 'Charity' - which constituted for a time the only defense for Malta against the aerial onslaught on Malta by the Italian Regia Aeronautica, which began shortly after Italy declared war on Britain in June 1940.

Though the Hurricane performed well against the Regia Aeronautica, it had a very hard time standing up to the Luftwaffe when it made its presence keenly felt over Malta during 1941. In particular, the Messerschmitt 109 fighter, which outclassed it in almost every respect. Nevertheless, the Hurricane helped to keep Malta free as Britain faced the spectre of defeat in the Mediterranean between 1940 and 1942.