Evening star., 1942-09-30
Says Malta Proves
Air Power Indecisive
Militory Commentator Argues
Aerial Bombordment Alone
Cannot Reduce Fortress
By Maj. George Fielding Eliot.

oy MoJ. 1eOge totabg EHot.
In considering the effect of aerial
bombardment from the viewpoint of its
ability or lack of ability to gain a deci-
sion in war, it may be instructive to
examine ne record of Malta.
The main island of Malta, which is
the only one which need be taken into
account, is some l7Ia miles long by 81
broad-a total of 81 square miles. 1t
contains q population of approximately
250,0Oo. 1t has large fortified harbor
with naval dockyard and several
air bases. It's weather conditions are
generally good throughout the year,
with excellent visibility
Malta lies about 60 miles from the
coast of Sicily, about l4o miles from
the mainland OF Italy, and about l80
miles from the coast of Africa. All
Of these surrounding territories, north,
south, east and west, are in the hands
or under the control of the Axis powers
Hostile aviation is based In all of them,
except to the westward in Tunisia.
The ranges permit the use of dive
bombers as we'll as level bombers and
also allow of close fighter escort for all
bombing formations.
No conditions could be more ideal
for conclusive proof of the conten-
ton of air-warfare enthusiasts that
air power, alone and unaided, is capable
of achieving decisive results.
There is plenty of incentive for the
Axis leaders to do their best to reduce
Malta. While the island remains i'll
British hands, it remains long, sharp
thorn in the side of the Axis, chiefly
by reason of the threat which it offers
to the communications of Marshal Err
win Rommels army in North Africa.
AS long as British reconnaissance air.
craft can operate from Malta, they can
locate conveys proceeding from Italian
ports to Tripoh and Bengasi and as
long as British submarines and bonn
bardment aircraft can operate from
Malta they can attack these conveys
under far more favorable conditions
than is possible when operating from
Alexandria.
yet, with everything in their favor,
the most intensive efforts on the part of
the Axis air force have not sufiiced to
knock Malta out rs British base, nor
even to prevent its periodic reinforce
ment and supply by conveys coming
through the Mediterranean from Gil
hr21tar ndlrin0 tho nf AEor
April and May of this year, when it was
absolutely necessary to the Axis plans
that Rommel should receive supplies and
reinforcements in large quantities, the
Germans were driven to the costly expe-
dient of keeping up continuously day and
night air attacks on Malta, and by so
doing they did succeed temporarily in
preventing for the most part the actual
operation OF British submarines and air.
craft from the island. But they were
able to do this only as long as they kept
their continuous air attacks going, and
the moment that these were relaxed
Malta again became an operating base.
From the point OF view of those who
maintain that all Germany can be made
helpless by air bombardment alone, this
is not an impressive record.
From September, 1941, to June. 1912,
total of 1900 tons of bombs has been
dropped on this small island, or an
average of 154 tons a square mile. Act
ually the concentration in the vital areas
of the island was much greater than this
since the enemy, of course, concentrated
his major effort on the air bases, the
naval base, the harbor, and the city of
Valletta. The heaviest weight of bombs
in one day was 500 tons. During this
time there have been almost 5000 sepa
rate raids on the island by enemy air
formations of varying sizes. During the
nrst TOUR months of 1912, Malta was
visited by total of 1000 enemy air.
craft OF all types. A great part of the
bombing has been by dive bombers and
hence rather more accurate than level
bombing. Yet the British nag still flies
above Malta and British aircraft and
submarines continue to operate from the
island. striking with telling effect at the
Axis conveys, striving to bring supplies
to the Afrika Korps.
Nor has all this bombing broken tn,
spirit of the inhabitants, who. it mus,
be remembered, are not English but Mai.
tese. Instead it has stiffened their spirits
In the words of Miss Mabel Strickland
daughter OF a former prime minister o.
Malta, The Nazis lit torch among on,
people which burns with the white hea,
OF righteous anger against the Italian,
who have sold themselves to the German
overlords. The bombing of Turin wa!
balm on our island wounds"
| 1t may, of course, be contended thai
| Malta is fortress and not a center o
industry, and that it is against industria
| centers that air power can have it:
| greatest effects. This is a point which
must be taken into consideration: there
| are few absolutes in war and it woulc
be foolish to underrate the very grea1
| power OF the air weapon. But it will bt
| equally foolish to overrate it, and dis.
| astrous TO put our whole faith in it te
the neglect of other and equally neces.
sary means OF warfare Against this
tendency the record OF Malta is certainly
powerful antidote
copyrsht, 1912. New York Tribun. 1nc