Cel : Malta

Abstract

"Be pleased to inform Their Lordships that the Italian battlefleet now lies at anchor under the guns of the fortress of Malta" Admiral Cunningham to the Secretary of the Admiralty, 11th September 1943. By the end of August 1943 the Allied armies were poised to invade the Italian mainland. The Italian admirals were pondering how best to defend Italy with their inadequate resources but the Italian politicians, led by Badoglio, had a more realistic grasp of the situation and were searching for means to extricate Italy from the war At dawn of 3rd September British soldiers invaded Calabria and from that moment the Italian battlefleet was held in readiness to sail at six hours notice - to give battle, the admirals thought. But the politicians had already disposed otherwise because, after secret negotiations which had began on 3rd August, an armistice was signed secretly at Cassibile, Sicily, during the afternoon of 3rd September, but this was to be kept a secret until just before the Allies made their main invasion in central western Italy. The fourth clause of this armistice called for the immediate transfer of the Italian warships to such destinations "as designated by the Allied C-in-C". And Allied C-in-C Cunningham said "Malta"