This volume deals with the first 15 months of the Mediterranean Campaign including the preparations for war, the effect of the entry of Italy into the war in June, 1940, the tragic actions against the French Fleet, and the achievement of British command of the sea, which was the defining factor for all subsequent Mediterranean operations. It ends with the first Mediterranean convoy battle to run supplies from Gibraltar to Alexandria - Operation Hat.

This book contains the Naval Staff History originally issued by the Admiralty in 1957 as a confidential book for use within the Royal Navy. It has since been declassified and is published here for the first time, along with an extended preface. This volume describes the dangerous convoy operations in the Mediterranean which were necessary to relieve the garrison and people of Malta, covering the period from the beginning of 1941 until the end of 1942. These convoys had to be fought through against determined attack by German and Italian surface, submarine and, particularly, air forces. Although casualties were proportionately higher than in Atlantic convoys, Malta was successfully re-supplied and remained a considerable impediment to enemy’s attempts to supply their armies in North Africa. These operations reveal the dedication, courage and professionalism of the sailors (of both naval and merchant services) as well as the airmen who supported them. A new preface sets the scene for the Staff History. The Royal Navy and the Mediterranean Convoys will be of great interest for students interested in the Mediterranean Convoys, Second World War and naval and military history.

A comprehensive overview of the activities of the British navy in the Mediterranean from the earliest times until the present.

This volume explores the themes of maritime strategy and naval power in the Mediterranean: migration, the environment, technology, economic power, international politics and law, and calculations of naval strength and diplomatic manoeuvre.

This volume needs to be read in conjunction with NRS Volume 115 Policy and Operations in the Mediterranean, 1912-1914. The Mediterranean was a secondary theatre for the Royal Navy and the ships tended to be ageing and retired from fleet duty. France assumed the major responsibility, along with Italy but the Royal Navy retained a strong presence and performed vital functions. Most operations have attracted less attention than Jutland, the Falklands or the Battle of the Atlantic but Gibraltar and Malta remained important bases, the Suez Canal had to be defended, there was a mine barrage in the Otranto Straits, and the Navy supported the Army at the Dardanelles, Salonika and in the Middle East, while there was latterly much convoy work. The sources include the main war history collection of Admiralty papers (The National Archive: PRO ADM 137) and the private papers of senior commanders such as Howard Kelly, Limpus and de Robeck.