Within sight of Malta

Text: Jan Zdiarský

Illustration: Antonis Karydis

Cat. No. 11194

The Mediterranean island of Malta was one of the most important strategic points in the area between southern Europe and Africa. It was said that whoever controlled Malta could control the supply routes between Italy and Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and the occupied part of Egypt. That is why fierce battles were fought over "British" Malta. The Italian Regia Aeronautica began bombing attacks in June 1940, and from 1941 the Luftwaffe took part in the effort, operating from mainland Italy and later from Sicily.

With the arrival of the Luftwaffe, the campaign intensified and reached its peak in 1942. However, the island itself was severely depleted, not only in terms of its civilian population, but also in terms of Allied military supplies, weapons, and equipment. British supply convoys were decimated, and despite the perseverance, ingenuity, and courage of the defenders, the British defense was on the verge of collapse.

The turning point came at the end of the summer of 1942, when the defending RAF began to gain the upper hand as the relentless Italian and, above all, German attacks were accompanied by ever-increasing losses. With the onset of autumn, the situation became critical for German and Italian airmen. The story of Antonis Karydis's box art with a colourfully camouflaged Ju 88 also belongs to this period.

One of the units involved in the bombing of Malta was KG 77. The commander of its II. Gruppe was Hptm. Heinrich Paepcke. This native of Watterscheid was an experienced bomber pilot at the age of almost thirty-two. His entry into the Luftwaffe in 1935 was preceded by service in the merchant navy (Handelsmarine) and a brief stint with the Wehrmacht. In 1939, he completed pilot training, and from then on, the Ju 88A dive bomber became his daily bread and later also his destiny.

This twin-engine aircraft perfectly fulfilled Hitler's desire for a Schnellbomber (fast bomber) capable of striking enemy positions at lightning speed and quickly returning to its own territory, while still having a chance to defend itself against enemy fighters. Although the role of the Junkers Ju 88 evolved and changed between 1939 and 1945, mainly because the nature of the war in its last two years significantly limited the use of Luftwaffe ground attack aircraft, the Ju 88's intended use as a bomber remained dominant almost until the end of the war.

Paepcke's first combat unit was Kampfgeschwader 30, which he joined in December 1939. After only a few months, in April 1940, he became commander of its 7th Staffel, and five months later he was awarded the Knight's Cross.

In October 1941, Heinrich Paepcke was promoted to Hauptmann and took command of II. Gruppe KG 77, with which he moved to the Mediterranean. From its Italian base in Comiso, his unit carried out attacks on Malta and its supply routes, mainly naval convoys, from January 1942 onwards. The Luftwaffe, along with the Regia Aeronautica, did not slacken in their attacks on RAF infrastructure, particularly in an effort to weaken the Allies' growing ability to inflict increasingly heavy blows on the attackers. Maltese airfields were therefore often among the bombing targets.

This was also the case on October 17, 1942, when KG 77 attacked Luga airfield in the southern part of the island. Shortly after 6:30 a.m., a group of seven Ju 88s appeared northeast of Malta, accompanied by approximately 25 fighters. Five Spitfires from No. 249 Squadron RAF took off from Ta Qali airfield almost immediately to engage the attackers, but no contact was made with the enemy. At 6:45 a.m., another eight Spitfires from No. 185 Squadron took off from Hal Far, soon joined by aircraft from Luqa Air Base – eight from No. 126 Squadron and four from No. 1435 Squadron. Southeast of the capital Valletta, approximately 12 miles from the easternmost point of Malta, the town of Żonqor, a battle ensued in which several Ju 88s were shot down and most of the others were forced to drop their bomb loads into the sea and turn back.

The pilot of one of the attacking Spitfires was US fighter pilot F/Lt Ripley O. Jones from Coopersown, New York, serving in the RAF Volunteer Reserve. During the clash with the Ju 88 group, he collided head-on with Heinrich Paepcke's Junkers. Both pilots were killed in the collision and their planes crashed into the sea. Some of the crew members managed to jump out of Paepcke's Junkers during the fall, were recovered out of the sea and captured (some sources state that the entire crew was killed).

RAF fighters claimed four bombers destroyed in this battle, including Paepcke's Junkers downed by Jones, two others probably destroyed, and one damaged. F/Lt. Jones was the only Spitfire pilot lost in this battle. One other Spitfire returned home damaged, its pilot unharmed.

Heinrich Paepcke was posthumously awarded the Oak Leaves (Eichenlaub) to his Knight's Cross and promoted to the rank of Major.

Despite fierce attacks, the Allies managed to protect Malta. After the victory at El Alamein, and especially after the Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942, Malta ceased to be important enough for Germany and Italy to continue their efforts, and the intensity of the attacks weakened considerably. Later, in the summer of 1943, the island became an important element in the invasion of Sicily.