Why didn't Hitler just invade Malta

Discussions on High Command, strategy and the Armed Forces (Wehrmacht) in general.
Locked
Torretta13
Member
Posts: 64
Joined: 30 Nov 2007, 02:44
Location: MI

Why didn't Hitler just invade Malta

#1

Post by Torretta13 » 30 Jun 2011, 07:20

Why couldn't he have just focused on invading Malta by land, air and sea? If he had done that, the British would have had to abandon their foothold in the Meditteranean...the sea would have been an Axis lake. Is anyone here goint to tell me that the British could have held on to Malta if Hitler had REALLY wanted it???

User avatar
Ironmachine
Member
Posts: 5821
Joined: 07 Jul 2005, 11:50
Location: Spain

Re: Why didn't Hitler just invade Malta

#2

Post by Ironmachine » 30 Jun 2011, 08:02

Invading Malta by land can be a little difficult... :wink:


Delta Tank
Member
Posts: 2512
Joined: 16 Aug 2004, 02:51
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Why didn't Hitler just invade Malta

#3

Post by Delta Tank » 30 Jun 2011, 13:48

Torretta13 wrote:Why couldn't he have just focused on invading Malta by land, air and sea? If he had done that, the British would have had to abandon their foothold in the Meditteranean...the sea would have been an Axis lake. Is anyone here goint to tell me that the British could have held on to Malta if Hitler had REALLY wanted it???
Torretta13,
Agree with IronMachine, and IIRC that operation was discussed, but I can not remember why it was never carried out. I believe Field Marshall Kesselring wanted to capture Malta.

Mike

Jon G.
Member
Posts: 6647
Joined: 17 Feb 2004, 02:12
Location: Europe

Re: Why didn't Hitler just invade Malta

#4

Post by Jon G. » 30 Jun 2011, 13:59

To my mind, this thread is every bit as poorly thought out as Torretta13's last stab at the Axis Mediterranean as this one http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 1&t=178671 and promises to be every bit as acrimonious.

BTW, a search for 'malta' in the what-if section, which is where this thread was originally located, yields 2,230 hits. Surely there are open threads about the same subject, by people who put more effort into their thread opener than Torretta13 does here.

Delta Tank
Member
Posts: 2512
Joined: 16 Aug 2004, 02:51
Location: Pennsylvania

Re: Why didn't Hitler just invade Malta

#5

Post by Delta Tank » 30 Jun 2011, 14:14

Found this on line on Wiki, and it jives with what I recall reading in a book long time ago.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Kes ... rth_Africa
In the wake of the victory at Tobruk, Rommel persuaded Hitler to authorise an attack on Egypt instead of Malta, over Kesselring's objections.[57]
Mike

User avatar
mescal
Member
Posts: 1415
Joined: 30 Mar 2008, 15:46
Location: France, EUR

Re: Why didn't Hitler just invade Malta

#6

Post by mescal » 30 Jun 2011, 14:29

Here is a 44 pages thread on a Malta invasion
http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 1&t=168777
If he had done that [invading Malta], the British would have had to abandon their foothold in the Meditteranean...
This inference is incorrect.
Is anyone here goint to tell me that the British could have held on to Malta if Hitler had REALLY wanted it???
The problem is not only a problem of Adolf's volition.
There is also a guy named Benito who had a say in an Axis Mediterranean strategy.
Olivier

User avatar
Andy H
Forum Staff
Posts: 15326
Joined: 12 Mar 2002, 21:51
Location: UK and USA

Re: Why didn't Hitler just invade Malta

#7

Post by Andy H » 30 Jun 2011, 15:32

Hi

As stated there are numerous threads on this elsewhere and I suggest any 'new' information or ideas are added to them.

Andy H

Locked

Return to “German Strategy & General German Military Discussion”