Post by Diarist on Mar 22, 2016 7:30:33 GMT 1
HMS Phaeton arrive at Malta in the late afternoon with Secretary Churchill and his delegation on board. The Air Officer Commanding, (AOC), Air Commodore Paul Maltby, greeted them then at the HQ briefed them on the operations. On the first day they had attacked targets around Benghazi but later concentrated on Sicilian airfields and ports. Malta itself had not been attacked but a couple of the naval task forces operating in the vicinity had been targeted several times.
Winston Churchill praised the servicemen on Malta for their excellent work and added that the war could be over in a few days with a devastating defeat for Italy. "We are witnessing the end of the New Roman Empire", he concluded. After having dinner with the Governor and senior military officers the guests headed back to HMS Phaeton. The next destination is Bardia or maybe Tobruk if is already in British hands.