The Santa Marija Convoy: Faith and Endurance in Wartime Malta, 1940-1942
Malta is one of the smallest nations in the world, yet has one of the longest histories of any country. During World War II, Malta played a key role in the Mediterranean campaign, its submarines, light surface forces, and aircrafts destroying supplies desperately needed by Rommel's forces in North Africa. The price the Maltese paid for this effort was the most sustained and intensive bombing campaign in the war, enduring over 130 tons of bombs per square mile. This, compounded by the Axis blockade that attempted to starve Malta into surrender, set the stage for numerous convoy battles, the most dramatic being Operation Pedestal, in which over 40 British warships escorting 14 merchant ships to Malta.
In The Santa Marija Convoy, Dennis Castillo uses published histories as well as interviews and oral histories to explore the experiences of the Maltese and how their faith sustained them through this dark period of Malta's history. Malta is an ancient Catholic culture, with roots going back to the founding of Christianity on the island by St. Paul. Their faith was sorely needed as they suffered both bombardment and hunger from June 1940 to August 1942. This faith was rewarded when, on August 15, 1942, The Feast of the Assumption, 5 out of 14 ships won through to Malta's harbor bringing crucial supplies for the island's survival. When the last and most important vessel of the convoy entered the port to the delirious applause of the starving population, they attributed the ship’s survival to the intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary and this event is remembered to this day as “The Santa Marija Convoy.”
1111876307
The Santa Marija Convoy: Faith and Endurance in Wartime Malta, 1940-1942
Malta is one of the smallest nations in the world, yet has one of the longest histories of any country. During World War II, Malta played a key role in the Mediterranean campaign, its submarines, light surface forces, and aircrafts destroying supplies desperately needed by Rommel's forces in North Africa. The price the Maltese paid for this effort was the most sustained and intensive bombing campaign in the war, enduring over 130 tons of bombs per square mile. This, compounded by the Axis blockade that attempted to starve Malta into surrender, set the stage for numerous convoy battles, the most dramatic being Operation Pedestal, in which over 40 British warships escorting 14 merchant ships to Malta.
In The Santa Marija Convoy, Dennis Castillo uses published histories as well as interviews and oral histories to explore the experiences of the Maltese and how their faith sustained them through this dark period of Malta's history. Malta is an ancient Catholic culture, with roots going back to the founding of Christianity on the island by St. Paul. Their faith was sorely needed as they suffered both bombardment and hunger from June 1940 to August 1942. This faith was rewarded when, on August 15, 1942, The Feast of the Assumption, 5 out of 14 ships won through to Malta's harbor bringing crucial supplies for the island's survival. When the last and most important vessel of the convoy entered the port to the delirious applause of the starving population, they attributed the ship’s survival to the intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary and this event is remembered to this day as “The Santa Marija Convoy.”
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The Santa Marija Convoy: Faith and Endurance in Wartime Malta, 1940-1942

The Santa Marija Convoy: Faith and Endurance in Wartime Malta, 1940-1942

by Dennis Castillo
The Santa Marija Convoy: Faith and Endurance in Wartime Malta, 1940-1942

The Santa Marija Convoy: Faith and Endurance in Wartime Malta, 1940-1942

by Dennis Castillo

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Overview

Malta is one of the smallest nations in the world, yet has one of the longest histories of any country. During World War II, Malta played a key role in the Mediterranean campaign, its submarines, light surface forces, and aircrafts destroying supplies desperately needed by Rommel's forces in North Africa. The price the Maltese paid for this effort was the most sustained and intensive bombing campaign in the war, enduring over 130 tons of bombs per square mile. This, compounded by the Axis blockade that attempted to starve Malta into surrender, set the stage for numerous convoy battles, the most dramatic being Operation Pedestal, in which over 40 British warships escorting 14 merchant ships to Malta.
In The Santa Marija Convoy, Dennis Castillo uses published histories as well as interviews and oral histories to explore the experiences of the Maltese and how their faith sustained them through this dark period of Malta's history. Malta is an ancient Catholic culture, with roots going back to the founding of Christianity on the island by St. Paul. Their faith was sorely needed as they suffered both bombardment and hunger from June 1940 to August 1942. This faith was rewarded when, on August 15, 1942, The Feast of the Assumption, 5 out of 14 ships won through to Malta's harbor bringing crucial supplies for the island's survival. When the last and most important vessel of the convoy entered the port to the delirious applause of the starving population, they attributed the ship’s survival to the intervention of the Blessed Virgin Mary and this event is remembered to this day as “The Santa Marija Convoy.”

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780739128961
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date: 12/29/2011
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 272
File size: 4 MB

About the Author

Dennis Castillo is professor of church history at Christ the King Seminary in East Aurora, New York.

Table of Contents

Introduction
Chapter One: The Maltese Islands
Chapter Two: The Faith
Chapter Three: Malta and Britain
Chapter Four: The War Begins
Chapter Five: The First Raids
Chapter 6: The Italian Phase
Chapter Seven: Doom’s Day
Chapter Eight: Defying the “Phooey”
Chapter Nine: The Angels of Doom
Chapter Ten: The Summer of 1942
Chapter Eleven: The Santa Marija Convoy
Chapter Twelve: “…we got there at last”
Chapter Thirteen: Dona Nobis Pacem
Bibliography
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