The Battle for the Mediterranean

From Italy’s entry into the war in June 1940 to the surrender of the Axis forces in Tunisia in May 1943, the Mediterranean was a fiercely contested conflict zone as naval and aerial forces battled to secure vital supply lines.

The British naval victory at Taranto was followed by the Luftwaffe’s decimation of Allied forces in Greece and Crete, and Rommel’s overwhelming tactical victories were eventually overcome through the Allied defense of Malta, which choked the advance of his Africa Korps and allowed Montgomery to eventually emerge victorious. For almost three years, the battle for the Mediterranean hung in the balance, upon which depended not only the fate of North Africa but victory or defeat in the war as a whole.

Donald Macintyre, veteran U-Boat hunter, and renowned military historian, charts the course of this battle that was as prolonged and critical as the Battle of the Atlantic. In addition to providing an engaging account of the naval and aerial engagements that took place, Macintyre also offers thorough insight into the tactical and strategic issues at the supreme command level, where battle fleets, merchant fleets, and air fleets deployed in an attempt to throttle their opponents to death.

The Battle for the Mediterranean should be essential reading for all interested in learning more about one of the longest but most important conflicts of World War Two.

‘A story which should be read however many others are left unread’ Naval Review

‘A tribute to the courage and endurance of all who fought in it — British, Germans, Italians alike’ The Evening News

‘Achieves an excellent balance between the strategic and the operational features of the campaign.’ RUSI Journal