Club Run was an informal name for aircraft ferry operations from Gibraltar to Malta during the Siege of Malta from 1940 to 1942 during the Second World War. Malta was half-way between Gibraltar and Alexandria and had the only harbour controlled by the British in the area. Malta had docks, repair facilities, reserves and stores, that had been built up since the cession of the island to Britain in 1814. Malta had become an important staging post for aircraft and a base for air reconnaissance over the central Mediterranean.
The Axis powers Italy and Germany made several attempts from 1941 to 1942 to force the British military authorities on the island to surrender or to destroy its effectiveness as a military base from which Axis supply ships to their North African armies could be attacked. It is a measure of Malta's importance that Britain reassigned fighter aircraft from home defence.
Background
Force H
Ferry missions were covered by Force H, based at Gibraltar (called The Club), consisting of the battlecruiser , aircraft carrier , light cruiser and the E and F-class destroyers of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla. Its Malta supply operations were called Club Runs. It was deemed to be an exclusive club of the most efficient warships in the Royal Navy. A mythical "regimental tie" was designed for members of "The Club", consisting of a Mediterranean grey field, scattered with raspberries.
Malta Malta's air defences were essential, replacement aircraft and reinforcements were always needed. Fighters (Hurricanes and Spitfires) and torpedo bombers (Swordfish and Albacores) lacked the range to fly direct from the British base at Gibraltar. The solution was for aircraft carriers to sail close enough to Malta for the fighters to fly to Malta.
Prelude
British strategy At the outbreak of war, the opinion of the chiefs of staff was that Malta was indefensible and this view was supported by a later review, "there is nothing practicable that we can do to increase the powers of resistance of Malta". Winston Churchill disagreed. In July 1940, he insisted that Hurricanes be flown in "at the earliest moment". This led to the first Club Run, Operation Hurry, using the ageing aircraft carrier . Additional capacity was created by transporting aircraft in crates and assembling them at Gibraltar or on board carriers, one ferry run from Britain delivering enough aircraft for two Club Runs.
Axis strategy The and the sought to attack the aircraft while in transit and catch them on the ground before they could be armed and refuelled. Forty of the Spitfires delivered by the United States Navy carrier in Operation Calendar were destroyed on the ground but in the following operation Operation Bowery the Axis air forces were outwitted by getting the Spitfires airborne and waiting for the Axis aircraft before they arrived.
1942 From early 1942, Spitfires were necessary to counter the more modern Axis fighters. There were faults with the new external 90-gallon external (slipper) tanks that were needed to give Spitfires enough range and two Club Runs were cancelled. After modifications to the slipper tanks at Gibraltar the operations were run again. Calendar delivered inadequately prepared aircraft that were caught on the ground at Malta and the 64 Spitfires delivered by Bowery required adaptations to the slipper tanks while on board USS Wasp. The failure to rectify a fault over several deliveries in such desperate circumstances is unexplained but was described as "embarrassing".
Club Runs 1940–1941 +Club Runs to Malta, 1940–1941DateOperationCarrierAircraft Notes2 August 1940Hurry12 Hurricanes12 arrived17 NovemberWhite12 Hurricanes4 arrived, 7 pilots lost3 April 1941Winch12 HurricanesAll arrived27 AprilDunlop24 Hurricanes23 arrived21 MaySplice, 48 Hurricanes46 arrived6 JuneRocket, 44 Hurricanes43 arrived14 JuneTracer, 48 Hurricanes45 arrived27 JuneRailway I22 Hurricanes21 arrived30 JuneRailway II, 42 Hurricanes34 arrived25 JulySubstance7 SwordfishAll arrived9 SeptemberStatus I14 HurricanesAll arrived13 SeptemberStatus II, 46 Hurricanes45 arrived18 OctoberCallboy11 AlbacoresAll arrived12 NovemberPerpetual, 2 Swordfish, 37 Hurricanes1 Swordfish, 34 Hurricanes arrived14 Club RunsDispatched: 361 Hurricanes9 Swordfish11 Albacores (381)Arrived: 333 Hurricanes8 Swordfish11 Albacores (352)
1942 +Club Runs to Malta, 1942DateOperationCarrierAircraft NotesFebruarySpotter15 Spitfire Mk VbAborted, faulty fuel tanksMarchSpotter II15 Spitfire Mk VbSecond ferry attempt, successMarchPicket9 Spitfire Mk VbAborted, fuel tank fault27 MarchPicket II, 7 Spitfire Mk Vb6 Albacores unable to fly off ArgusAprilCalendar52 Spitfires4 u/s, 47 arrivedAprilBowery, 64 Spitfires61 arrived17–19 MayLB17 Spitfires, 6 AlbacoresAlbacores returned, engine failure3 JuneStyle31 Spitfires28 arrived8–10 JuneSalient32 Spitfires14–16 JulyPinpoint32 Spitfires31 arrived20–22 JulyInsect30 Spitfires28 arrivedAugustBellows39 Spitfires28–30 OctoberBaritone32 SpitfiresOctoberTrain29 Spitfires
Club Runs end From October 1942, Spitfire Mk VCs with additional internal and external fuel tanks and most armament removed were capable of flying the from Gibraltar to Malta, where the adaptations were reversed, which made Club Runs redundant.
See also Malta Convoys Siege of Malta (World War II)
Notes
Footnotes
Bibliography
Further reading
External links Spitfire deployment in 1942