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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXDN4QNJ ... 7C&index=0
Battlefield: "The Battle of the Mediterranean"
This fast paced episode of "Battlefield" chronicles the Axis and Allies battle of the Mediterranean up to the Allied invasion of Sicily.
On September 13, 1940 the Italian 10th Army (Graziani) took advantage of the "The Battle of Britain" and launched an offensive into British defended Egypt. The Italian 10th Army numbering 250,000 troops advanced 60 miles into Egypt against the British Western Desert Force's (O'Connor) 35,000 troops. The 10th Army organized fortified camps and immediately lost the initiative. Lieutenant General O'Conner launched a counter-attack and turned a 2 or 3 day attack into an offensive. The Italian 10th Army was almost completely destroyed in detail. Hitler's assistance to the Italian 10th Army, by sending the Africa Korps (Rommel), helped save North Africa for the next 2 years. The Italian military was faced with the fact that the North African campaign became a German lead operation.
On October 28th, 1940 the Italian Army invaded Greece through Albania. This offensive turned into a complete debacle. Within several weeks of the offensive the Greek's counter-attacked, and cleared the Italians out of Greece. The Greek's then pursued the retreating Italians into Albania. Mussolini faced the prospect of losing Albania. The Italians launched a counter-attack and failed to gain any ground. Hitler was again forced to assist Italy. By this time the Greek government accepted Churchill's offer of assistance. The Commonwealth Expeditionary Force (Wilson) landed in Greece. Wilson's force consisted of: Australian 1st Corps (Blamey) and the 2nd New Zealand Division (Freyberg) and Greek forces. The German 12th Army (List) launched Operation Marita on April 9th, 1941. The superior size and leadership of the German forces immediately outflanked the Allied positions. The British forces were forced to leave Greece for Crete and North Africa. The assistance to Greece was based on political decisions and turned into another quick German victory. However the invasion of Yugoslavia and Greece delayed the invasion of the Soviet Union by several dry months.
On May 20th, 1941 Operation Mercury, the airborne invasion of Crete was launched. The German XI Fliegerkorps (Flier Corps) (Student) comprised of the 7th Flieger Division and 5th Mountain Division. Seventh Flieger was to assault and capture airfields for a follow up reinforcement by 5th Mountain. Operation Mercury began to fail almost immediately. The 25,000 man British Commonwealth forces were lead by Maj.Gen Freyberg. Heavy resistance around key airfields led to enormous German casualties. The XI Corps eventually gained the upper hand with excellent leadership, skilled troops and overwhelming air power. However, as a result of the high casualties sustained by XI Fliegerkorps, Gen. Student was reduced to commanding Fallschirmjäger (German Parachute hunter) units as elite infantry formations
The British held island of Malta was immediately seen as the pivotal military location in the Mediterranean. From the day the Italians declared war on Britain and France it was bombed. The importance of Malta airfields to attack Axis convoys was crucial to Axis ambitions in North Africa. Malta was heavily bombed and nearly starved to death. Malta held out from 1940 to 1943. In one of history's most defended supply convoys, Operation Pedestal set sail for Malta on August 9th, 1942. The convoy's defense consisted on 4 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 7 light cruisers and 16 destroyers. Twenty-nine warships defended a merchant convoy of 14 merchantmen. Of the 14 merchantmen 9 were sunk along with 1 aircraft carrier, 2 light cruisers and 1 destroyer. The most important ship of the convoy was SS Ohio. After being subjected to bombings and torpedo attacks it was towed into Malta to release its precious fuel oil.
With the "Second Battle of El Alamein" (Operation Lightfoot) and the Allied landing in North Africa the Axis forces were pocketed in Tunisia. Over 200,000 Axis troops surrendered on May 13th, 1943.
British determination despite critical losses, in men and shipping, along with Bletchley Park decrypts, new military leadership and finally American involvement turned the tide against the Axis in the Mediterranean. The Allies invaded Sicily and the Italians ended the war as an Axis power.
Enjoy this excellent episode of Battlefields.