Malta bombed by the Luftwaffe

16th January 1941: The arrival of Stuka dive bombers marks a new and terrifying stage in the ordeal faced by the Maltese

A view from across the harbour of bombs falling on and around HMS Illustrious ( at right) on 16th January.

Malta, standing at ‘the crossroads of the Mediterranean’, between Sicily and British-occupied Egypt, suddenly became the focus of new attention. The Germans were now moving into the region. It was of no strategic interest to Hitler, but he felt obli…