History Channel - Battlefield Mysteries (2007) Part 2 The Siege of Malta 1940 – 1942 – the Turning Point in the Mediterranean

Battlefield Mysteries is a compelling series that follow acclaimed historian Norm Christie as he investigates the real and often unknown stories behind history's most significant battles. With a unique “Everyman's Historian” style narrative, Christie presents each episode direct from the front-line, reconstructs the momentous actions that shook history and shaped the world we know today. From the Second World War to the Spanish Civil War, Norm walks the old battlefields and airfields that hold the answers to the important questions concerning these important stories. This series shot on location in France, Britain, Malta and Spain features computer generated animation, eye witness accounts and Christie's own insights with hands-on investigative techniques. From the wreckage of mighty tank battles in Normandy to the evidence of acts of heroism during the Spanish Civil War, this gripping series reconstructs the momentous actions that shook history and shaped the world of today.

Part 2 The Siege of Malta 1940 – 1942 – the Turning Point in the Mediterranean

By early 1942, all that stood between the Axis powers and victory in North Africa was the Mediterranean island of Malta. This episode examines the stories of Allied forces who defended Malta. The siege of Malta was the most important battle in 1941 – 1942. The courage of the Maltese civilians in the face of indescribable bombing and the amazing Spitfire pilots, such as Canadian “Buzz Beurling”, helped turn the tide in this critical, but little appreciated campaign. In the spring of 1940 the island of Malta was far from war. But all that was about to change. With the war stretching out to North Africa, the island became critical in the Allies' ability to halt Axis supply routes. And so Malta came under direct fire from the feared Luftwaffe. In this episode of Battlefield Mysteries we hear from the soldiers who defended the island and the civilians that took cover in the underground bomb shelters while the bombs rained down overhead.

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