Aerial view of Manoel Island
Lazzaretto
Map of Manoel Island within Marsamxett Harbour
Videos of Manoel Island Malta WWII British submarine Base
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Ma ... &FORM=VDRE
Weapons and Warfare.com
https://weaponsandwarfare.com/2020/05/1 ... ubmarines/
The use of Malta as an offensive base was helped by the introduction of the new U-class submarines, smaller than many of the other classes but ideal for the clear waters of the Mediterranean in which, all too often, sonar is not needed to spot a submerged submarine.
So successful was the Malta-based 10th Flotilla in disrupting the supplies for Rommel’s Afrika Korps in the Western Desert campaign that his chief of staff, Lieutenant General Fritz Bayerlein, later admitted: ‘We should have taken Alexandria and reached the Suez Canal had it not been for the work of your submarines.’
Note: "26 Allied submarines" [These were not full-sized... regular sized submarines... they were smaller and harder to detect in the clear Mediterranean waters] ...were stationed here at Manoel Island with many extremely heavy concrete protected 'Anti-Aircraft' batteries protecting these submarine moorings which were also protected by artificial smoke screens to hide the submarines... when under attack.
They were responsible for the better part of 76% of the Axis shipping losses in the fight for North Africa.
The Germans and Italians bombed Malta for 2-years... dropping 15,000 Tonnes of bombs on the Island.