"What If" Axis Invasion of Malta Wargame

U guys should do the first Malta....the operation was not cancelled

Well done gentlemen! ❤ . It is weird seeing people hail that tyrant but this is a war game and sides need to be drawn. Good game

German airborne troops had the worst parachutes. They could not guide them and they jumped only with sidearms. Their main weapons were placed into tubes that were dropped and at times not near the troops.

What a beautiful setup by the host, a wonderful game room.

I have always wanted to go there. It looks beautiful now.

This is a very amazing idea! It’s just sad on how anticlimactic the ending was. So close to perfection.

You should do operation mercury!However the axis must give their pre battle plan to represent that the British cracked the egnima code

I loved the inclusion of the Victory at Sea footage. That was the (very propagandized) documentary series that got me interested in WWII naval history when I saw it on PBS as a kid.

Wow I thought to see some nice military theory and when the axis seem to win they pull of this hilarious move and then suddenly the axis teleports their troops away just leaving a hole in the front line instead of finishing another 2 day operation before the navy arrives and axis is immediately defeated. Ok.

While an interesting war-game, the battle in 1942 would have essentially been pointless. With the American entry into the war, Germany and Italy's fates were sealed. Even if Malta was taken, Germany did not have the available troops and resources to counter the Allied invasion of Morocco and Algeria or the pursuit of the Africa Corps by the British 8th Army. All it meant that the Allies would have had to recapture Malta on their way to invade Sicily. However, if Malta had be subdues in late 1940 or 1941, it could have facilitated the Axis conquest of Egypt and the Suez Canal with enormous consequences for Great Britain.

Very weird rules. Hitler is going to just pull out units in the middle of the battle? And the Royal Navy shuts down the whole air supply even though the Luftwaffe has air supremacy?
Seems like a bunch of nonsense just to give the British player a chance.

One of the older comments bellow stated that the Germans "...wouldn’t pull a division out of line without a replacement unit, especially when winning. If anything I believe Hitler would have doubled down to take the island...." and I agree with this statement for this particular scenario. If the Germans and Italians were able to airdrop without much in casualties and able to land an invasion force without much resistance and reach the objectives as in this scenario, then it wouldn't've make sense for Hitler to recall the troops out of nowhere like that. Would only have givien the High command more confidence to continue their push to capture it all.

I have stood on those western cliffs looking down and the drop off is no joke. Sheer vertical face right down to the sea. I find it hard to believe that any amphib landings could take place on that southwest coast.

While Crete was certainly costly I just find it hard to believe the paratroopers would have been pulled out mid operation. Would have been better to run it with and without paratroopers to see whether a victory required them

If Rommel doesn’t take Tobruk, Hitler invades Malta. I’ve been to Malta, and you can still find shrapnel damage everywhere.

Of Course the Germans lose again...
I really hate it...
Its boring.

man Malta was the best

Where can I buy tables like yours?

great work！keep making this amazing videos

Love the bitva u Hradce Králové poster :D

It be cool to see if they could do this with the siege of Malta by the Ottamans.

One of your best videos yet! At first, I was uncertain because the map looked so big, but as it went on I got into the the story and was cheering for a British defeat.

Does Bruce Weigle have a way for us to contact him (website, Facebook, etc.)? If so, can you provide a link?

Stephen Kavanaugh's book "Hitler's Malta Option" is well worth reading.

As a born Maltese I am not only shocked but proud about this map, very impressed and as I am still learning all about this new hobby, I love how detailed it can get ❤️🇲🇹

The sudden withdrawal definitely tipped the scales. Most realistic way to simulate this would have been to make the units static where they could not attack and pulled out in a turn or 2 to allow Axis to shuffle troops. Anyone saying Hitler would not have done that has to study history closer. He pulled SS units many times between east n west fronts. Look at Operation Spring Awakening as 1 example. Great what if scenario

Incredible, just wow. Scores ten out of a possible five.

Woow ! This table is just insane ! 😵

Faith, Hope and Red Eric. Names of three wooden biplanes that fought against the Reich.

Okay, I know it’s a shot in the dark, but do you think you will ever do a 3 Kingdoms or rise of Ashoka the Great campaign?

Noice!

My grand dad escorted the Malta conveys

At this point in the war Germany and Italy probably would've succeeded if they really wanted to they took many islands in the Mediterranean before this so wouldn't be surprised.

I wish I had friends this cool.

A "what if" operation sealion would be great for a longer campaign. Like the Pyrrhus campaign

All I can say is "WOW!!!" What an awesome set up! I LOVE the "What If" scenario. I've often wondered how things would have been different had Hitler not cancelled the invasion of Malta. Great Britain certainly would not have been able to reinforce it sufficiently in time, and even if they had resources in the Med that could perhaps come to Malta's defense, it would have been too little, to late.
Also, Monty already had his hands full dealing with Rommel in North Africa as it was and the Allies just did not have sufficient amount of forces to counter attack and push the Germans and Italians off.
I've often believed that Hitler squandered an excellent opportunity where Malta is concerned.

Wrote my thesis on the island and how it won the Battle of the Mediterranean. Good job here!

what about the proposed German/Italian airborne opn planned for Gibraltar?

Couple of us got into a hex map based game based on the Battle for Crete. Took Germ for one, Brits for second. Carl and me vs Steve and Joe. Won marginally first one. We still had strong forces intact for second one holding southern half. Trash talk got intense at times.

Next: Operation Tannenbaum?

Are there campaign rules for this as well? My brother is getting into 2mm wargaming ala Dystopian Wars, and I'd like to make a campaign of it while adding artillery and infantry to the steampunk mechs and airships.

Thought this would be boring turned out this was some of the most entertaining thing i've watched

My grandfather was one of the many people who defended the island during WW2.

Gotta say, nice Bitva u Hradce Králové poster :D

I have to say I must commend the sheer attention to detail of this wargame. Nevertheless, as a history student with a penchant for this operation specifically, I don’t believe that a wargame can ultimately be helpful to understand, simply because there are too many variables in the actual scenario - specifically, variables that today are still controversial and unqualified: the actual state of readiness of the Allied defence, their access to sufficient ammunition reserves (particularly re: the light anti-aircraft guns vs Axis transport aircraft) the practical impact of British early warning, the ability of British defence posts to delay and forewarn, the ability of Force H to intervene decisively (considering it was then waiting to put back to sea two capital ships that had been temporarily crippled in December 1941); etc. In fact, after writing a Master’s dissertation on the topic and starting to work on my doctoral I can attest to the fact that the invasion plans are rather straightforward to document (Prof. Gabriele more or less did most of the heavy lifting back in 1965) - but that discussing their success is next to impossible regardless of the sources available, even at an academic level. I don’t expect much of any other method.

The airborne forces were to be replaced by fresh infantry at the beachhead shortly after the commencement of the operation, but even then, they were explicitly meant to reform at the beaches and remain as a tactical reserve. Withdrawing them would not only have been foolhardy - there’s no proof indicating they would have been withdrawn like that once committed; in addition, committing vessels to the withdrawal of several regiments of airborne infantry with their equipment and support elements would have congested the small beachheads and greatly hampered the constant resupplying taking place from nearby Gozo (Zona Cipro), which was effectively void of British troops and that would have been turned into a forward supply base starting from the second day of the operation. It was a tactical and strategic mistake for which there’s little evidence.

Lastly I have to say that as a Maltese individual with my own share of relatives and survivors, the whole “never surrender” narrative is a late colonial and post-colonial one that is built on sand. A deep look at Maltese society in history shows that it was always a community that adapted and made due when this was necessary or advantageous - and often to their benefit. I regard surrender in the context of 275,000 civilians well in range and line of fire of a hefty Axis expeditionary force such an adaptation. This same surrender is implied numerous times in August 1942 prior to the Pedestal operation.

They wouldn’t pull a division out of line without a replacement unit, especially when winning. If anything I believe Hitler would have doubled down to take the island. That part is the fly in your ointment.

Great model. But the random events whereby whole German and Italian divisions are pulled out for N Africa in midoperation are utterly implausible.
Also how do you square "we're afraid of the arrival of the British fleet" with "let's ré-embark two divisions and sail them over to Tripoli"? ...