Malta's astonishing immunity from serious air-raid damage is one of
the surprises of this war. If anything was generally taken for granted eighteen months ago it was that if Italy declared war against us Malta would inevitably be untenable. Then there were the alarms about the mystery island of Pantellaria, between Sicily and Tunis, on which no foreigner might set foot. That was to be of vital strategic importance as a submarine base, cutting Mare Nostrum in half and closing the channel between Sicily and Africa to every hostile ship. As things have turned out, Malta, after 18o air-raid warnings, reckons Italian losses in aeroplanes as at least 14 to i and has long since ceased to entertain any concern it may have ever had about the air-menace. Pantellaria matters as little as if the ocean had overflowed it. It is always a mistake to underrate an enemy and no doubt we are rightly warned of the strength and efficiency of Graziani's army in Africa. But Malta and Pantellaria and Greece encourage no unduly high opinion of Italian prowess—to say nothing of the Taranto devastation on Monday. The week's news has other instructive features. One British armed-merchant cruiser protecting a convoy of 38 vessels goes to certain death by engaging a German raider and thereby allows at least 30 of the convoy to escape. Two Italian destroyers escorting (as well not to say protecting) four supply-ships take to their heels when British light forces approach, leaving their charges to perish.
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