Of the many remarkable stories to come out of the Second World War, one of the most ingenious improvisations in a situation of extreme danger and difficulty must surely be the story of the tanker Ohio, recounted in detail by Sir Max Hastings in his book ‘Operation Pedestal’.
The island of Malta was isolated and besieged by both German and Italian forces – ships, submarines and aircraft. Supplies of every kind were desperately short. Without reprovisioning, Malta would have to submit and surrender, leaving much of the Mediterranean under Axis control.
Churchill ordered a big, strong fleet – 14 merchant ships with many escorting warships as protection – to fight their way through the Mediterranean, past the coast of North Africa and Sicily, to bring much needed succour to Malta.
The American-built tanker Ohio was one of two oil tankers carrying vital oil and aviation fuel for the besieged island. Fierce attacks on Ohio from air and sea resulted in the tanker becoming a virtual lame duck, unable to make way. Two German aircraft were embedded on her superstructure.
The book states with telling honesty ‘…a few hundred officers and men of the Royal Navy and the Merchant Navy … became determined to the point of obsession that they would drag the ship the last hundred miles to Malta.’
A minesweeper and motor launches were despatched from Malta to help with towing Ohio, fore and aft. Crucially, it was decided to lash a destroyer to each side of the stricken Ohio and thus it was, supported on all four sides, that Ohio made Grand Harbour in Malta at 9.45am on Saturday 15 August 1942.
Support is a wonderful virtue.
Prayer
Christ Be With Me
Christ with me, Christ before me, Christ behind me,
Christ in me, Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ on my right, Christ on my left,
Christ where I lie, Christ where I sit, Christ where I arise,
Christ in the heart of everyone who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every one who speaks to me,
Christ in every eye that sees me,
Christ in every ear that hears me.
Salvation is of the Lord.
Salvation is of the Christ.
May your salvation, Lord, be ever with us.
St Patrick…