Operation Calendar
| Operation Calendar | |
|---|---|
| Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II | |
.jpg) A Spitfire takes off from USS Wasp. |
|
| Objective | Reinforce Allied forces defending Malta with Supermarine Spitfire aircraft. |
| Date | 20 April 1942 |
| Executed by |
 United States United Kingdom
|
| Outcome | Allied forces successfully delivered the Spitfire aircraft but they were destroyed almost immediately on the ground |
Operation Calendar in 1942 was an Anglo-American operation in World War II to deliver Supermarine Spitfire fighter aircraft to Malta. The aircraft were desperately needed to bolster the island's defence against strong Axis air raids.
"Club Run" deliveries required the short-range fighters to be loaded onto an aircraft carrier in Britain or at Gibraltar and taken to within flying range of Malta where they would be "flown off" and make their own way to Malta. There had been several earlier "Club Runs" but by this time, no suitable British carriers were available. The situation was urgent, so, after a personal request from the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill to the American President Franklin D Roosevelt, the American aircraft carrier USS Wasp was loaned for a "Club Run".
Wasp collected 52 aircraft from Shieldhall on the River Clyde, from No. 601 Squadron RAF and No. 603 Squadron RAF, with pilots. The aircraft to be conveyed were Spitfire VBs fitted with external fuel tanks to extend their range. They were, however, inadequately prepared. The external tanks leaked badly, a fault that recurred on "Club Runs"; in addition, many of the aircraft's guns were faulty and most of their radios did not work.
Wasp sailed from Glasgow on 14 April 1942 with her escort, destroyers USS Lang and Madison, and was joined by the British battlecruiser HMS Renown and her escort. When this squadron, codenamed Force W, passed Gibraltar overnight on 18–19 April, they were joined by cruisers HMS Charybdis and Cairo and destroyers HMS Westcott, Wishart, Vidette, Wrestler and Antelope. During final preparations, the faults mentioned above were detected, but too late to be rectified.
...
Wikipedia