Siege of Malta (World War II) Germans launched Operation Sonnenblume, which reinforced the Italians in North Africa. They then began a counter-offensive and drove the British back into Egypt. But operating overseas in Africa meant most of the supplies to Axis forces would come via the sea. This made Malta a dangerous threat to Axis logistical concerns. In response, the "Oberkommando der Luftwaffe" (OKL or Air Force High Command) sent "Fliegerkorps X" (Flying Corps Ten) to Sicily, which arrived in January 1941, to strike at naval forces in and around Malta, as well as RAF positions on the island to ease the passage of supplies. The
The Jukebox Queen of Malta The Jukebox Queen of Malta The Jukebox Queen of Malta is the second novel by American author Nicholas Rinaldi, first published in 1999 by Bantam Press. It concerns Rocco Raven, an American radio operator posted to Malta to join a small intelligence unit during the Siege of Malta working closely with the British RAF who are defending the Island. Central to the novel is Rocco's affair with Melita, a Maltese woman who travels the island repairing jukeboxes. The story tells how the Maltese people and the military defence of the island react to the increasing privations caused by the siege,