Viking halberd "spear". The "kesja" was another halberd-type weapon. The name is thought to come from Celtic-Latin "gæsum". The Cleasby and Vigfússon dictionary notes that ""kesja", "atgeir" and "höggspjót" appear to be the same thing". It's interesting to note that "Egils saga" shows the "kesja" being thrown like a javelin or spear, and describes it in detail, calling it also a "mail-piercer" ("brynþvarar"): The "kesja" would thus have a blade around 90 cm in length with a diamond cross-section at the end, and an additional spike attached to the socket, whose placement and purpose is not explained. The length of the weapons'
Operation Halberd vessels to be scuttled. The rest of the convoy arrived at Malta and discharged their cargo. Operation Halberd was at the time the largest Malta resupply effort of the war. Nine merchant ships carrying 81,000 tons of military equipment and supplies sailed from Liverpool on 16 September and from the Clyde on 17 September as part of convoy WS (Winston Specials) 11X, passing Gibraltar on 24 September 1941, with a close escort under the command of Rear-Admiral Harold Burrough. The nine ships were: Force H, under the command of Admiral James Somerville, accompanied the convoy as defence against Italian surface