Club Run

Club Run was an informal name for aircraft ferry operations from Gibraltar to Malta during the Siege of Malta from 1940 to 1942 during the Second World War. Malta was half-way between Gibraltar to Alexandria and had the only harbour controlled by the British in the area. Malta had docks, repair facilities, reserves and stores, which had been built up since the cession of the island to Britain in 1814. Malta had become an important staging post for aircraft and a base for air reconnaissance over the central Mediterranean.

The Axis powers Italy and Germany made several attempts from 1941 to 1942 to either force the British military authorities on the island to surrender or to destroy its effectiveness as a military base. The island was a forward base from which Axis supplies to their North African armies could be attacked. It is a measure of Malta's importance that Britain reassigned fighter aircraft from home defence.

Force H
Ferry missions were covered by Force H, based at Gibraltar (called The Club), consisting of the battlecruiser HMS Renown (1916), aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal (91), light cruiser HMS Sheffield (C24) and the E and F-class destroyers of the 8th Destroyer Flotilla. Its Mediterranean operations were called Club Runs. It was deemed to be an exclusive club of the most efficient warships in the Royal Navy. A mythical "regimental tie" was designed for members of "The Club", consisting of a Mediterranean grey field, scattered with raspberries.

Malta
Malta's air defences were essential, replacement aircraft and reinforcements were always needed. Fighters (Hawker Hurricanes and Supermarine Spitfires) and torpedo bombers (Fairey Swordfish and Fairey Albacores) lacked the range to fly direct from the British base at Gibraltar. The solution was for aircraft carriers to move within range for the fighters to fly off and land at a Maltese airfield.

British strategy
At the outbreak of war, the opinion of the Chiefs of Staff was that Malta was indefensible and this view was supported by a later review, "there is nothing practicable that we can do to increase the powers of resistance of Malta". Winston Churchill disagreed. In July 1940, he insisted that Hurricanes be flown in "at the earliest moment". This led to the first Club Run, Operation Hurry, using the ageing aircraft carrier HMS Argus (I49). Additional capacity was created by transporting aircraft in crates and assembling them at Gibraltar or on board carriers, one ferry run from Britain delivering enough aircraft for two Club Runs.

Axis strategy
The Regia Aeronautica and the Luftwaffe sought to attack the aircraft while in transit and catch them on the ground before they could be armed and refuelled. Forty of the Spitfires delivered by the United States Navy carrier USS Wasp (CV-7) in Operation Calendar were destroyed on the ground but in the following operation Operation Bowery the Axis air forces were outwitted by getting the Spitfires airborne and waiting for the Axis aircraft before they arrived.

1942
From early 1942, Spitfires were necessary to counter the more modern Axis fighters. There were faults with the new external 90-gallon external (slipper) tanks that were needed to give Spitfires enough range and two Club Runs were cancelled. After modifications to the slipper tanks at Gibraltar the operations were run again. Calendar delivered inadequately prepared aircraft that were caught on the ground at Malta and the 64 Spitfires delivered by Bowery required adaptations to the slipper tanks while on board USS Wasp. The failure to rectify a fault over several deliveries in such desperate circumstances is unexplained but was described as "embarrassing".

1940



 * August 1940 - Operation Hurry: 12 Hurricanes flown off HMS Argus
 * November 1940 - Operation Coat: 3 Fulmars for HMS Illustrious (87) from Ark Royal
 * November 1940 - Operation White: 12 Hurricanes flown off Argus, 8 lost en route after running out of fuel

1941

 * April 1941 - Operation Winch: 12 Hurricane IIs flown off Ark Royal
 * April 1941 - Operation Dunlop: 22 Hurricanes flown off Ark Royal
 * May 1941 - Operation Splice: 48 Hurricane IIs flown off Furious and Ark Royal
 * June 1941 - Operation Rocket: 35 Hurricane IIs flown off Furious and Ark Royal
 * June 1941 - Operation Tracer: HMS Ark Royal and Victorious flew off 47 Hurricanes to Malta
 * June 1941 - Operation Railway I: 22 Hurricanes flown off Ark Royal
 * June 1941 - Operation Railway II: 35 Hurricanes off Ark Royal and Furious (7 not launched due to deck accident)


 * September 1941 - Operation Status I: 26 Hurricanes flown off Ark Royal
 * September 1941 - Operation Status II: 46 Hurricanes flown off Ark Royal and Furious
 * October 1941 - Operation Callboy: 11 Albacores and 2 Swordfish flown off Ark Royal
 * November 1941 - Operation Perpetual: 37 Hurricanes flown off Ark Royal and Argus (10–12 November 1941)

1942

 * February 1942 - Operation Spotter: 15 Spitfire Mk VBs off HMS Eagle. Operation was aborted due to fuel tank fault on the Spitfires and the carrier arrived back in Gibraltar on 28 February
 * March 1942 - Operation Spotter II: the 15 repaired Spitfire Mk VBs flown off Eagle on 7 March.
 * March 1942 - Operation Picket: 9 Spitfires off Eagle aborted due to fuel tank fault
 * 27 March 1942 - Operation Picket II: 7 Spitfires flown off Eagle and Argus; 6 Albacores unable to fly off Argus
 * April 1942 - Operation Calendar: 48 Spitfires flown off from USS Wasp
 * 9 May 1942 - Operation Bowery 64 Spitfires: flown off USS Wasp and HMS Eagle (61 arrived).
 * 17–19 May 1942 - Operation LB: 17 Spitfires flown off Eagle; 6 Albacores were forced to return by engine failures
 * 3 June 1942 - Operation Style: 31 Spitfires flown off HMS Eagle. Twenty-eight arrived, one crashed on take-off, the pilot being rescued, three shot down en route by bf 110 fighters from Pantellaria.
 * 8–10 June 1942 – Operation Salient: 32 Spitfires from HMS Eagle
 * 14–16 July 1942 - Operation Pinpoint: 31 of 32 Spitfires flown off Eagle, One Spitfire had engine failure on take off and was dumped over the side
 * 20–22 July 1942 - Operation Insect: 30 Spitfires flown off Eagle, one found to be u/s and retained, one Spitfire had a defective fuel tank, the pilot bailed out but the parachute failed to open; 28 arrived
 * August 1942 - Operation Bellows: 39 Spitfires flown off Furious
 * 28–30 October 1942 - Operation Baritone: 32 Spitfires flown off Furious
 * October 1942 – Operation Train: 29 Spitfires flown off Furious

Club Runs end
From October 1942, Spitfire Mk VCs with additional internal and external fuel tanks and most armament removed were capable of flying the 1100 mi from Gibraltar to Malta, where the adaptations were reversed, which made Club Runs redundant.