OsPREY Fortress BUCCI The Fortifications of Malta 1530-1945 Charles Stephenson - Illustrated by Steve NoonFes publahedin Gat Brtin 02004 oy Oxtey Psi Ens Court Cpe Wy Bate Cntr O90 LP Un ign, EnatidotRrpreypblig com (©2004 spre bling [Aloe reserved Art fom ary fir dain forthe purpose of rat stud ‘saree or review a pert under the Cop, Designs nd Pens ‘or traneitidn an form or by ny mas, etre chemi machanal ‘yal photocopying recording er othewe.wthow ee prior writen permsson ‘lth cpyrite ower Enquiries shoul be arene to he Pbishers tort by es Pabiing, Oxo UR (emp com) Paps byThe Map See Romsey UK Ire by Alsen Worhingen Desig: Ken Val Grshc Dien, Cambede. K CCrignated by Grasmere Dal agg Leds UK Pintd and bound by Res Priming arpay Ue 0105 06 07 8 10987654321 [ACIP axtaloge reer for hs book eae rom the Sih bray Fon cma.ocie OFA soaks Raven ay Opaey Maan pray Direc UK FO Box 40, Weinberg Nora NNB2F4 UK nat fo@orpreydrectcouk Cray Dives USAclo MBI Puahing PO Box 729 Prepac Av, Oxceola 1 S20, USA, Ena fo @orpreydrectem com Artist’s note Readers may care to note that the orignal paintings from which the colour plates in this book were prepared are avaiable for private sale, The Publishers retain all reproduction copyright whatsoever All enquiries should be addressed to: Steve Noon 50 Colcheser Avenve Penylan Cardiff 2 23 98P UK ‘The Publishers regret that they can enter into no correspondence Upon this matter. Dedication ‘Te the people of the Republic of Malta, who for far too long ware payers in other people's history Acknowledgements {In writing this book | am glad to acknowledge the contribution ‘made to it by several others. lis commonplace, though true, to ‘say that without their assistance it would not have been possible for it to be writen, In the UK| owe thanks to Mr Kevin Ryan, Mr lain Stewart ane. in farticular, Mrs Pamela Stephenson. From the Republic of Malta ! would ike to thank Mr Wilfrid Asciak, Mr Ray ‘Cachia-Zammit, Mr Joe Sammut, Mr tan Elis,and Mr Stephen C Spiteri. I is actually impossible to write about the Maltese fortifications without acknowledging the debe owed to Stephen Spicer. His extensive research over mary years has created the quarry from which the rest of us must take our stone. Though ‘hey have al been of great assistance it goes almost without saying that any errors herewith are mine and mine alone.Contents Introduction _4 Chronology 5 30-1798 + British Imperial Maka — 1800-1939 ‘World War Il and beyond — 1939-2003 Malta under the Knights Hospitaller — 1530-1798 ‘The Knights under siege + Survival + New construction, recorstruction. and the decline of the Ottoman threat Entrenchment and overstretch + The outer ring + Design and development of the Hosptaller fortifications “The bastioned trace * The fall of the Knights British Imperial Malta — 1800-1939 The British entrench * Design and development of the British fortifications ~ the polygonal trace ‘The demise of formal fortification World War Il and the second siege — 1939-45 ‘Operation Herkules + Air power and the demise of fortification as a miliary science Malta today Glossary 29 50 59 61 Bibliography 62 Books + Websites Index __64 Thie one 386H-7J7-CUi4