STQARRIJA 120822 – FONDAZZJONI ĊELEBRAZZJONIJIET NAZZJONALI TIKKOMMEMORA IT-80 ANNIVERSARJU MIL-KONVOJ TA' STA MARIJA
Fit-80 Anniversarju mid-dħul b’suċċess tat-Tanker SS Ohio fil-Port il-Kbir, il-Fondazzjoni Ċelebrazzjonijiet Nazzjonali (FCN) se tkun qed tfakkar dan l-avveniment kbir permezz ta’ ċelebrazzjoni mifruxa mal-Port il-Kbir. Kien 80 sena ilu li l-akbar assemblea ta’ vapuri tal-gwerra u negozjanti fl-istorja ingħaqdet għal missjoni bl-għan ta’ ‘Save Fortress Malta’.
Hekk imsejħa ‘Operation Pedestal’ il-missjoni rat is-sehem ta’ 4 aircraft carriers, 57 bastiment tal-gwerra u skorta, 14-il bastiment Merkantili, 11-il Sottomarin u 102 ajruplan. Fost dawn, SS. Ohio kien l-aktar tanker veloċi disponibbli għall-missjoni. Imqabbad mill-President Roosevelt fuq talbiet ta’ Winston Churchill it-Tanker intbagħat biex ibaħħar lejn Malta flimkien mal-kumplament tal-flotta. Eluf ta’ tunnellati ta’ fjuwil kienu abbord biex jgħinu lil Malta tiġġieled lura kontra l-attakki. Għad daqq tal-baned u folol ferrieħa, l-SS Ohio tkaxkar bil-mod fil-Port. Malta ġiet salvata u setgħet tkompli tiġġieled. ‘Operation Pedestal’ kienet salvat lil Malta u tibqa’ għal dejjem fil-memorja kollettiva.
Bħala parti mill-mandat, id-dmir u l-ħidma tagħha, l-FCN se tfakkar din l-okkażjoni nazzjonali importanti b’kollaborazzjoni ma’ Heritage Malta u Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna. Fil-15 ta’ Awwissu fil-11:45am tindaqq is-sirena tal-Air Raid mil-Mużew Nazzjonali tal-Gwerra ta’ Fort Sant’Iermu. F’12pm jingħata 21 salut mis-Saluting Battery biex jonora l-baħrin u d-dockhands kollha li rriskjaw kollox biex Malta tgħix ħalli tkun tista’ tiġġieled jum ieħor. Fin-12:30 jingħata salut bil-logħob tan-nar mir-Ricasoli, l-post eżatt li fih ġie mkaxkar l-Ohio mal-wasla tiegħu fil-15 ta’ Awwissu 1942. Fl-aħħar terġa’ tinstema is-sirena tal-air raid biex tindika t-tmiem ta’ din il-kommemorazzjoni solenni, tifkira tal-aktar siegħa mudlama ta’ Malta fl-1942.
PRESS RELEASE 120822 - FONDAZZJONI ĊELEBRAZZJONIJIET NAZZJONALI COMMEMORATES THE 80TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SANTA MARIJA CONVOY
On the 80th Anniversary of the successful entry of the tanker SS Ohio in Grand Harbour, Fondazzjoni Ċelebrazzjonijiet Nazzjonali (FCN) will be commemorating this great event by a harbour wide celebration. It was 80 years ago that the biggest assembly of warships and merchants put together in history where prepared for a mission to ‘Save Fortress Malta’.
It was code named Operation Pedestal - 4 aircraft carriers, 57 warships and escorts, 14 Merchant ships, 11 Submarines and 102 aircraft were put together to steam through the Mediterranean. Amongst these, SS. Ohio was the fastest tanker available for the mission. Engaged by President Roosevelt upon the pleas of Winston Churchill the tanker was dispatched to sail to Malta along with the rest of the fleet. Thousands of tons of fuel were onboard to help Malta fight back against the onslaught of the Axis attacks. To the sound of brass bands and cheering crowds, SS Ohio was ponderously dragged into the harbour. Malta was saved and now it was time to fight back. Operation Pedestal had saved Malta and will forever be in the collective memory.
As part of its remit, duty, and outreach, FCN will commemorate this momentous national occasion in collaboration with Heritage Malta and Fondazjoni Wirt Artna. On the 15th of August at 11:45am the Air Raid Siren at Fort St Elmo’s National War Museum will blast out. At 12pm a 21 Gun salute will be discharged from the Saluting battery to honour all the seamen and dockhands that risked all so that Malta will live to fight another day. At 12:30 a salute of fireworks will be fired from Ricasoli the exact spot in which Ohio was dragged to upon its arrival on the 15th of August 1942. At the end the air raid siren will sound once again to denote the end of this most solemn commemoration of Malta’s darkest hour in 1942.
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