Falkland Parallel - Comment – behind much of the concerns over the defences of the Falklands among the senior military one suspects are the memories of the Siege of Malta some seventy years ago. From 1940-1942 the fight for the control of the strategically important island of Malta gained even more importance following the opening of hostilities in mid-1940 in North Africa. British air and sea forces based on the island could attack Axis ships transporting vital supplies and reinforcements from mainland Europe. The Axis resolved to bomb or starve Malta into submission by one of the most intensively bombing campaigns of the War. The German Air Force and the Italian Air Force flew a total of 3,000 bombing raids over a period of two years in an effort to destroy RAF defences and the port facilities. The cost in lives and ships during the defence of Malta is hard to contemplate in the modern era but should be recommended reading for all those charged with current Defence Policy. Malta received the unique honour of a George Cross to mark the stalwart civilian effort during the siege an event that will be marked in April this year. By November 1942 events in North Africa has seen the Axis loose the Second Battle of El Alamein and the Allies had landed forces in Vichy French Morocco and Algeria (Operation Torch) and from December 1942 the air and sea forces operating from Malta went over to the offensive but is had been a close run thing ... to close!!