Grand Harbour, Malta Giclée Art Print

Original illustration of a Supermarine Spitfire over the Grand Harbour on Malta. From June 1940 to November 1942, Malta - then part of the British Empire - was besieged by the Axis powers, and became one of the most heavily bombed places on earth. Malta was defended by Royal Air Force, initially with Gloster Gladiators and Hawker Hurricanes, which struggled to resist the tide of more modern and capable Axis aircraft. From March 1942, Spitfires began to arrive on the island, and the tide began to turn. Later that year, Allied victories in North Africa broke the Axis power in the southern Mediterranean, and the siege of Malta was lifted.

The Spitfire depicted in this illustration is Spitfire EP706, markings T-L, of No. 249 (Gold Coast) Squadron RAF. EP706 arrived on Malta in August 1942 as part of Operation Bellows, flying to the island from the aircraft carrier HMS Furious some 635 miles distant. 249 Squadron was one of the RAF's top scoring fighter squadrons of the war, serving in the Battle of Britain, the Siege of Malta, and the Allied Invasion of Italy.

This Malta illustration by Rob Wisdom is a high quality Giclée art print on cotton-rich fine art paper.

12x16" art print shown. Cropping and title position (if applicable) may differ slightly on 'A' size art prints.