Malta Dockyard

The decision was taken to expand into the adjacent French Creek, and between 1861 and 1909 a further five dry docks—three single plus one double dock—were constructed there, along with an assortment of specialized buildings to serve the mechanized Navy.

In January 1941 sixty German dive bombers made a massed attack on the dockyard in an attempt to destroy the damaged British aircraft carrier Illustrious, but she received only one bomb hit.

Incessant German and Italian bombing raids targeted Malta through March, opposed by only a handful of British fighters.

At the time it was intended that "the yard would continue to be supplied with naval repair work, which would diminish as commercial activities expanded.

"[8] Supervision of residual naval work in the dockyard would be carried out by personnel under the direction of the Flag Officer Malta.

After Baileys were dispossessed by the Maltese Government, by February 1968,[9] the dockyard was closed as a naval base and the Royal Navy withdrew completely in 1979.