Malta had always been seen as a strategic location for an airship mooring station, whether as a Submarine Scout centre, an emergency base or a full refuelling stop.
It’s a perfect location, being 60 miles south of Sicily, and a gateway route into the eastern part of the Mediterranean. The island benefited from stable weather conditions and enough resources for a site. In the 1925 Aerial Communications Plan, initially, the British Government had looked at Malta as one of the key “friendly” emergency landing sites for the route down to Egypt.
Due to its unique and historically strategic location, the island proved a safe harbour in case an airship was to get into trouble. It also had an existing military contingent, and all of the facilities and resources required for an airship base and mast site.
Initial Plans
During the First World War, the theatre of war had opened up in the eastern Mediterranean, and smaller mobile sites for Submarine Scout class ships had already started to be used in Greece.
Malta was always of strategic importance to the British Navy, and the submarine threat was becoming a growing risk to shipping convoys and warships that needed protection.
By autumn 1918, construction of the airship station at Malta had begun, and a commander had been appointed. A base at Malta was first proposed in 1915 by the Admiral of Malta:
“A small airship station at Malta would be very valuable for scouting submarines and would help me better to control the area around Malta. If the idea is approved I will have a site for the airship shed selected immediately, so that the airship and he shed and telephonic communications may all be ready by the time the weather becomes suitable for the airship to get to work”
Proposed Altard Airfield 1916
Despite being heavily cultivated, anyone having visited Malta will recognise the fields being hemmed in with dry stone walls patchworking their way across the island, an area in the proximity of Rabat, Altard and Nazzar in the northern part of the island was thought to be most suitable. It was also close to the then 7-mile railway that then traversed the island from Valletta to Mdina. Due to its strategic location, Malta possessed impressive fortifications from many previous conflicts throughout history, so it was suggested that instead of erecting a shed, an airship could be housed in one of the deep moats – these would also conceal the airship from enemy aeroplanes. The Director of Air Services was less than enthusiastic about this scheme, stating the following in a memo dated 29 January 1916:
“There appears to be no difficulty a suitable seaplane base. This will be of value in any case for training purposes in the future, owing to the weather conditions, and it appears desirable to proceed with this work. As regards airships – this is a very difficult subject. The Admiral Superintendent, Malta has a strong leaning to airships but does not appear to have considered the question by COS (Chief of Staff) as to the submarine attacking the airship. We happen, however to have in stock sheds for two Coastals, a type which is superior to the Submarine Count as they have two engines. They are fitted with wireless, bombs, and machine guns. Speed 55 miles per hour, radius 150 miles and further they have the advantage of a steady platform and would be of more use in the clear waters of the Mediterranean than elsewhere and be a deterrent to submarines. It is not disputed that sea craft would be of more value for submarine searching but if no more suitable use is likely to be found in the near future for these airships, none of which must be regarded as makeshift for rigids, they might be used in this way. One thing appears certain, these ships are of little use to work against anti-aircraft guns in daylight.”
It was not surprising that the seaplane station was approved, but the plan for the airship station was put on hold until late 1918
Relocation to Luqa 1925
When the project was resurrected, a different location was chosen in the centre of the island, to the west of the Grand Harbour and close to Zebug. The RAF had control of the site until 1924, when it was leased to local farmers.
As early as 1925, plans for the refurbished R36 would be used for a route down to Egypt, with the original idea of the plan to be seen as a “non-stop” flight. However, the disposable lift for the R36, of some 16 tonnes, was not deemed enough for the ship to make it, and so the trip was cancelled and the focus was put on the larger ships of the Imperial Airship Scheme. The location of Malta would be perfect for an emergency or actual stop-off.
In the 1927 proposals, a landing site at Malta was only deemed in case of a possible emergency. However in view of the lower than expected performance in lifting and therefore passenger capacity, of both the R100 and R101, due to the very high specification requirements, it was decided by September of 1930 that to run a proper commercial service a requirement for full mast to be built at Malta as a stop off for the fully loaded R100/R101 before reaching the Ismailia mast. It would also include limited base facilities, and refuelling and re-gassing facilities if required.
The plan for the airship base at Malta was resurrected in September 1930 for the second time as part of the Imperial Airship Scheme. Earlier plans for the scheme had proposed a number of intermediate airship bases in Europe on the way to Africa. This was reviewed in 1930 when it was realised that the airship’s performance fell below expectations and that, if it was carrying a full complement of passengers, the journey would have to be broken sooner than the already constructed mast at Ismailia on the Suez Canal, almost 1,000 miles further.
Funds were provided for the construction of a mooring mast in September 1930, which is presumed to be located at the site selected for the First World War airship station at Zebug, close to the site of Luqa Airport today, to the north side of the current airfield. The original site suggested based near Rabat and Attard is close to the site where the Malta Aviation Museum currently resides.
Funding was granted as part of the budget for the Maltese facilities to be constructed during the next phase of Airship Development, with the R102, and an extension to the Cardington facilities.
Alas, following the loss of the R 101, the Maltese mast and base facilities, hydrogen plant,and passenger terminal were never completed.