First time Liuftwaffe gave high priority to the mass of horizontal bombers instead of precision dive bombers single strikes, as they did all the time before.

It was Malta operation, planned by the colonel Doychmann, chief of the II air corps staff.
Plan consisted of 3 steps:
1. To destroy British bombers on the ground, based on Takali homebase.
2. To attack bombers and torpedo bombers airbases in Luka, Hal Far and Kalafrana.
3. Attack docks and ports on the Valette seabase.

20 of March, 1942 was launched phase 1 - to destroy British bombers on the ground on their Takali homebase.

First strike wave consisted of over 60 German bombers with Me-110 escort. Totally that day over Malta was more then 200 German bombers.
In operation were used was aircrafts from:
- KG606 and KG806 from Katana
- I/KG54 from Cherubine
- Two Gruppe of KG77 from Komizo
- fighters from JG53, II/JG3 “Udet” and Me-110 from III/ZG26
1st phase was succesfull, next day airfield strikes didn’t meet a single British fighter.

On the 21st of March was launched phase 2, British airfields were under attack, but phase was interrupted due the big British transport convoy trying to reach Malta.
Convoy was destroyed, only 1/5 part (5000 tons) of all the cargo was deleivered.

Third phase was launched in the end of the month. As a result, British destroyers and submarines were forced to left Malta.

In the middle of April allied forces has reacted - they “Wasp” carrier came into Mediterraneen. 47 new shiny Spitfires took off to the Hal Far and Takali airfields.
But thanks to the captain Kuhlman’s radio frequency tracking division II air corps knew about it. So, 20 minutes after Spitfires has landed bombs fell down on the airfield again, so British airforces on Malta left with 27 Spitfires only.
Several days ago, after tight fights with JG53 this amount was lowered down even more.

By the end of the month Germans didn’t know where to drop their bombs. II air corps reports: “From the 20th of March till the 28th of April naval and airbases on Malta are completely destroyed. During the 5807 combat flights of bombers, 5667 flights of fighters and 345 flights of recon planes were dropped 6 557 231 kg of bombs.”

Its apprx the same amount of bombs as was dropped to the Britain during the operation in Sptember 1940.

Source: Cajus Bekker “The Luftwaffe War Diaries”