Due to Malta's central location in the Mediterranean, the Italians and Germans tried to occupy the archipelago during World War II. Massive bombings were launched and all supply ships to Malta tried the Axis powers to sink - and often with great success. For the same reason, the Maltese suffered terribly during the war.

Wanted

The Maltese were subjected to more than 3000 bombings over the course of 2 years. During this period and later when the war turned in favor of the Maltese and the Allies, the Lascaris War Rooms were used as Allied headquarters for the battles in the Mediterranean and later in connection with the invasion of Italy. Shortly before the attack on Sicily, all the invasion ships gathered in Valletta's harbor - the Grand Harbor - from where they sailed the approx. 100 km. to Sicily (Operation Husky). The invasion was launched before sunrise on 10 July 1943 with a massive amphibious assault on the southern shores of the island. Over the next three days it involved more than 3,000 ships landing over 150,000 troops and more than 4,000 aircraft taking part in the operation. The conquest of Sicily took little more than a month and led directly to the fall of Italian dictator Benito Mussolini and the surrender of the Italian government to the Allies.

Several well-known generals have been sitting and planning several operations at this headquarters well protected from the many bombings. Dwight D. Eisenhower - later US President - and Bernard Montgomery have had their daily walk here.