Malta lay close to Italian air power, Gibraltar was too distant, and Alexandria alone left a wide operational gap. The Royal Navy's answer was a forward base at Navarino Bay in Greece. Because Mediterranean sorties rarely required the endurance of a trans-Pacific crossing, a defended intermediate anchorage could be more useful than a large fast-oiler force. This theater-specific plan illustrates how geography determined the balance between bases and replenishment at sea.
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Base X extended Mediterranean logistics
The planned Base X at Navarino Bay would bridge the distance between Alexandria and operations nearer Italy without relying on exposed refuelling at sea.