An Italian force moving west past the Libya-Algeria frontier would enter an area supported by French airfields and fleet bases. Speed could permit a dash, but it could not create attractive targets or guarantee an escape before French forces responded. French troop convoys could assemble on the Atlantic side, pass Gibraltar, and hug the North African coast to shorten their exposure in open Mediterranean water. Reaching them would force Italian cruisers farther west and give the French fleet more time to intervene. Bases, routes, and unloading points could defeat the raiding concept without a decisive surface battle.
Notable Point · 2:57:55-2:59:22
French air cover narrows Italy's western raid opportunities
French airfields, coastal convoy routes, and fleet response time made high-speed Italian raids west of Libya difficult to turn into decisive attacks.