How holding Crete as well as Malta could change supply routes

Allied possession of Crete alongside Malta could have exposed more Axis supply routes to aircraft and ships operating from the two islands. In this counterfactual, Naples to Tripoli becomes the only relatively safe route for large supply ships, while approaches to Benghazi face greater danger. Concentrating Axis traffic on fewer routes would make interception easier. If the resulting pressure drove Italian forces back toward Tripoli, Allied aircraft based along the recovered North African coast could help cover convoys to Malta. Fighters from Malta and Crete could also support the carriers escorting those convoys. Restricting Axis supplies could therefore make Malta itself easier to supply.