Malta possessed major dry docks, workshops, and a long institutional tradition, which encouraged continued spending. Its proximity to Italy nevertheless made the base acutely vulnerable to sustained air attack. Singapore combined fixed and floating docks, whereas Malta's mature facilities remained concentrated under the Italian air umbrella. Sunk investment encouraged Britain to retain a base whose strategic geography made it dangerous in a war with Italy.
Notable Point · 1:50:18-1:51:55
Malta's valuable dockyard sat under Italy's air umbrella
Britain kept investing in Malta's established dockyard even as planners recognised that war with Italy would expose it to intense air attack.