Malta was not starved from the moment Italy entered the war. Operation Hurry's spare parts came aboard HMS Pandora and HMS Proteus, long-range Parthian-class submarines designed with Far East service in mind. Minelaying submarines offered useful cargo space, but the Royal Navy would pack supplies into any boat with enough range and room. Twenty-five merchant vessels also reached Malta during 1940, building reserves before the more intense operations of 1941. Siege pressure fluctuated as resupply became harder and more dangerous, but the early movements created stockpiles and operational room.
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Malta's 1940 supply build-up
Merchant ships and Parthian-class submarines built Malta's reserves before the hardest convoy battles.