Mediterranean convoys as Britain's strategic link

Operations Tiger and Splice were unexceptional by the standards of Britain's wartime convoy traffic. The Mediterranean shortened the route from Britain to Egypt, the Indian Ocean, and the Far East, while Italy's entry made that passage dangerous. Britain could send ships around Africa to avoid much of the Italian fleet, so entering the Mediterranean usually meant supplying Malta, meeting an urgent need at Alexandria, or supporting a combat operation. Such convoys concentrated scarce escorts around cargo important enough to justify the risk.