The convoy plan paired nine Malta-bound transports with a heavily reinforced Force H, including Nelson, Prince of Wales, Rodney, Ark Royal, five cruisers, and eighteen destroyers. At the narrows, five cruisers and half the destroyers continued toward Malta as Force X while the main body turned west to distract attention and await their return. Nine submarines watched waters around Sardinia, Sicily, and southern Italy. Gibraltar-based aircraft supplied reconnaissance, anti-submarine patrols, and fighter protection. Moving supplies through the central Mediterranean required all of these layers to work together.
Chapter · 5:34-7:18
Operation Halberd's layered escort force
A dispatch lays out the transports, capital ships, carrier, cruisers, destroyers, submarines, and RAF support assembled for Operation Halberd.