Somerville objected when military personnel and their wives embarked in returning empty ships because their presence created a moral obligation to protect vessels that ranked below the escorting forces in Admiralty priorities. The dispatch states the hierarchy plainly: bringing the warships home safely mattered more than the arrival of empty shipping. About 2,600 troops were divided among the transports and Malta-bound warships, while escorts took turns entering Gibraltar to refuel before rejoining the convoy for its night passage through the strait. Cunningham's Mediterranean Fleet supported the deception by sailing west from Alexandria and transmitting enough wireless traffic to ensure that the movement was noticed. Force H added night movements, false farewell signals between Nelson and Rodney, and decoy transports at Gibraltar. Axis observers therefore had several misleading signs to reconcile.
Notable Point · 7:22-10:58
Convoy priorities and deception in Operation Halberd
The planners balance protection of Malta-bound forces against empty returning ships while using fleet movements, wireless traffic, and false impressions to mislead Axis observers.