On this day 1940 @RoyalNavy Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers from @815NAS & 819 NAS took off from the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious to bomb Italian airfields on Stampalia & Rhodes in the Dodecanese islands, signalling the start of Adm Sir Andrew Cunningham's new operation: MC2

MC2 was another of Adm Cunningham's complex operations, involving convoys to Malta & Piraeus, air strikes, a cruiser sweep, a bombardment by the big guns of the battleships & the transfer of HMS Malaya to reinforce Force H, ending the association of the four Queen Elizabeths.

With the air strikes on Stampalia & Rhodes out of the way, the @RoyalNavy Mediterranean Fleet spent 18th November preparing for the next part of Adm Cunningham's plan, starting with another air strike by @815NAS & 819 NAS from HMS Illustrious on the Albanian port of Valona.

Approaching the launch point north west of Cephalonia, it bacame obvious that the weather was too poor for flying, so R/Adm Lumley Lyster was forced to abandon the plan & head back to Adm Cunningham & the fleet.

In the meantime, V/Adm Henry Pridham-Wippel, aboard his flagship HMS Orion was leading HMS Ajax & HMAS Sydney along with HMS Jervis, HMS Juno & HMS Mohawk on a cruiser & destroyer sweep into the Adriatic

The main show, however, was to come just after midnight, as Adm Cunningham approached Valona himself aboard HMS Warspite, with HMS Valiant & five destroyers. At 0115 the big 15in guns turned to bear & opened fire on Valona's port & airfield, delivering 96 of their 1,938lb shells.

Bombardment complete, Adm Cunningham turned his force away to rendezvous with V/Adm Pridham-Wippell & R/Adm Lyster, before heading for Malta.

Adm Sir Andrew Cunningham had arrived at Malta aboard HMS Warspite on the 20th a few hours after HMS Malaya & convoy MW5A. On the 21st both battleships departed. HMS Warspite going east to rejoin Adm Cunningham's fleet, HMS Malaya west to join V/Adm Sir James Somerville's Force H

Meanwhile, the rest of Adm Cunningham's Mediterranean Fleet including the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious & battleship HMS Valiant had remained at sea under V/Adm Henry Pridham-Wippell aboard HMS Orion, & launched an air strike against an Italian convoy off the Kerkennah Islands

The Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers of @815NAS & 819 NAS torpedoed & sank two of the reported three ships in the convoy before returning to HMS Illustrious.

As well as the air strike on the convoy, HMS Illustrious also launched the Fairey Swordfish of @815NAS & 819 NAS against Tripoli harbour, hitting shipping & warehouses, aided by additional Swordfish of 830 NAS from Malta, which laid mines in the harbour entrance.

This done, Adm Sir Andrew Cunningham's Mediterranean Fleet settled in to protecting convoy ME5 as it returned from Malta to Alexandria, with the Fleet making port again on Christmas Eve.

The other side of the Sicilian Narrows, Force H under V/Adm Sir James Somerville including HMS Renown HMS Ark Royal & HMS Sheffield, met up with HMS Malaya, her destroyer escorts HMS Hasty, Hereward & Hero & the two merchant ships they were escorting, at 0940 off Galita Island.