Operation Substance

v • d • e Battle of the Mediterranean

Espero¹² – Mers-el-Kébir – Calabria¹² – Spada – Cape Passero¹ – Taranto – Spartivento¹ – Excess¹ – Abstention – Matapan – Tarigo² – Crete – Substance¹ – Halberd¹ – Duisburg² – Bon² – 1st Sirte¹² – Alexandria raid – 2nd Sirte¹ – Harpoon¹ – Vigorous¹ – Pedestal¹ – Agreement – Torch – Stone Age¹ – Toulon – Skerki² – Cigno² – Sicily – Sinking of Roma

¹ - Involved an Allied convoy • ² - Involved an Axis convoy

Operation Substance was a British naval operation in July 1941 during the Second World War to escort a convoy from Gibraltar to Malta.

The convoy was escorted by six destroyers and covered by aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, the battlecruiser HMS Renown and the battleship HMS Nelson along with cruisers and destroyers. On 23 July, south of Sardinia, there were sustained Italian air attacks which resulted in one cruiser damaged and one destroyer sunk. The merchant ships reached Malta safely and an Italian raid to sink them in Grand Harbour failed.