<prompt> Qedela umusho olandelayo: Ngemva kokuthi ukulungiswa sekuqediwe, i-Littorio yahlanganyela ekuhlaseleni okungaphumelelanga kokunqanda amabutho aseBrithani ngo-Agasti 22 kuya ku-25. Ngemva kwenyanga, wahola ukuhlaselwa kwe-Allied convoy ku-Operation Halberd ngo-September 27, 1941. Amandla aseBrithani ayehambisana naleli qembu ayehlanganisa imikhumbi yempi i-,, kanye ne-; ukuhlola kwase-Italy kwabika ukuba khona komkhumbi onamandla, futhi umlawuli wase-Italy, ngaphansi kwemiyalo yokungasebenzi ngaphandle kokuthi abe namandla amakhulu, waphula umsebenzi futhi wabuyela ethekwini. NgoDisemba 13, wabamba iqhaza kokunye ukuhlanza ukubamba umkhumbi oya eMalta, kodwa umzamo waphazanyiswa ngemuva kokuthi i- Vittorio Veneto i-torpedoed ngumkhumbi ongaphansi kwamanzi waseBrithani. Ngemva kwezinsuku ezintathu, yaphuma ngomkhumbi ukuze ihambe ne-Operation M42, umzila wokuthumela izimpahla emabuthweni ase-Italy naseJalimane eNyakatho Afrika. Ngasekupheleni kuka - 1941, impumelelo yamaBrithani ekubhuleni ikhodi ye - Enigma yenza kwaba nzima ngokwengeziwe ukuba izinqola ze - Axis zifinyelele eNyakatho Afrika. Ngakho-ke, amaNtaliyane anikela ngemikhumbi yawo yempi emizamweni yokuvikela kangcono izithuthi. Ngosuku olulandelayo, wathatha ingxenye  <response>: Impi Yokuqala YaseSirte. I-Littorio, kanye nabanye ababesekude, bahlangana neqembu elalihambela i-British eliya eMalta elaliqondana ne-M42 ngasekupheleni kosuku. Littorio wavula umlilo ebangeni eliphakeme kakhulu, cishe ngo-, kodwa akazange ashaye lutho. Noma kunjalo, umlilo onamandla wase-Italy waphoqa amabutho aseBrithani ukuba ahoxe ngaphansi kwesembozo sentuthu futhi umzila we-M42 wafika eNyakatho Afrika ngaphandle kokulimala. 