 Her aircraft were disembarked in Malta, and Torrens-Spence flew to Eleusis, near Athens, Greece, with elements of 815 and 819 Squadrons for an active anti-shipping campaign which later earned him the Distinguished Service Order.At the Battle of Cape Matapan, Torrens-Spence was ordered to find and attack a large Italian naval force.After observing an attack by aircraft from the carrier achieve no result, he found a hole in the enemy smokescreen and was confronted with the , which he torpedoed from close range.