 In September following the meeting with President Roosevelt Prince of Wales was assigned to Force H , in the Mediterranean . On 24 September Prince of Wales formed part of Group II , led by Vice @-@ Admiral Alban Curteis and consisting of the battleships Prince of Wales and Rodney , the cruisers Kenya , Edinburgh , Sheffield and Euryalus , and twelve destroyers . The force provided an escort for Operation Halberd , a supply convoy from Gibraltar to Malta . On 27 September the convoy was attacked by Italian aircraft , with Prince of Wales shooting down several with her 5 @.@ 25 @-@ inch ( 133 mm ) guns . Later that day there were reports that units of the Italian Fleet were approaching . Prince of Wales , the battleship Rodney and the aircraft carrier Ark Royal were despatched to intercept , but the search proved fruitless . The convoy arrived in Malta without further incident , and Prince of Wales returned to Gibraltar , before sailing on to Scapa Flow , arriving there on 6 October . 
