Cunningham became a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath ( GCB ) , " in recognition of the recent successful combined operations in the Middle East " , in March 1941 and was created a baronet , of Bishop 's Waltham in the County of Southampton , in July 1942 . From late 1942 to early 1943 , he served under General Dwight D. Eisenhower , who made him Naval Commander , Allied Expeditionary Force . In this role Cunningham commanded the large fleet that covered the Anglo-American landings in North Africa ( Operation Torch ) . General Eisenhower said of him in his diary : On 21 January 1943 , Cunningham was promoted to Admiral of the Fleet . February 1943 saw him return to his post as Commander-in-Chief , Mediterranean Fleet . Three months later , when Axis forces in North Africa were on the verge of surrender , he ordered that none should be allowed to escape . Entirely in keeping with his fiery character he signalled the fleet " Sink , burn and destroy : Let nothing pass " . He oversaw the naval forces used in the joint Anglo-American amphibious invasions of Sicily , during Operation Husky , Operation Baytown and Operation Avalanche . On the morning of 11 September 1943 , Cunningham was present at Malta when the Italian Fleet surrendered . Cunningham informed the Admiralty with a telegram ; " Be pleased to inform their Lordships that the Italian battle fleet now lies at anchor under the guns of the fortress of Malta . " In October 1943 , Cunningham became First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff , after the death of Sir Dudley Pound . This promotion meant that he had to relinquish his coveted post of Commander-in-Chief , Mediterranean , recommending his namesake Admiral John H. D. Cunningham as his successor . In the position of First Sea Lord , and as a member of the Chiefs of Staff committee , Cunningham was responsible for the overall strategic direction of the navy for the remainder of the war . He attended the major conferences at Cairo , Tehran , Yalta and Potsdam , at which the Allies discussed future strategy , including the invasion of Normandy and the deployment of a British fleet to the Pacific Ocean
Potsdam
Potsdam Conference
Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope