In November Force B (comprising "Ajax", and two destroyers, and and under the command of Rear Admiral Bernard Rawlings was moved to Malta to reinforce the ships of Force K already there and to carry out offensive sweeps for Axis supply ships en route to Libya. On 19 December, after taking part in conveying a supply ship into Malta in Operation MD 8 which had led to the First Battle of Sirte, Force B was deployed to find the Italian convoy encountered in that engagement but fell foul of a minefield off Tripoli, resulting in the loss of "Neptune" and "Kandahar" and damage to two other ships. After this, forces B and K were withdrawn from Malta.