"Aphis" remained based at Alexandria until Malta became available for use as a naval base in March 1943. Based at Malta, nearer to the landings on the Italian islands and mainland Europe, she provided artillery support for the attack on Pantelleria in June (deployed with headquarters ship and destroyers and . Her planned deployment in support of the Sicily landings was cancelled in view of the class' vulnerability to air attack. Instead, after a period at Malta, "Aphis" supported British landings in Calabria in early September. She was deployed with her sister and monitors , and , to bombard enemy positions on the coast between Reggio Calabria and Pessaro before the Operation "Baytown" landings by the British XIII Corps.