 Two destroyers from Force H with four twin 4-inch guns each and two quadruple 21-inch torpedo tubes, joined Force K at Malta.Intended to fight at night, all of the ships were equipped with radar and the cruisers had new searchlights with better performance.The Duisburg (BETA) Convoy, the 51st German–Italian sailing since 8 February, departed from Naples on 7 November and Force K sailed the next day, forewarned by the British success in reading Italian cyphers concerning Axis shipping movements in the Mediterranean.