While waiting for mines in the Suez canal to be swept, "Formidable" conducted Operation Composition on the night of 12/13 February, sending 14 Albacores to attack Massawa, half with bombs, half with torpedoes. The attack was disorganised by low cloud, SS "Monacalieri" (5,723 GRT) was sunk but little more was achieved. On 13 February, "Hermes" attacked Kismayu with Swordfish aircraft and the cruiser bombarded coastal defences, supply dumps and Italian troops. The Walrus aircraft on "Shropshire" attacked Brava and Italian bombers claimed a near miss on one of the British ships. When Kismayu was captured on 14 February, fifteen of the sixteen Axis merchant ships in the harbour were captured. In the Red Sea, the carrier "Formidable" conducted Operation Composition while en route to Suez; its 14 FAA Albacores attacked Massawa on 13 February and sank the merchant ship "Moncaliere" (5,723 GRT) and inflicted slight damage on other ships