On 1 June 1943, "Penelope" and the destroyers and shelled the Italian island of Pantelleria. The force received enemy gunfire in return and "Penelope" was hit once but suffered little damage. On 8 June 1943, with the cruiser and other ships, she took part in a further heavy bombardment of the island. A demand for its surrender was refused. The same force left Malta on 10 June, to cover the assault (Operation Corkscrew), which resulted in the surrender of the island on 11 June 1943. On 11 and 12 June "Penelope" also took part in the attack on Lampedusa, which fell to the British forces on 12 June 1943.