Force K was the name given to three British Royal Navy groups of ships during the Second World War. The first Force K operated from West Africa in 1939, to intercept commerce raiders. The second Force K was formed in October 1941 at Malta, to operate against convoys sailing from Italy to Libya. Axis air attacks on Malta led to Force K being reduced and on 8 April 1942, the last ship of the force was withdrawn. After a convoy was run to Malta in Operation Stoneage Force K was re-established against Axis convoys.
HMS Renown was part of the first Force K
HMS Aurora in 1938
HMS Lance entering Grand Harbour, Malta
HMS Cleopatra (photographed in 1945 IWM FL 5210)
Operation Stoneage or Operation Stone Age was an Allied convoy operation to the Mediterranean island of Malta in the Second World War. To disguise the destination of the ships, some took on their cargo at Port Sudan in the Red Sea. The four ships of Convoy MW 13 sailed from Alexandria on 16 November, escorted by cruisers, destroyers and round-the-clock air cover from captured airfields in Egypt and Cyrenaica.
View from HMS Manxman during Operation Stoneage, November 1942
P-40D Kittyhawks (450 Squadron RAAF, August 1942)
Malta bound convoy and escort, seen from HMS Euryalus at sunset