While the distance between Sicily and the nearest non-neutral point on the African shore is short, about 300 miles it is not short enough to enable ships to "steal bases" under cover of darkness, The journey takes a full day or more and, in addition, must be made in an area within easy reach of the British base at Malta and hence under ready British surveillance, Even if the 150-mile gap between Sicily and neutral Tunis had been used, it still would mean a journey of ten or twelve hours and therefore impossible in the few night hours, It far more reasonable to suppose that Nazi air power managed to Australian Premier in
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