Borghese reasoned that as a result of their losses at Gibraltar, the Royal Nary would no longer feel Gibraltar to be a safe haven for its fleet. Borghese further speculated with Ernesto Forza, newly assigned commander of the 10th, that the British would turn to the safer Port of Alexandria to dock the better part of its Mediterranean fleet which continued to dominate the waters of the Mediterranean Sea. True to his predictions, Borghese felt vindicated when intelligence reports showed just that the English had moved their major ships to Alexandria.

Working closely with Borghese, consummate commander of the submarine Scire, Commander Forza appropriately chose equipment according to the real estate of the Port, and made sure he had a crew to match: Luigi Durand de la Panne and Emilio Bianchi, Antonio Marceglia and Sparta. Schergat, Vincenzo Martellotta and Mario Marino, and in reserve, Spaccarelli and Feltrinelli.

Borghese wondered with Forza: Could so few men with so few weapons take away from the British their dominance of the Meditermean Basin? If the 10th were able to make that happen, would the Italians and the Germans be able to capitalize on that success? Certainly up to now, the English exercised their control despite the presence of German U-boats and Italian submarines.