I have been thinking about another thing. By 1942 it seemed pretty plausible that the British could lose two thirds of the Mediterranean Sea. Let's remember that by 1942 the huge Royal Navy was not enough to handle with the strategical situation in the world. Not even the Royal Navy had the resources of defending its vital supply lines in the North Atlantic, when the battle there was reaching its peak. The war in the Mediterranean was critical. Keßelring was going to invade and smash Malta (he didn't because of Rommel's unwise decisions) and mainly, the whole British Empire in the far East was falling apart... Even the gigantic Royal Navy could not deal with the also gigantic Japanese Imperial Navy... So, the Royal Navy's resources were to its limits in 1942. The Japanese gave severe blows to it in 1942, so a little more and Great Britain would have been knocked out from the war in the far East. Keßelring could have got Malta out from the map if he wanted and Rommel would have been able to advance until Suez. Then a little more effort of admiral Dönitz in the Atlantic and Great Britain would have starved to death. They would be defeated and still holding Gibraltar. But as we see, it was not 'that' important...

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"War is less costly than servitude, the choice is always between Verdun and Dachau." - Jean Dutourd, French veteran of both world wars

"A mon fils: depuis que tes yeux sont fermes les miens n’ont cessé de pleurir." - Mère française, Verdun