'MA9' was a British naval undertaking by Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham’s Mediterranean Fleet in the eastern part of the Mediterranean Sea as a diversion to aid the 'Hurry' (i) initial delivery of aircraft to Malta by Vice Admiral Sir James Somerville’s Gibraltar-based Force 'H' (31 July/1 August 1940).

On this day the force which sortied from Alexandria comprised the battleships Malaya and Royal Sovereign, the fleet carrier Eagle and the destroyers Hasty, Hereward, Hero, Hostile, Ilex, Imperial, Jervis and Australian Vendetta.