 Operation Hercules ("Operazione C3") was an Axis plan to invade Malta and during 1942, reinforcement of the "Luftwaffe" in Sicily and the bombing campaign against the island led to speculation that it was the prelude to invasion.Gleanings from prisoners of war and diplomatic sources led to a certain apprehension about the meaning of troop movements in southern Italy.The absence of evidence from signals intelligence and air reconnaissance led to a conclusion that an invasion was not imminent but the need to protect the source of information meant that this was not disclosed by the British.