 This was the logical course of action; but, as the fighters circled and waited, using up their fuel, the bombers were more than halfway to Africa.Over the Apennine Mountains, then the Italian Riviera and the Mediterranean, the Lancaster force kept loose formation for protection as the sun came up.Italian fighters were a possible threat, and the Luftwaffe's "Nachtjagdgeschwader 2" (2nd Night Fighter Wing) was based in Italy, but the bombers had descended to low altitude again and seemed to be undetected.