 At a Malta Baltimore crew had caught sight of the Italian fleet and gave a strength report of four cruisers with four destroyers, preceding two battleships and four destroyers, which reached Harwood at A Photographic Reconnaissance (PR) flight over Taranto had verified the departure of the ships at and another sighting reached Harwood that at the fleet was making southwards.At Harwood signalled Vian that the Italian fleet (Admiral Angelo Iachino) with two battleships, two heavy and two light cruisers and had sailed from Taranto and would reach the convoy by Vian requested permission to turn back as it would be impossible for the escorts to protect the merchantmen for another long summer day and Harwood ordered Vigorous to continue towards Malta until on 15 June, then turn onto a reciprocal course.At Gazala, the Eighth Army began to withdraw, after it had been defeated in the fighting from leaving a garrison inside Tobruk; both sides sent aircraft to Vigorous, which gave a respite to the armies.