The Battles of Sirte and the cost of withdrawing too soon

Which battle best shows a force snatching defeat from the jaws of victory?

The Sirte convoy battles, where Italian forces withdrew while close to winning and allowed the Royal Navy to escape defeat.

The Battles of Sirte, especially the second action, are offered as an example of withdrawing when close to victory. In this interpretation, Italian forces broke off just as they were approaching success. These were convoy contests, which gave their outcomes a different character from a simple fleet battle. The Royal Navy is consequently judged to have escaped likely defeat more than once through Italian withdrawal.