After Eagle and the distant covering force turned back, Operation Harpoon continued under the protection of Cairo, five fleet destroyers, and four Hunt-class destroyers. Italian and German bombers attacked from dawn to dusk, so the escorts' decision to embark the maximum possible anti-aircraft ammunition was critical. When two Italian cruisers and five large destroyers appeared, the close escort made smoke, sent the faster fleet destroyers ahead for a possible torpedo attack, and turned directly toward the enemy. That manoeuvre protected the convoy but left only minesweepers close alongside the merchantmen during heavy air attack. The surviving escorts then had to recover damaged ships and get the remaining merchantmen toward Malta. Convoy defence required the escort to solve air, surface, ammunition, and formation-control problems at the same time.
Notable Point · 2:52:05-2:54:34
Harpoon's close escort faces air and surface attack
Once the distant cover withdrew, Cairo and nine destroyers had to screen the convoy, absorb sustained bombing, and turn toward an Italian cruiser force without abandoning Malta-bound shipping.