Kugadziriswa kwe"Vittorio Veneto" kwakapedzwa nenguva yokuti apinde mu"Littorio" pakurwiswa kwezvikepe zveVigorous neHarpoon, izvo zvakanga zvabva kuAlexandria neGibraltar kunosimbisa Malta panguva imwe chete pakati paJune. Kurwisana kwacho kwakanga kwakaganhurirwa kumasimba akareruka anopikisa, uye "Littorio" uye "Vittorio Veneto" havana kuona chiito; vaBritish zvisinei vakagura Operation Vigorous nekuda kwekuvapo kwezvikepe zvehondo uye kurwisa kukuru kwemhepo. Achidzokera kuchiteshi chengarava, "Littorio" yakarohwa nebhomba rakabva kubhomba rinorema reAmerica B-24 Liberator; bhomba racho rakarova shongwe yepamberi yepfuti, kunyange zvazvo rakakuvadza zvishoma. Isati yadzokera kuchiteshi chengarava, imwe ndege yeBritain yeWellington yakarwisa ngarava yacho. Torpedo yacho yakarova murwi waro wokurudyi, kunyange zvazvo rakadzokera kuchiteshi. Kugadziriswa kwakapedzwa uye musi wa 12 December, ngarava dzose dzakatamiswa kubva kuTaranto kuenda kuLa Spezia mukupindura kuAllied landings kuNorth Africa
. "Roma" akabatana nechikepe nokukurumidza pashure pokurwiswa kwamakondirakiti maviri, uye akabatana nehanzvadzi dzake nokuda kwekuenda kuLa Spezia. Ikoko, yakatsiva "Littorio" sechikepe chikuru chezvikepe.