She next sailed from Malta on 5 December, with HMS "Kingston" and "Lively", and the cruisers "Ajax" and "Neptune". They formed the escort for the fast supply ship HMS "Breconshire", during her passage to meet the ships out of Alexandria. "Ajax", "Neptune" and "Lively" were detached on 6 December and returned to Malta. "Kimberley" remained with the "Breconshire". They were joined on 7 December by HMAS "Hobart", but she was soon detached to go to the assistance of HMS "Flamingo", which had been damaged off Tobruk. "Kimberley" and "Kingston" arrived at Alexandria with the "Breconshire" on 8 December. On 15 December "Kimberley" joined the cruisers HMS "Carlisle", "Euryalus" and "Naiad" and the destroyers "Hasty", "Havock", "Jervis", "Kingston", "Kipling", "Decoy" and "Nizam" in forming Force C, which was assigned to escort the "Breconshire" to Malta. By 16 December unconfirmed reports of Italian battle group escorting a supply convoy to Benghazi had reached the British force. The force was sighted on 17 December, and the "Breconshire" was detached from Force C, escorted by "Decoy" and "Havock". "Kimberley" remained with Force C. A brief engagement followed, later becoming known as the First Battle of Sirte, in which the Italian warships withdrew after the British destroyers attempted to approach to make torpedo attacks. "Kimberley" returned to Alexandria on 18 December with the rest of the escorts.