On 12 November, "Vittorio Veneto" was moved to Naples from Taranto in response to the Allied invasion of North Africa. While en route, the British submarine unsuccessfully attacked "Vittorio Veneto". An American air raid on the harbor on 4 December prompted the Italians to withdraw the fleet to La Spezia, where it remained for the rest of Italy's active participation in the war. On 5 June 1943, "Vittorio Veneto" was badly damaged by an American air raid on La Spezia; she was hit by two large bombs toward the bow, though only one detonated. That bomb passed through the ship and exploded under the hull, causing serious structural damage. The damage forced her to be transferred to Genoa for repair work, since the dockyard in La Spezia had also been damaged by the attack. On 3 September, Italy signed an armistice with the Allies, ending her active participation in World War II. Six days later, "Vittorio Veneto" and the rest of the Italian fleet sailed for Malta, where they would be taken into internment for the remainder of the war. While en route, the German "Luftwaffe" (Air Force) attacked the Italian fleet using Dornier Do 217s armed with Fritz X radio-controlled bombs. "Vittorio Veneto" was undamaged but "Littorio"—by now renamed "Italia"—was hit and damaged and her sister was sunk in the attack.