Between 2 and 3 September "Warspite" and "Valiant" covered the assault across the Straits of Messina and bombarded the Italian coastal batteries near Reggio. Between 8 and 9 September, Force H, covering the landings at Salerno, came under fierce German air-attack and narrowly avoided being torpedoed. The resolve of the Italian Government had already been wavering by the time of the Allies victory in North Africa; the invasion of Sicily and aerial attacks on mainland Italy encouraged negotiations. They signed an armistice on 3 September, which took effect on 8 September. Anxious to ensure that the Germans did not acquire an additional 200 warships, the Allies insisted that the Regia Marina must sail for Allied ports. Three days later, "Warspite" met and led elements of the Italian Fleet, including "Vittorio Veneto" and "Italia", into internment at Malta. She repeated this process on 12 September for her opponent from the Battle of Calabria, "Giulio Cesare".