At 20:55 hours, Admiral Philips cancelled the operation, and ordered the force to return to Singapore. On the way back, they were spotted and reported by . The next morning, 10 December, they received a report of Japanese landings at Kuantan, and "Express" was sent to investigate the area, finding nothing. That afternoon, "Prince of Wales" and "Repulse" were attacked and sunk by 85 Japanese aircraft off Kuantan by aircraft from the 22nd Air Flotilla based at Saigon. "Vampire" rescued 225 of the ships' 2,081 survivors from the sea, and transported them to Singapore.