Although badly damaged, with her draught increased to 41.8 feet (12.5m), "Queen Elizabeth" was not grounded on the harbour bottom, her decks were clear and the Italian crews were captured. For this reason, the Royal Navy maintained the illusion of full operational status, to conceal their weakened position in the Mediterranean during the period the two ships were repaired and refloated. The "Valiant" went back into service after many months and the "Queen Elizabeth" after more than a year and half. Following completion of temporary repairs in an Alexandria drydock in June 1942, she steamed through the Suez Canal and around Africa to the Navy Yard in Norfolk, Virginia, in the United States. From September of that year until June 1943, she was comprehensively repaired.