Battle of Taranto

Battle of Taranto. The Battle of Taranto was a decisive naval engagement of the Second World War, launched on the night of 11–12 November 1940. In a daring aerial assault, a small force of Royal Navy Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS *Illustrious* attacked the Italian fleet at its main base in the Port of Taranto. The successful raid crippled the Regia Marina's capital ship strength and shifted the naval balance in the Mediterranean Sea in favor of the Allies.

Background

Following Italy's entry into World War II in June 1940, the powerful Regia Marina posed a significant threat to Allied supply lines across the Mediterranean Sea. The British Mediterranean Fleet, under Admiral Andrew Cunningham, was based at Alexandria and sought to neutralize this threat. The Italian fleet, commanded by Admiral Inigo Campioni, was often kept in its heavily defended main base at Taranto in the Kingdom of Italy to avoid a major fleet action. British planning for an aerial torpedo attack on Taranto, codenamed Operation Judgement, dated back to the Abyssinia Crisis of 1935. The arrival of the modern aircraft carrier HMS *Illustrious* and its squadrons of Fairey Swordfish biplanes provided the necessary strike capability. The catalyst for the attack was the need to secure convoys to Malta and Greece following the Battle of Calabria and increasing Axis pressure in the theatre.

The attack

The strike force, led by Captain Lumley Lyster, sailed from Alexandria under the cover of a larger fleet movement. On the evening of 11 November, HMS *Illustrious* launched two waves of 21 Fairey Swordfish aircraft from a position about 170 miles from Taranto. The first wave, led by Lieutenant Commander Kenneth Williamson, attacked shortly before 11:00 PM, followed by a second wave under Lieutenant Commander J. W. Hale about an hour later. Flying low through intense anti-aircraft fire and barrage balloon cables, the slow but agile biplanes released aerial torpedoes and bombs. Their primary targets were the *Littorio*-class and *Conte di Cavour*-class battleships anchored in the Mar Grande. The battleship *Conte di Cavour* was sunk, and the modern battleships *Littorio* and *Caio Duilio* were heavily damaged by torpedo hits. The heavy cruiser *Trento* and some destroyers also sustained minor damage from bombs.

Aftermath

The raid was a profound shock to the Regia Marina and the Italian Fascist government. The immediate strategic consequence was the temporary halving of Italy's operational battleship force, prompting the surviving capital ships to be relocated to more distant bases like Naples. This granted the British Mediterranean Fleet greater freedom of movement for several critical months. Admiral Cunningham was able to reinforce Malta and support operations in North Africa and the Balkans with reduced threat. British losses were minimal: two Fairey Swordfish were shot down, with two aircrew killed and two, including Kenneth Williamson, taken prisoner. The Italians suffered 59 casualties. The damaged battleships *Littorio* and *Caio Duilio* were repaired, but *Conte di Cavour* never returned to service.

Significance

The Battle of Taranto demonstrated the vulnerability of capital ships to aerial torpedo attack while in port, fundamentally influencing global naval strategy. It provided a clear template for the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service, which closely studied the tactics before planning its own surprise attack on Pearl Harbor over a year later. The victory greatly boosted Allied morale at a time when the United Kingdom stood alone following the Battle of Britain and during setbacks in the Battle of the Atlantic. For the Regia Marina, the defeat confirmed a cautious strategy and contributed to its loss of initiative in the central Mediterranean Sea. The operation is often cited as a landmark in the rise of naval air power and a classic example of a successful carrier strike.

Order of battle

United Kingdom – Force H and Mediterranean Fleet elements * Aircraft Carrier: HMS *Illustrious* * Heavy Cruisers: HMS *Berwick*, HMS *York* * Light Cruisers: HMS *Gloucester*, HMS *Glasgow* * Destroyers: HMS *Hyperion*, HMS *Ilex*, HMS *Hasty*, HMS *Havock*, HMS *Hero* * Air Group: 21 Fairey Swordfish from 815 Naval Air Squadron and 819 Naval Air Squadron

Kingdom of Italy – 1st Naval Squadron at Taranto * Battleships: *Conte di Cavour* (sunk), *Giulio Cesare*, *Caio Duilio* (damaged), *Andrea Doria*, *Littorio* (damaged), *Vittorio Veneto* * Heavy Cruisers: Italian battleship (damaged)