Battle of Taranto
The Battle of Taranto, fought on the night of November 11, 1940, was a significant naval engagement during World War II, where the Royal Navy aimed to neutralize the Italian Navy's threat in the Mediterranean. Taking place in Taranto harbor, the British launched a surprise attack using the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious and its Swordfish biplanes, which targeted the Italian fleet led by Admiral Arturo Ricciardi. Despite the Italian defenses, which included anti-aircraft measures and torpedo netting, they were hindered by their lack of radar and night fighters. The British successfully disabled three battleships and damaged several other ships with minimal losses, showcasing effective naval air power. This battle not only weakened the Italian naval presence but also shifted the balance in the Mediterranean, allowing greater freedom of movement for British forces. Additionally, it underscored the vulnerability of naval assets to aerial attacks, influencing future military strategies, including the planning of the attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese forces. Overall, the Battle of Taranto marked a pivotal moment in naval warfare, highlighting the changing dynamics of military engagements during the war.
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Subject Terms
Battle of Taranto
Type of action: Naval battle in World War II
Date: November 11, 1940
Location: Taranto harbor, southern Italy
Combatants: 21 Royal Navy Swordfish torpedo bombers vs. most of the Italian Navy (58 ships)
Principal commanders:British, Admiral Sir Andrew Cunningham (1883–1963); Italian, Admiral Arturo Ricciardi (1878–1966)
Result: Royal Navy planes disabled Italian ships
In the fall of 1940, the Royal Navy wanted to quickly eliminate the Italian Navy’s threat to its Mediterranean operations, especially given the Axis powers’ recent advances into Greece and Egypt. The opportunity arose when the Italian Navy, lead by Admiral Arturo Ricciardi, placed most of its ships in Taranto harbor. After conducting complex naval movements that confused the Italians, Admiral Andrew Cunningham positioned a force containing the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious two hundred miles south of Taranto on November 11.
That night, Illustrious launched two waves of Swordfish biplanes. Most carried torpedoes rigged for shallow water operation, and the others carried bombs as well as flares for illumination. The British expected high losses because of Taranto’s formidable defenses, which included barrage balloons, torpedo netting, and many antiaircraft guns. However, the Italians lacked radar and night fighter planes. Though they detected the inbound force, their inaccurate gunnery and the British pilots’ use of varied attack axes and altitudes proved costly. The British disabled three of Italy’s six battleships (two for many months and one permanently), and seriously damaged a few cruisers and destroyers. The British lost only two planes, and one of their two-man crews was killed.
Significance
Taranto crippled and intimidated the Italian navy, allowing the Royal Navy freer reign in the Mediterranean. It demonstrated that air attack made no harbor safe, and it validated Japanese naval leaders’ Pearl Harbor attack plan for the anticipated war with the United States.
Bibliography
Lowry, Thomas, and John Wellham. The Attack on Taranto. Mechanicsburg, Pa.: Stackpole Books, 1995.
Pitt, Barrie. “Italy’s Pearl Harbor.” Military History Quarterly 3 (Spring, 1991): 50–57.
Smithers, A. J. Taranto, 1940. Annapolis, Md.: Naval Institute Press, 1995.