Battle of Taranto | |||||||
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Part of the Battle of the Mediterranean of World War II | |||||||
Aerial view of the Mar Piccolo showing Italian cruisers preparing to get under way, 12 November 1940; often misinterpreted, the image shows raised mud, and not fuel leaking from damaged ships. | |||||||
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Belligerents | |||||||
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Commanders and leaders | |||||||
Andrew Cunningham Lumley Lyster | Inigo Campioni | ||||||
Strength | |||||||
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Casualties and losses | |||||||
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Location within Italy |
The Battle of Taranto took place on the night of 11/12 November 1940 during the Second World War between British naval forces, under Admiral Andrew Cunningham, and Italian naval forces, under Admiral Inigo Campioni. The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, employing 21 Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in the Mediterranean Sea.
The attack struck the battle fleet of the Regia Marina at anchor in the harbour of Taranto, using aerial torpedoes despite the shallowness of the water. The success of this attack augured the ascendancy of naval aviation over the big guns of battleships. According to Admiral Cunningham, "Taranto, and the night of 11–12 November 1940, should be remembered forever as having shown once and for all that in the Fleet Air Arm the Navy has its most devastating weapon."[1]