Themes

Conflict and Change

• Introduction

• In Focus: 1900

• In Focus: World War One

• In Focus: Interwar

• In Focus: World War Two

  • Surface Fleet

  • Submarines

  • Royal Marines

  • Fleet Air Arm

• In Focus: Post War Conflict

• In Focus: Cold War Climate

• In Focus: Falklands and Beyond

• Special Exhibition: Falklands 25

Learning

• How To: Understand Propaganda

• Propaganda Image Galleries

• Education Project: Sea With Your Own Eyes

Taranto

Swordfish biplanes attack Italian fleet in its homeport of Taranto

Operation Judgement took place on the 11 November 1941. 21 Swordfish biplanes from 813, 805, 819 and 824 Squadrons armed with torpedoes and bombs attacked the Italian fleet in its homeport of Taranto. It was a massive success and is still celebrated today by the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm.

The Admiralty developed the idea of attacking an enemy fleet in its “safe” harbour at the end of the First World War, so it was not a new idea. In 1935 during the Abyssinian Crisis military planners had once again seen Taranto as a potential target for air attack. HMS Glorious the ship then envisaged to carry out the attack had been sunk in 1939 but her then Captain Admiral Lumley-Lyster was now flying his flag as Rear Admiral Air Mediterranean in HMS Illustrious.

A Swordfish flies above an aircraft carrier. The Swordfish was used in the attack on the Italian harbour of Taranto (RNM)

Article Highlights

• Introduction

• The fleet leaves Alexandria

• The attack

• The results

Follow the links to find more about...

Significant aircraft

Convoy protection

Taranto

Northern operations

Operation Torch

The Pacific

Related External Links

• Fleet Air Arm Museum