The British force escorted a convoy from Alexandria to Malta, while Italian ships covered a convoy from Naples to Benghazi. Italy possessed near parity in battleships, more cruisers, and the same number of destroyers, while Britain held the aircraft-carrier advantage through HMS Eagle. Admiral Inigo Campioni led the Italian fleet, and Admiral Andrew Cunningham went to sea with the British force in his flagship. In this account, Campioni's ships had a plausible chance to close and force a more decisive action. Instead, the battle remained inconclusive, both convoys reached their destinations, much of the British damage came from the Regia Aeronautica rather than the navy, and Cavagnari's position collapsed in the wake of Calabria and Taranto.
Chapter · 20:44-24:29
Battle of Calabria and Cavagnari's removal
The inconclusive 1940 Battle of Calabria, known in Italy as the Battle of Punta Stilo, exposed a missed opportunity for Italy's strong surface force and, alongside Taranto, contributed to Cavagnari's fall from office.