Cunningham's confidence before Taranto

Was Admiral Cunningham already convinced by the Fleet Air Arm before Taranto?

He already respected its potential, partly through Henderson, but Taranto demonstrated in combat that the capability really worked.

Cunningham's earlier encounters with Admiral Henderson had already increased his respect for the Fleet Air Arm. Taranto still mattered because paper capability and exercises do not create the same confidence as a difficult operation succeeding in war. The raid supplied practical evidence to commanders who understood the theory but had not seen that combination of aircraft, crews, weapons, and planning work under fire. The exchange separates institutional advocacy from the credibility earned by operational proof.