Continued French participation would remove the historical reason for forming Force H, although Britain could still keep ships near Gibraltar. Ark Royal might then operate with Illustrious and Eagle in the Mediterranean. With three carriers available, Eagle could receive repairs while the other two prepared the Taranto strike. The projected attacking force is up to 84 Swordfish and 24 Skuas, compared with the stated historical allocation of 24 Swordfish, of which 21 reached their targets. Historically, Taranto and Cape Matapan gave the Royal Navy periods of dominance while surviving Italian ships continued operating. Additional French strength could let the Allies exploit those periods more fully.
Chapter · 57:49-1:00:30
What a larger Taranto strike might change
Freeing Ark Royal from Force H commitments could concentrate more carriers in the Mediterranean and make a much larger Taranto strike possible.