Why was Italy's failure to pursue a fleet air arm and sustain cruiser development such a serious mistake?
Short answerEven if land aircraft could reach much of the Mediterranean, Italy still needed naval control of aviation and flexible cruiser forces; both shortfalls constrained the fleet.
NotesThe question accepts that much of the Mediterranean lay within range of land-based aircraft, but argues that this should have made a navy-controlled air arm more valuable. Cruisers are presented as flexible ships that repeatedly performed the work navies actually needed done. Letting cruiser development stall compounded the rigidity created by inadequate naval aviation. Together, reliance on shore aviation and stalled cruiser development left the fleet without organic air power or enough versatile surface forces.