A larger carrier force intensifies the Taranto raid

With French forces covering the west, the Mediterranean Fleet might combine Ark Royal with Illustrious or Eagle for a heavier strike. The additional Swordfish increase the chance of damaging the newest Italian battleships, even though the harbor layout still protects Giulio Cesare particularly well. Taranto would create a six-to-eight-month operational window rather than destroy the Italian fleet outright. More severe damage, combined with the loss of Libya and pressure in Greece, could make repairing modern battleships harder to fund and justify.