A larger multi-carrier strike at Taranto

The Royal Navy historically practised multi-carrier operations, and Taranto was initially intended to involve both Illustrious and Eagle. In this scenario, more ships and larger air groups make a two- or three-carrier strike easier to assemble without stripping other theatres. Torpedo bombers would still exploit the harbour, while independently developed dive bombers might threaten targets that torpedoes could not reach. Heavier Italian losses are plausible, although the exact result remains conditional on how the altered forces are deployed.