Operation Judgement was one objective inside the much larger Operation MB8 schedule. Force F was to reinforce the Mediterranean Fleet from Gibraltar and carry stores for Malta while Illustrious and Eagle launched every available torpedo-spotter-reconnaissance aircraft against Taranto. The plan also covered convoys among Egypt, Malta, Crete, and Greece and sent light forces against traffic bound for Albania through the Strait of Otranto. Nesting the air strike inside reinforcement and supply movements gave the British fleet several reasons to be at sea while multiplying the demands on Italian situational awareness.
Chapter · 29:10-30:09
Operation Judgement inside Operation MB8
The Taranto attack was one objective inside a theatre-wide movement that reinforced the Mediterranean Fleet, carried stores, covered convoys, and raided the Strait of Otranto.