Illustrious entered Judgment after recovering from a 21 October fire in a 60-gallon auxiliary Swordfish fuel tank that damaged several aircraft. Eagle's fuel-system failure then left Illustrious to conduct the attack with a composite group that included some Eagle aircraft. Of 24 aircraft assigned, 21 launched, and only ten torpedo bombers ultimately pressed the anti-ship attack. The rest carried bombs and flares to illuminate the harbour and divert anti-aircraft gunners. The division of roles illustrates that an air strike must devote part of its force to illumination, suppression, and distraction rather than counting every aircraft as a direct attacker.
Chapter · 37:01-40:42
Taranto depended on a balanced strike package
Illustrious sent a mixed Swordfish force: torpedo aircraft struck the ships while bomb and flare aircraft illuminated targets and distracted defenders.