Taranto did not remove the Italian fleet from the war, and Operation White demonstrated that almost immediately. The mission sought to fly reinforcement aircraft to Malta under cover from Force H. By moving surviving battleships to Naples, Italy placed heavy ships on the western side of the peninsula where they could interfere. Force H had Renown, while the Italians could threaten it with two battleships, one carrying 15-inch guns. That imbalance helped make close contact unattractive and shows why the raid's success bought time without eliminating the larger fleet problem.
Notable Point · 3:17:25-3:18:58
Operation White exposes Taranto's strategic limit
Italy still had enough battleship strength after Taranto to threaten the aircraft reinforcement of Malta and constrain Force H.