HMAS Sydney, HMS Ajax, HMS Orion, HMS Nubian, and HMS Mohawk went north into the Adriatic during the Taranto operation. The cruisers and Tribal-class destroyers sank all four merchant ships in the convoy, while the Italian auxiliary cruiser Ramb III survived. The raid combined material damage with an effort to make the Italian navy feel vulnerable at home and to push its operating sphere back. It reinforces the video's broader argument that MB8 used several actions to influence Italian decision-making, not just to sink ships.
Chapter · 43:13-46:42
The Otranto raid extended MB8's psychological pressure
While Taranto was attacked, Force X raided into the Adriatic to destroy merchant shipping and show that Italian waters were not secure.