While Illustrious struck Taranto, Vice Admiral Henry Pridham-Wippell took Orion, Sydney, Ajax, Nubian, and Mohawk into the Strait of Otranto to interrupt Italian communications with Albania. The force found no target on the inward sweep, then encountered Italian traffic while returning from the Adriatic. That direction of approach made the contact more disorienting because Italian attention was focused toward the Mediterranean. The result was a two-direction blow: expected pressure on Taranto accompanied by a less anticipated attack on the supply route.
Chapter · 28:58-30:13
The Otranto raid turns Taranto into a two-direction blow
A cruiser-destroyer sweep into the Adriatic interrupted Italian communications with Albania and surprised traffic from an unexpected direction while Taranto was attacked.