Tan No. 1 faced the mechanics of attacking ships inside a shallow anchorage. A torpedo bomber could not simply aim at a stationary carrier: the weapon needed space to run, and a steep water entry risked striking the seabed. At Taranto, the Royal Navy had deliberately modified its aerial torpedoes to enter shallow water at a flatter angle. The modifications included an extension wire at the nose to make the torpedo enter with a flatter belly-flop.
Notable Point · 38:43-40:42
Why shallow-water torpedo attacks demanded special preparation
Majuro offered stationary targets, but aerial torpedoes still needed room to run and a controlled water entry; Taranto worked because the Royal Navy had engineered for those constraints.