The paper plan assumed both Eagle and Illustrious, with multiple waves and a potentially much larger Swordfish force. One working scheme called for two groups of fifteen Swordfish, nine in each group carrying torpedoes, while a larger scheme could have produced three fifteen-aircraft strikes. Actual carrier availability forced planners to revise those ambitions and repeatedly reconsider the role of Fulmars as well as the number of Swordfish. Readiness determined the force available for the raid, regardless of what planners wanted on paper.
Notable Point · 9:29-11:15
Carrier availability reshapes the strike plan
The Taranto plan changed as the availability of Eagle and Illustrious changed, altering the intended waves and torpedo-aircraft total.