Illustrious accelerated to about thirty knots because the natural wind was too light to lift heavily laden Swordfish safely. Crews ranged and started the aircraft in darkness before launching the two waves. A deck collision damaged one aircraft, while another lost its long-range fuel tank and had to return. The carrier briefly opened fire on that unexpected returning aircraft before recognizing it. These incidents show how deck handling, aircraft condition, identification, and recovery could endanger a night operation before the enemy was reached.
Notable Point · 2:12:03-2:18:46
Launching Swordfish into a night operation
The launch sequence shows why night carrier operations were hazardous even before the aircraft reached Taranto.