One of the following Swordfish struck a dangling barrage-balloon cable. Because the cable had broken free of its anchorage, the collision damaged the fabric without tearing the wing off. The rapidly repaired bomber reached Trento and hit it, but its bombs failed to explode. The torpedo aircraft associated with the cable strike missed Vittorio Veneto and later took an exploding shell in its lower port wing. Broken wooden ribs and torn fabric left it vibrating as it escaped and made its way back to Illustrious.
Notable Point · 1:20:16-1:23:28
A loose balloon cable and a burst shell fail to stop a Swordfish
The later attackers endured a cable strike and wing damage, while a torpedo missed Vittorio Veneto and bombs hitting Trento failed to detonate.