Torrens-Spence's account places his Swordfish amid crossfire from battleships, cruisers and shore batteries. When the torpedo refused to release, the crew bounced the aircraft's wheels on the water to shake it loose. The manoeuvre added to the danger for an observer already exposed to aviation fuel in the torpedo aircraft. One torpedo from the attacking pair struck Littorio, but the near-simultaneous releases make it uncertain which crew scored the hit. The two Swordfish escaped between Fiume and Zara, whose guns could not safely follow them without risking fire into the other cruiser.
Notable Point · 1:16:30-1:20:16
Bouncing a Swordfish on the water to release its torpedo
A reluctant torpedo forced a hazardous release manoeuvre, and the attacking pair's hit on Littorio could not be assigned confidently to one crew.