Taranto and Pearl Harbor: available force matters

Cunningham faced many of the risks of a harbour attack but had only Illustrious available for the strike. Eagle's absence mattered. In this comparison, a true pre-war British operation would require a much broader carrier concentration, including Ark Royal, Courageous, Glorious, Furious, and Eagle. Britain executed Taranto after wartime losses, damage, personnel turnover, and repair demands had already reduced what existed on paper. Japan began its war with its carrier force, trained personnel, and repair establishment still at peacetime strength. The comparison therefore turns on available force and operating conditions rather than only the headline scale of damage at Taranto and Pearl Harbor.