Carrier strength could let Cunningham add a battleship bombardment at Taranto

Could Warspite and the covering force join the enlarged Taranto attack directly?

Possibly: stronger carrier cover might persuade Cunningham to close the harbor for a battleship bombardment after the air waves strike.

Warspite was already part of Taranto's covering force. With more carriers, Cunningham might accept the risk of moving the battleships close enough to bombard the harbor. Photographic reconnaissance already gave the British a good idea of where the Italian ships lay. Following the air strikes, naval gunfire could add to the damage and potentially destroy Giulio Cesare.