A fire in Illustrious's hangar postponed the planned Trafalgar Day attack until 11 November, when the moon would again suit the strike. The delay proved useful because new photographs revealed balloon barrages and torpedo nets, forcing revisions to the attack method. Eagle then dropped out two days before sailing after defects in her petrol system, probably linked to accumulated near-miss damage. Illustrious absorbed five Swordfish plus eight night-qualified pilots and eight observers from Eagle, preserving part of the second carrier's contribution.
Notable Point · 25:49-26:36
Delay exposes Taranto's defences and Eagle's crews reinforce Illustrious
A postponed attack revealed new harbour defences, and Eagle's withdrawal was partly offset by transferring experienced night-flying Swordfish crews to Illustrious.