Taranto's position let an Italian fleet move quickly toward Greece and the eastern Mediterranean. Reaching the same theatre from Naples required going around Sicily and consuming more fuel, with the additional danger of British submarines operating from Malta. Adriatic bases offered greater shelter but less direct access to the wider Mediterranean. The comparison shows why a blow at Taranto could affect Italian operational choices far beyond the harbour itself, while the harbour's open approaches also gave attacking aircraft several possible routes in.
Chapter · 5:54-9:26
Why Taranto mattered to Italian fleet mobility
Taranto gave the Regia Marina direct access to the eastern Mediterranean, unlike bases whose routes were constrained by Sicily or the Adriatic.