Italian gunners could not fire low across the harbour without risking ships, the town, and other defensive positions. The Swordfish had a narrow enough wingspan to pass between parts of the balloon barrage. It could also descend beneath much of the flak while remaining controllable at very low speed. Those characteristics turned the defenders' concentration of ships and weapons into a constraint as well as a source of firepower.
Notable Point · 1:57:38-1:58:51
Flying beneath guns that could endanger their own fleet
Low, slow Swordfish exploited balloon spacing, gun limits, and defenders' fear of firing through their crowded harbour.