The proposed strike had roots in 1930s thinking by Lister, then captain of HMS Glorious, and Admiral Pound as commander-in-chief of the Mediterranean Fleet. Taranto’s strategic location made it an excellent fleet base, but the harbour’s physical characteristics left it more open to an air attack than Italian planners assumed. The initial scheme envisioned Eagle and Illustrious launching together against the anchored Italian fleet on 21 October. The wider operation drew in Force H and the Mediterranean Fleet, together fielding five battleships and showing how much conventional fleet power was required to create the opportunity for the carrier strike.
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Taranto was strategically vital but vulnerable to air attack
Longstanding British planning judged Taranto’s seemingly ideal position to be more vulnerable to carrier aircraft than the Italians believed.