Taranto was the Regia Marina's principal base for covering the eastern Mediterranean, and the fleet was concentrated there. The Royal Navy attacked the Italian fleet at the place designed to support that regional role. It did not need to sink every battleship for the raid to have consequences. Once the strike achieved any success inside the anchorage, Italian commanders had to reckon with the base's vulnerability. The material damage was finite, yet striking the fleet in its main forward base produced a wider operational effect.
Notable Point · 6:43-7:31
Success inside Italy's principal eastern base
Taranto was Italy's principal eastern Mediterranean fleet base, so even a limited carrier success inside the anchorage demanded an operational response.