Taranto translates extra shaft power into operational time. A faster Queen Elizabeth-class force could enter, bombard, and withdraw farther before daylight allowed Italian aircraft to hunt it. The improvement would not make the mission safe, but it would change a risk calculation that otherwise exposed cruisers or capital ships for too long in hostile waters. A few additional knots can create an operational option even when weapons, objectives, and geography remain unchanged.
Notable Point · 1:11:08-1:12:24
Extra speed opens a surface-bombardment window at Taranto
A 28-knot Queen Elizabeth-class force could approach and withdraw from Taranto faster, making a surface bombardment more plausible before daylight air attack.