Matapan combines carrier reach with battleship destruction

After Taranto failed to draw the Italian battle fleet into the open, Cunningham continued seeking a decisive surface action. At Cape Matapan, Warspite, Valiant, and Barham shared the destruction of three Italian cruisers with aircraft from HMS Formidable. The carrier's position in the battle line alarmed Cunningham, but its aircraft had helped create the tactical opportunity the battleships exploited at night. Aviation and heavy guns operated as cooperating capabilities within the Mediterranean Fleet.