On the night of November 10th-11th, 1940, the Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm carried out the first carrier- launched air strike against an enemy fleet. 21 Swordfish torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier Illustrious, attacked the Italian navy’s battle fleet at anchor in the harbor of Taranto.
Picture: Fairey Swordfish dropping an aerial torpedo.
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The success of the attack marked the beginning of the rise of naval aviation and to mark the 70th anniversary of the battle, the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Ilchester, Somerset, have updated their Taranto Exhibition.
