Taranto 1940: The Fleet Air Arm’s precursor to Pearl Harbor (Campaign)

On the night of 11 November 1940, the British Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm conducted a surprise attack on the Italian Naval anchorage at Taranto. The attack was aggressively executed by less than two dozen rugged but technologically obsolete Swordfish torpedo bombers, open cockpit biplanes launched from the aircraft carrier Illustrious. The results would resonate around the world, and at least temporarily, shift the balance of sea power in the Mediterranean."Taranto 1940" is an Osprey Campaign Series book, meticulously authored by veteran historian Angus Komstam. In addition to the detailed reconstruction of the raid on Taranto, the author provided the larger context of Operation MB8, a complex series of evolutions involving multiple groups of ships. Admiral Cunningham, the Royal Navy's commander in the Med, was responsible for shielding several convoys from Italian air and sea attack, with limited assets. As the author breaks it down, the timed movements of multiple ships between tasks is an impressive in and of itself, notwithstanding the bold raid on Taranto. The text is very nicely supported by maps, diagrams, period photographs, and modern illustrations by Peter Dennis. As another reviewer has noted, there are a few editing mistakes, and the narrative is not particularly kind to the Italian Navy. However, highly recommended as a very readable summary of a dramatic event, still commemorated by the British Royal Navy.

This is a top-notch addition to the Osprey Campaign series, covering the British torpedo-plane attack on the Italian fleet base at Taranto in 1940. Clear diagrams and photographs of the scene, evocative art work by Peter Dennis, and a taut narrative by well-established naval author Angus Konstam. Beyond this, you get excellent (brief) background material, including an account (with diagram) of the battle of Punta Stilo, and thumbnail biographies of the four key wartime admirals of the Regia Marina (Campioni, Riccardi, Iachino, and Bergamini). The Mediterranean was a key theater of operations in the Second World War, and the Royal Navy under Admiral Cunningham fought a heroic campaign against daunting odds, yet there is relatively little published in English on the British-Italian naval conflict. Alongside lengthier general works by Greene & Massignani  The Naval War in the Mediterranean, 1940-1943  or Brescia  Mussolini's Navy: A Reference Guide to the Regia Marina, 1930-1945 , this volume makes a fine addition to the library of anyone interested in WW II's southern front in Europe or naval operations in general.

A very good telling of this attack. Not only does the book give the back story to the inception of the raid, but also the situation in which it occurred. I must say I was not aware of the complex plan that the raid was part of. As an aside, one constantly reads on how convoluting the Japanese naval plans were during WW2, I would put this over all plan right there with the Japanese Midway plans, or Leyte attack plans. If one was going to quibble with the story, there is really nothing to equate the Taranto Attack with Pearl Harbor, except both contained ships, planes, & torpedoes. Never the less, the story tells what brave men can do on a shoe string or in this case a stringbag!

Thoroughly enjoyable book about an often overlooked operation during the war. Mr. Konstam was very thorough in his coverage of the British side of the operation, but truthfully I felt he overlooked the Italian side too much, offering a couple of simple biographies and paragraphs at the front of the book and the end of it, respectfully. Artwork was terrific as well as the two maps of the separate waves and their targets. I'll endorse this title!

The Osprey campaign series is well suited for mongraphs on raids because relatively few people and units are involved. TARANTO is especially excellent, as we get an account of virtually every airman and airplane involved as well as reports on how things looked from the Italian poimnt of view. The route maps that are a feature of these books were very helpful.

A clear summary of this important early war raid.

Good book and good maps !

Great book that is added to my collection

Just the detailed information that I desired... !

1st class

Excellent

As a book, Taranto 1940, is very repetitive and rather superficial. Many of the maps and photos are difficult to appreciate on a Kindle. I would have liked to read a more in depth treatment of the actions of both sides. On the credit side, it does provide a useful reference of the battle and the participants.

Sebbene sia ricco di particolari sulla notte di Taranto sconosciuti al grande pubblico, il libro, visto dalla parte avversa, presenta interessantissime descrizioni della missione, delle emozioni e sensazioni provate dagli equipaggi con preziose testimonianze. Unica pecca, davvero imperdonabile, è la scandalosa inesattezza delle didascalie delle foto che ritraggono il Cavour (per tutto il libro nominato Conti (!) di Cavour semiaffondato dopo l'attacco, reiteratamente descritto come Duilio (!).