The Attack on Taranto
The Attack on Taranto

Author: Thomas P. Lowry

Publisher: Stackpole Books

Published: 2017-09-15

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 9780811726610

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On November 11, 1940, 21 slow, canvas-covered British warplanes, launched from the carrier Illustrious, attacked the harbor at the Italian port of Taranto and put most of the Italian navy out of commission. This all-but-forgotten operation, the authors argue, deserves historical recognition as an inspirational precedent for the Japanese raid on Pearl Harbor 13 months later. Taranto demonstrated that battleships in a shallow, heavily defended harbor could be sunk by a handful of torpedo-bombers. That lesson Adm. Isoroku Yamamoto, commander-in-chief of the Japanese fleet, learned well-while the American military virtually ignored it. "By this single stroke the balance of naval power in the Mediterranean was decisively altered." -Winston S. Churchill

Taranto
Taranto

Author: David Hobbs

Publisher: Seaforth Publishing

Published: 2020-11-30

Total Pages: 426

ISBN-13: 1526793849

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“If you only read one book on the development of the Fleet Air Arm and Naval air warfare in the Mediterranean during World War 2 then this should be it.” —Military Historical Society After the Italian declaration of war in June 1940, the Royal Navy found itself facing a larger and better-equipped Italian surface fleet, large Italian and German air forces equipped with modern aircraft and both Italian and German submarines. Its own aircraft were a critical element of an unprecedented fight on, over and under the sea surface. The best-known action was the crippling of the Italian fleet at Taranto, which demonstrated how aircraft carriers and their aircraft had replaced the dominance of battleships, but every subsequent operation is covered from the perspective of naval aviation. Some of these, like Matapan or the defense of the “Pedestal” convoy to Malta, are famous but others in support of land campaigns and in the Aegean after the Italian surrender are less well recorded. In all these, the ingenuity and innovation of the Fleet Air Arm shines through—Taranto pointed the way to what the Japanese would achieve at Pearl Harbor, while air cover for the Salerno landings demonstrated the effectiveness of carrier-borne fighters in amphibious operations, a tactic adopted by the US Navy. The author’s years of archival research together with his experience as a carrier pilot allow him to describe and analyze the operations of naval aircraft in the Mediterranean with unprecedented authority. This provides the book with novel insights into many familiar facets of the Mediterranean war while for the first time doing full justice to the Fleet Air Arm’s lesser known achievements. “A full and fascinating story.” —Clash of Steel

Taranto
Taranto

Author: Christopher O'Connor

Publisher: Dog Ear Publishing

Published: 2010-09

Total Pages: 118

ISBN-13: 1608447219

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More than a year before the attack on Pearl Harbor, aircraft of the Royal Navy's Fleet Air Arm executed a surprise attack on ships of the Italian Fleet anchored in the harbor of Taranto. The raid on Taranto anticipated the attack on Pearl Harbor, and historians have seen it as a precursor to the larger and more devastating strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy. The Taranto raid takes on added significance with the little-known fact that an officer in the US Navy was aboard the British aircraft carrier, and reported extensively on the attack to the Office of Naval Intelligence in Washington. For the first time, this book tells the entire story of Taranto and its relevance to Pearl Harbor. The book describes the attack in detail, and clears up mistakes and misconceptions that appeared in previous publications. The damage was done by 21 planes flown off the deck of HMS Illustrious, without any participation of the Royal Air Force. Illustrious took to sea the radar and aircraft control procedures that helped win the Battle of Britain. From British sources, the book describes the techniques used to allow successful use of aerial torpedoes in the shallow waters of Taranto harbor. Christopher O'Connor earned a BA from Union College and an MBA from Northwestern University. For fifteen years he worked as a Hospital Administrator. In 1993 he began a new career as a full-time father to five children. His wife, Susan, is a Dentist in private practice since 1987. The development of this book began with a footnote in Prange's At Dawn We Slept. This is his first book, but he has previously published articles in hospital management journals and Op-Ed pieces in newspapers. The book is based on original research in the National Archives in Washington, DC. Born in Springfield, MA, Mr. O'Connor now lives in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest Virginia.

Taranto 1940
Taranto 1940

Author: Angus Konstam

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing

Published: 2015-11-20

Total Pages: 100

ISBN-13: 1472808975

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The Royal Navy's attack on Taranto in 1940 heralded a new age of warfare. It was the decisive moment in a struggle for dominance of the Mediterranean that had gone on for months, as the British and Italian navies both looked to secure maritime supply routes for their colonies. With the enormous demands of a global war beginning to tell, the British capital ships were simply too thinly spread for a large fleet action against Taranto, where the bulk of the Italian fleet lay menacingly. How was the Royal Navy to eliminate the threat of the Regia Marina? This is the story of one of World War II's most devastating raids, recounting how a handful of obsolete Fairey Swordfish biplanes swooped in and destroyed an Italian battleship and badly damaged two more. With expert analysis, detailed colour illustrations and a gripping narrative, this book explains the origins of the attack, its planning and execution, and what happened in the aftermath.

Taranto 1940
Taranto 1940

Author: A. J. Smithers

Publisher: Pen and Sword

Published: 1995-11-01

Total Pages: 223

ISBN-13: 1473818869

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In the long history of the British Isles few years can stand in comparison with 1940 in terms of unrivalled gloom. The fiasco in Norway, the evacuation of the BEF from Dunkirk, the fall of France and the entry of Italy into the war were hardly offset by the success of the Royal Air Force in the Battle of Britain and the failure of the Italian troops in their attempted invasion of Egypt. Near the end of the year, however, there occurred an event which is remarkable not only for its dramatic effect on the course of the war but for the fact that it has virtually disappeared from public memory. This was the sinking of the better part of the Italian Fleet in Taranto harbour which, at one stroke, gave the Royal Navy control of the Eastern Mediterranean, somewhat ironically referred to by the Italians as Mare Nostrum. Perhaps even more remarkable, as A.J. Smithers describes in this book, enlivened as always and as critics have frequently remarked, by his mordant wit and extraordinary breadth of knowledge, was the means by which this feat was achieved In November, 1940, the areal torpedo was in its infancy, while its carrier, the Swordfish, known as the 'Stringbag', looked more like something left over from the previous war. But, flying at night and against all the odds, the pilots and observed achieved their objective and with one mighty stroke totally altered the balance of maritime power in the Mediterranean, at last for the foreseeable future.

Bohemond of Taranto
Bohemond of Taranto

Author: Georgios Theotokis

Publisher: Pen and Sword Military

Published: 2021-03-15

Total Pages: 257

ISBN-13: 1526744295

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“A brilliant picture of a great medieval warrior and crusader, clear and concise, which brings to life the whole Mediterranean world in an age of crisis” (John France, author of Perilous Glory). Bohemond of Taranto, Lord of Antioch, was the unofficial leader of the First Crusade. A man of boundless ambition and inexhaustible energy, he was one of the most remarkable warriors in medieval Mediterranean history. While he failed in his quest to secure the Byzantine throne, he succeeded in founding the most enduring of all the crusader states. In this authoritative biography, Georgios Theotokis presents a detailed portrait of Bohemond as a soldier and commander. Covering Taranto’s contribution to the crusades, Theotokis focuses on his military achievements in Italy, Sicily, the Balkans, and Anatolia. Since medieval commanders generally receive little credit for their strategic understanding, Theotokis examines Bohemond’s war-plans in his many campaigns, describing how he adapted his battle-tactics when facing different opponents and considering whether his approach to war was typical of the Norman commanders of his time.

Eagle at Taranto
Eagle at Taranto

Author: Alan Evans

Publisher: Canelo

Published: 2020-01-30

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 178863859X

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The story of one of the most daring raids of the Second World War. The Italian fleet, harboured at Taranto, were proving to be a thorn in the side of the Allied war effort, preventing the spread of operations from Malta to Egypt. But the sheltering battleships and cruisers were more heavily defended than anything previously attacked by the slow, lumbering, carrier-based torpedo planes. Enter Mark Ward, an ace pilot in the RAF. Armed only with his wits and his trusty Swordfish biplane, he and his comrades must strike a devastating blow to the Italian fleet, or risk losing the war... A pulse-pounding thriller based on real events, perfect for fans of Alexander Kent, Douglas Reeman and Alistair MacLean.

Puglia Rough Guides Snapshot Italy (includes Bari, Brindisi, Lecce, Taranto, Ostuni, Otranto and Salento)
Puglia Rough Guides Snapshot Italy (includes Bari, Brindisi, Lecce, Taranto, Ostuni, Otranto and Salento)

Author: Martin Dunford

Publisher: Rough Guides UK

Published: 2013-05-16

Total Pages: 210

ISBN-13: 1409335798

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The Rough Guide Snapshot to Puglia is the ultimate travel guide to this beautiful, beguiling "heel" of Italy. It guides you through the region with reliable information and comprehensive coverage of all the sights and attractions, from exploring the gorgeous medieval hilltop town of Ostuni and enjoying the sunniest, sandiest beaches this side of Rome, to admiring the swirly Baroque architecture of stand-out town Lecce and feasting on the best bread and pasta dishes in Italy. Detailed maps and up-to-date listings pinpoint the top cafés, restaurants, hotels, shops, bars and nightlife, ensuring you have the most memorable trip possible, whether passing through, staying for the weekend or longer. Also included is the Basics section from The Rough Guide to Italy, with all the practical information you need for travelling in and around the country, including transport, food, drink, costs, health and festivals. Also published as part of The Rough Guide to Italy. Full coverage: Fóggia, Monfredonia, The Gargano promontory, The Trémiti Islands, Bari, Castellana Grotte, Táranto, Bríndisi, Ostuni, Lecce, Salento, Otranto, Galatina, Gallipolli (Equivalent printed page extent 76 pages). Now available in ePub format.