The Whale Has Wings Vol 2 - Taranto to Singapore Read Online Free PDF

preparation for heavy air attacks the next day, the fleet wasn't even sighted by the Italians! Granted, there was a lot of broken cloud about, and radar did detect a number of contacts, but nothing came very close, and it was almost with a sense of anticlimax that the fleet reversed course at sunset and headed back to its launch point. They would attack Taranto again at midnight.
    While the losses in the first two strikes had been less than anticipated, there were also quite a few aircraft that couldn't be repaired in time to be used again that night (in addition to AA damage a number had been further damaged on landing), although the crews had been busy making sure that the planes that had been unserviceable last night were ready now. As a result the striking force of the fleet was now down to 39 SeaLance and 54 Cormorants. These could (just) be accommodated as a single strike. The final disposition was 39 SeaLance armed with torpedoes, 46 Cormorants with 1,000lb bombs and 8 Cormorants carrying flares.
    While a Whirlwind had flown over the port that afternoon, and got some excellent pictures of the devastation, the actual photos were not available to the fleet. Instead, as arranged, a long message giving the details was passed from Malta to the Admiralty, and of course copied by the fleet (who were, deliberately, not classed as a recipient). The final strike plans were made accordingly.
    There had in fact been some action already that day at Taranto, although the pilots wouldn't know about it until they returned to Alexandria. At noon, the Italians had decided that in view of the destruction, and the damage to the oil tanks, it would be best to send some of the undamaged ships north. However as the cruiser Trento cleared the harbour, there was a shattering explosion under her bows. One of the mines laid by the RAF Wellingtons had found a customer. The additional confusion this caused didn't help the attempts to handle the situation at Taranto at all. The cruiser returned to the harbour (the damage, while severe, didn't threaten to sink her, especially so close to port), but any further sailings were postponed until the handful of minesweepers available had cleared the channels. This would be done by tomorrow, and the ships were then to sail to a safer location. This was an added bonus for the new attack, although it had been hoped that something like this would happen - the more ships in port, the more targets were available. It was somewhat ironic that it was the Trento that had been the victim - she had only just had the bulk of the damage she had sustained at Calabria repaired, and was in fact due to sail next week to have new turrets fitted (her A and B turrets were inoperable).
    The Wellingtons would also visit the port again that night, in fact before the FAA arrived. They had been waiting for the photographs, which showed the damaged oil tanks still burning. The previous attack had damaged or set on fire about half the tanks, and the Italians seemed to be letting them burn out. At 2200, the sirens went off all over Taranto again. This time it was fifteen Wellingtons, and the first thing they went for was the rest of the oil tanks - the already burning ones had proved to be a splendid navigation aid for the RAF pilots. The first ten aircraft scattered 160 250lb bombs over the remaining tanks. By the time they headed for Malta, all that remained of the Taranto oil tanks was twisted metal and burning petroleum. Seeing that the target no longer existed, the other five planes went for their secondary target, the Seaplane base. While the damage done was not tremendous, a couple of planes were destroyed and the facilities damaged. It would also distract the Italians while the real second attack was coming in.
    The emergency crews were still trying to deal with the results of the RAF raid when the FAA arrived at 2345. This time the first torpedo strike went in to make sure that the 'lucky' Cesare wasn't so lucky any more.