Taranto was the major port for the Italian Navy in 1940. Its strategic location at the bottom end of the Italian "boot" made it a threat to all Allied Mediterranean shipping. Throughout 1940 the British attempted to devise a plan to attack Taranto and to force the Italian Navy to relocate to Naples - 400 kilometers further north. By November the British plan was ready. For the first time in history aircraft launched at sea would attack an enemy fleet. On the night of November 11th , 20 aging Swordfish torpedo bombers flew off the deck of HMS Illustrious, their target- the Italian fleet at Taranto. Incredibly, these few aircraft were able to sink one battleship, and cripple two more plus damage a heavy cruiser. The raid also forced the Italian fleet to relocate to Naples, much further to the north. This was the first ship-to-ship air attack in history and the results were devasting!