Battle of Taranto

The Royal Navy launched the first all-aircraft ship-to-ship naval attack in history, employing 21 Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious in the Mediterranean Sea. The attack struck the battle fleet of the Regia Marina (Italian Military Navy) at anchor in the harbor of Taranto, using aerial torpedoes despite the shallowness of the water. The Battle took place in the night of 11-12 November 1940.