Swordfish - Wragg, D
The Story of the Taranto Raid
KORTE INHOUD
The daring British air raid that inspired the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In November 1940 Britain was isolated in its stand against Nazi Germany and its ally, Italy. The country could not afford to lose control of the Mediterranean, but the Royal Navy was already overstretched by the U-boat war and the threat of invasion. Italy's fleet of modern battleships presented a grave threat to our communications with Egypt and the Suez Canal. On the night of 11 November 1940, 42 members of the Fleet Air Arm took off in 21 obsolete 'Swordfish' biplanes, launched from HMS Illustrious. Their target: the Italian fleet anchorage at Taranto. Pressing home their attack in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire and searchlights, they torpedoed and sank three battleships. Incredibly, all but two of the biplanes survived. The Italian fleet was crippled and the world took note that Britain was far from defeated. No-one was more impressed than the Japanese, who noted how a fleet in harbour could be demolished by air attack....
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2003 UK, pocket 240 pages, with photos. The raid in WW2 of 20 Swordfish planes of the Hms Illustrious to the Italian fleet in Taranto Italy. ISBN 9780304366828 In very good condition [Auteur: Wragg, D] [Pagina's: 240] [Jaar: 2003] [Ondertitel: The Story of the Taranto Raid] [Titel: Swordfish]
