November 12th 1940

Tuesday November 12th

News of a marvellous navy victory* in the Mediterranean over Mussolini’s fleet.

Yesterday planes of the Fleet Air Arm carried out an attack on the Italian fleet which was skulking in harbour at Taranto, thinking itself safe. So successful was the attack that three battleships and two auxiliaries were badly damaged. It makes a lot of difference to our naval position. The Fleet has also sunk some supply ships going to Greece.

The Greeks, by the way, are doing marvellously.

* The Battle of Taranto of 11th-12th November 1940 in which the Italian fleet lost half its capital ships in one night. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Taranto