The attack on Taranto, 11/12 November 1940
US Navy document about the Attack
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O.N.I. package
to download a 25 pages PDF document.Office of Naval Intelligence package & Routing slip, dated Feb. 17, 1941, of US Naval Observer Report and HMS Illustrious' report of the Taranto attack.
US Fleet Aircraft Tactical Unit of Air Operations Summary
to download a 21 pages pdf document.The distribution record [pp. 3-4 of this pdf] says that CinCpac [Adm. Kimmel] received 100 copies of this report. From what can be seen, he received them either a few days after its compilation on March 3, 1941, or almost one month later on April 30, 1941 [anyhow with a 5 to 6 months delay after the attack on Taranto]. The torpedo depth-control wires are not mentioned.
In case Adm. Kimmel received indeed this report [could the distribution record have been planted?] he read what amounts to a half-truth. Unless, as we said elsewhere, he was told through another channel about the wires, in which case the plot would thicken considerably leading to the possibility that he was, like others, under orders...
Adm. Stark's and RAdm Ingersoll's ambiguous letters of 1941 to Adm. Kimmel must be added to the picture.
