Atlas of Battles

battle, major, interwar and Second World War

Battle of Taranto

Battle of Taranto was a battle fought on 11 November 1940 at Taranto, in what is now Italy; it lasted 1 day. It was part of World War II, which ran from 1939 to 1945. The recorded result: British victory.

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The First naval squad based in Taranto harbour in the 1930s. Image by Admiral Ernesto Burzagli (1873-1944). The original picture, scanned by Emiliano Burzagli, belongs to the Private archive of Burzag
The First naval squad based in Taranto harbour in the 1930s. Image by Admiral Ernesto Burzagli (1873-1944). The original picture, scanned by Emiliano Burzagli, belongs to the Private archive of Burzag. Ernesto Burzagli (1873-1944)., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought11 November 1940lasted 1 day
WhereTaranto, Italy40.451N, 17.207E
OutcomeBritish victory
BelligerentsUKGBNIagainstKingdom of Italy
Part ofWorld War II1939 to 1945

Where it sits in World War II

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Corregidor, 1945Battle of Schoenfeld, 1945Battle of the Transdanubian Hills, 1945Battle of Prudnik, 1945The Long Fight, 1945Operation Teardrop, 1945Battle of the Argenta Gap, 1945Battle of Königshofen, 1945Battle of Heilbronn, 1945Cactus Ridge, 1945The Pinnacle, Battle of Okinawa, 1945Battle of Königsberg, 1945Battle of Kakazu, 1945Battle of Bologna, 1945Battaglia del Senio, 1945Battle of Mołomotkami, 1945Battle of Montese, 1945Battle of Gaiana, 1945Battle for Merkendorf, 1945Battle of Odžak, 1945Battle of Halbe, 1945Battle of Collecchio, 1945Battle of Haglebu, 1945Operation Cowboy, 1945Battle of Opicina, 1945Battle of Castle Itter, 1945Battle of Kuryłówka, 1945Battle of Břest, 1945Battle of Slivice, 1945Battle of Sugar Loaf Hill, 1945Battle of Ipo Dam, 1945Battle in the Hills of Kuniyoshi, 1945Battle of Sagami Bay, 1945Action of 24 July 1945, 1945Seishin Operation, 194519391945Battle of Taranto, 1940
313 placed engagements of World War II in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date11 November 1940
to 12 November 1940
PlaceTaranto, Italy
40.451N, 17.207E
KindBattle, interwar and Second World War
Strength1 aircraft carrier; 2 heavy cruisers; 2 light cruisers; 4 destroyers; 21 torpedo bombers6 battleships; 7 heavy cruisers; 7 light cruisers; 13 destroyers
Casualties and losses2 killed; 2 captured; 2 aircraft destroyed59 killed; 600 wounded; 3 battleships disabled; 1 heavy cruiser damaged; 2 destroyers damaged; 2 fighters destroyed
Commanders
  • Andrew Cunningham, 1st Viscount Cunningham of Hyndhope
  • Lumley Lyster
  • Inigo Campioni
Battle of TarantoBattle of TarantoFirst Battle of TarentumSecond Battle of TarentumBattle of TarentumBattle of TarentumSiege of TarantoBattle of TarentumBariFoggiaBrindisiBarlettaPotenza100 km40.451N, 17.207E
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

Nearest engagements

Contested ground: this site was fought over 6 times between 212 BC and 1940.

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1940

Battle of Taranto is one of 2,997 engagements of the 20th century in the atlas and one of 942 in present-day Italy.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q543255, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Taranto, revision 1385005564, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.