On the night of 11 November , the British incapacitated or destroyed half of the Italian fleet's battleships in a daring aerial assault as they lay at rest at Taranto.
Until then, the Italians had left their capital ships in harbour, hoping its mere presence as a fleet in being would deter British shipping through the area, though they would not decline battle if given the opportunity. Six days later, on the night of 17 November, an Italian force consisting of two battleships Vittorio Veneto and Giulio Cesare and a number of supporting units attempted to intercept two British aircraft carriers , HMS Ark Royal and Argus and their cruiser escorts, who were en route to Malta in an attempt to provide planes to reinforce that island's defenses Operation White.
The British were warned of their approach and immediately turned about and returned to Gibraltar , launching their aircraft two Blackburn Skuas and 12 Hawker Hurricanes prematurely. One Skua and eight Hurricanes were lost at sea, as they ran out of fuel well before arriving at their destination, with the loss of seven airmen.
The Italians' success in disrupting the reinforcement of Malta cast serious doubt upon British plans to send a further convoy to supply the island Operation Collar.
However, the convoy was attempted, with increased support, including ships from Gibraltar-based Force H , and Force D from Alexandria. The convoy was spotted by the Italian intelligence service, and once again the Italian fleet sailed out to intercept it.
