Podcast Summary: WW2 Pod – We Have Ways of Making You Talk

Episode: The Battle Of Taranto Ends: Stringbags (Episode 3)

Hosts: Al Murray (comedian), James Holland (historian)
Date: December 16, 2025

Main Theme / Episode Overview

This episode concludes the story of the legendary Fleet Air Arm raid on the Italian fleet at Taranto in 1940. Al and James dig deep into the second wave of the Swordfish attack—nicknamed "Stringbags" for their versatile biplane design—shedding light on the perilous mission, tactical innovations, individual acts of bravery, and the broader naval and strategic repercussions. The tone is a blend of historical analysis, personal storytelling, and trademark banter, as they explore why Taranto mattered and how this daring night attack paved the way for modern naval air power.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Recap and Setting the Stage

• Swordfish and Pocket Battleships: The hosts begin with reflections on the surprising capability of the open-cockpit Swordfish biplane, both technologically and for morale.
• James Holland (05:20):
  "It's an open cockpit biplane. I mean just absolutely amazing, the bracing wires and struts. It's a reminder, isn't it, that they're not in Spitfires, they're not in Mosquitoes..."
• Importance of battleships as strategic capital ships and the shift towards air power in WWII naval operations.

2. First Wave’s Courage and Ordeals (03:29–12:48)

• The first wave's harrowing experience: flak-filled skies, deadly odds, and remarkable airmanship.
• Memorable Quote by Charles Lamb:
  "I'm a bit worried we may be the only survivors. I should be very surprised if we're not..." (09:41)
• Observers’ plight versus pilots’: Navigating in the dark, fear of the worst, and the challenges of returning to carriers at night.

3. Second Wave Preparation and Launch (12:48–18:58)

• Introduction to key figures: Lieutenant John Wellem and the standard of Swordfish crews.
• Unique problems: collision on carrier deck, delayed launches, and the desperate attempts of crew (notably “Going”) to join the attack despite damage and odds.
• James Holland (17:34):
  "Anyone who's that keen going on a really dangerous mission is just destined not to make it."

4. Second Wave Attack Execution (19:11–32:36)

• Tactical Accounts: Planes approaching at varying angles to confuse gunners, harrowing low-level torpedo runs, near-misses, and “needle-in-a-haystack” carrier recoveries.
• Flak intensity:
  "He dives steeply through an inferno of flak...The Italians are firing into a box barrage."
• Al Murray (22:33):
  "His undercarriage hit the water... amazing that he didn't just flip over, isn't it?"
• Heavy losses and escapes: Some aircraft shot down, most (even the delayed Clifford and Going) making it back against expectations.

5. Outcomes: Damage Assessment and Strategic Impact (32:36–44:28)

• James Holland (34:11):
  "Ammunition expenditure is extraordinary…12,800 rounds fired."
• Ships hit, Italian casualties, and “marvel of understatement” in the British after-action signallings:
• Al Murray (33:18):
  "Illustrious maneuver well executed."
• Discussion on why a follow-up raid was cancelled due to crew exhaustion and poor weather.
• Italian repairs: Ships run aground to prevent sinking, eventual partial repairs, but only one returns to service.
• Allied morale: Churchill, The Times, and King George VI amplify the event's significance for the wartime public.

6. Long-Term Significance and Lessons Learned (44:28–End)

• Influence on future naval warfare: Japanese study of Taranto ahead of Pearl Harbor (mass and surprise as takeaways).
• Limits of the strike: Absence of a fully decisive blow (no magazines destroyed), no immediate “fleet-in-being” elimination, but psychological and tactical effects were profound.
• Italian Navy’s psychological blow, subsequent caution, and parallels to other naval episodes (the Belgrano, Cape Matapan).
• Missed opportunities: Room for greater exploitation by the Allies post-raid, but operational novelty made them cautious.
• Legacy: Enduring place of "Taranto Night" in Fleet Air Arm tradition and the mythos surrounding the Swordfish.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On How Daring the Pilots Were (05:42):

  • Al Murray: "Some buggers got to get in an open cockpit biplane and fly into a horseshoe shaped harbor and drop torpedoes with a box barraged to guide him by."

• On the Luck and Casualty Rate (33:27):

  • James Holland: "That’s a light kind of casualty, this, really, though, isn't it?"

• On Dramatic Scenes In-Flight (28:38):

  • Al Murray: "He narrowly misses the northernmost balloon in the eastern barrier before attacking the Vittorio Veneto from the east."

• On British Understatement (33:18):

  • James Holland: "Illustrious maneuver well executed…It's a marvel of understatement, isn't it?"

• Churchill’s Take (43:42):

  • Al Murray: "Winston Churchill says the result affects decisively the balance of naval power...and carries with it reactions upon a naval situation in every quarter of the globe."

• Italian Reaction (45:06):

  • James Holland (as Mussolini’s son-in-law Ciano): "These ships will remain out of the fight for many months. I thought I would find the duchy downhearted. Instead, he [Mussolini] took the blow quite well and does not at the moment seem to have fully realized its gravity."

• Fleet Air Arm's Place in History (52:52):

  • Al Murray: "This has got absolutely everything you could possibly want in it. It's got pluck, it's got grit, it's got an unlikely hero in the form of the swordfish..."

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:29 – Opening dramatic account from John Wellem; sensory detail of flak and chaos over Taranto.
• 05:20–09:41 – Discussion of danger, first wave, and the psychology of Swordfish crews.
• 12:48–18:58 – Prep for the second wave; deck chaos, personal stories of the pilots.
• 19:11–24:33 – Second wave’s harrowing low-level approaches, torpedo attacks, losses (Bailey and Slaughter).
• 27:26–32:36 – Near-misses, evasive flying, and the concluding strikes of the night.
• 33:18–34:40 – Aftermath: Casualties, Italian defensive fire, and British signal of success.
• 38:09–40:14 – Enemy damage assessment; fate of the Italian battleships.
• 44:00–45:06 – National reaction: The Times, Churchill and King George VI.
• 47:03–49:24 – Italian Navy’s status post-Taranto, and debate on the true decisiveness of the strike.
• 50:13–52:06 – Japanese lessons, parallels to Pearl Harbor, Allied missed opportunities, and the fleeting nature of the British air-naval advantage.
• 52:49–End – Final thoughts, legacy, and tease for the next episode (Stringbags on the Arctic convoys).

Tone & Style

The episode mixes rigorous historical research with humor, awe, and admiration for the men involved. Al Murray brings a comedic yet reverent edge, and James Holland delivers both dramatic reading of first-person accounts and clear, detailed analysis. The mood is respectful but lively, often punctuated by British understatement or self-deprecating wit—particularly when reflecting on luck, risk, and the stupefying odds faced by WWII aircrews.

Takeaways for Listeners

• The Battle of Taranto marked a pivotal shift in naval warfare, heralding the age of the aircraft carrier.
• Extraordinary courage, innovation, and luck defined the Fleet Air Arm's success—and its cost, though lighter than feared, was never trivial.
• The psychological blow and strategic precedent set at Taranto resonated worldwide, directly influencing later actions such as Pearl Harbor.
• Despite its limitations as a “decisive” victory, Taranto proved the value of air power at sea, set new doctrines, and cemented the Swordfish and its crews in British military legend.

Next Episode Teaser:
More “Stringbag” action awaits—with the Fleet Air Arm in the Arctic!