Today, 85 years ago, on June 10, 1940 (May 5, 1940), Italy declared war on Britain and France. On June 10, 1940, after the declaration of war on Britain and France, British transportation in the Mediterranean was threatened by the Italian fleet. In order to weaken the strength of the Italian fleet and ensure the safety of British maritime transportation, the British Navy decided with a bold action to storm the main naval base of Taranto. On November 6, the British Mediterranean Fleet departed from the port of Alexandria and evaded Italian reconnaissance along the way. On the evening of November 20, the British Fleet immediately organized an attack on Taranto after occupying positions 170 nautical miles from Taranto. During the one-hour attack, the British Fleet, at a very small cost, seriously destroyed the Italian Fleet, and consolidated its Mediterranean