ORIGINAL: Jakerson
ORIGINAL: Dili
PS: it should be noted that Italian had a very low number of Torpedo bombers initially, they started the war with zero in fact. Later missions against warships were all done against convoys for Malta, that had carrier escort.
It never stops supricing me how poorly prepared Italians went to ww2. No torpedo bombers. No carriers. 400 000 men sitting inside forts at north africa than can be encircled with 1-2 tank divisions and forced to surrender without fireing a shot.
No plans or ways to supply troops in africa. No plans or ways to counter tank divisions. Without German Africa corps help Italians would have lost war in africa in 1-2 months.
They started the war with only 2 battleships - Cavour an Cesare - if we can call battleship to a warship with 320mm guns and not even 300mm belt armor. More of a battlecruiser.
Like Warspite says not even Mussolini wanted war. He just wanted to be able to seat at peace conference and get some French spoils.
To be fair though the Italians did not think they needed carriers as Italy was one giant carrier that commanded the central Med. That was the theory anyway.
That was the theory and with proper aircraft might have worked. But SM-85 was failure, a dive bomber who couldn't dive, and the unique long range fighter Reggiane 2000 they had was only produced as a small series because the airforce didn't like wet wings, (in fairness and compared to others Italian aircraft since late 30's had their fuel tanks protected to 12.7mm(0.5) as a policy even in aircraft without armor)
The story of torpedo bombers were even more dismal, no one wanted them despite the industry producing aerial torpedoes, and several successful tests done in 30's. The Navy tested Radar in 1936 but the Admirals ignored it.
And the only reason they had at least some torpedo bombers in late summer of 1940 is because the new R.Aeronautica boss went against is own and believed in it.
The first aerial torpedoes that Italians employed in 1940 was from an order that the German put to the Italian industry.
The truth about Italy it is they were never a power at other major power league( France,England,Germany, USSR, Japan, USA). You can't be without a capable aircraft engine. So they would always be dependent on some major power.
Should be noted that debacle of Italians in North Africa was not certainly worse than the British debacle in Malaysia. In Malaysia at least there is water and life everywhere. In the desert you are motorized, you live in a oasis fort with a water well or you are dead.