I think it’s true that the RM felt intimidated by the RN. There’s an interesting article in another forum,
http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/s ... php?t=8466 ,
on the “The Action off Calabria (Battle of Punta Stilo) - 9th July 1940”.
It is a very good description of the battle, whose author has written many other battle articles. In the conclusion, the author states:
“For the Regia Marina, although they returned to harbour with only a battleship and a heavy cruiser damaged, the chance to achieve a decisive result had not been seized. But the battle had heartened them, instilling a belief that they could match the Royal Navy in battle and even defeat it.
“Admiral Paladini wrote after the battle, ‘I think that one result that occurred in the battle, and not the least important, was the fact that all personnel, even the most humble, felt the deeply rooted conviction of . . . . our ability to confront and beat the enemy.’ "
“The reality was waiting for them, eight months later at Matapan.”
One infers from Admiral Paladini's statement that prior to Punta Stilo there was a definite nervousness about confronting the RN. Think of how the RM must have felt after Matapan; it’s always worse to be given a temporary high which then comes crashing down.