Fairey Swordfish

The Story of the Fairy Swordfish

Fairey Swordfish was one of the unsung heroes of World War II. As the UK appears to be fighting alone, its air and naval units are under enormous pressure to get results.

Swordfish became the mythical hero of this conflict, taking part in the daring attack on the strategic Italian port city of Taranto and inflicting a decisive torpedo hit on the German battleship Bismarck, crippling her until she was inevitably killed by the Royal Navy. Battleship Destroyed. Ultimately, the plane became legendarya design more suited to World War I and interwar fighter jets than the fashionable items that emerged after the 1940s.

Despite its antiquated appearance, the Swordfish proved to be an important cog in the Allied effort during the largest global conflict in history.

The origins of Swordfish can be traced back to a private venture conducted by Fairey (Fairey Private Venture or PV for short). This aircraft design was developed in response to the Air Department's need for a reconnaissance aircraft capable of serving as a naval artillery reconnaissance aircraft. Scouts are an important part of the subsequent firepower of large naval guns and often significantly improve artillery accuracy. Subsequent spec pages 15/33 expanded this role to include the supply of torpedo ammunition to replace older biplanes currently in service.

While the PV took on the TSR I designation, the revised design became the TSR II (TSR stands for "torpedo-reconnaissance-reconnaissance" to reflect the type's intended role). The TSR II first flew on April 17, 1934, and entered production the following year as a swordfish. 86 Swordfish Mk I systems were contracted in first production run. Deliveries began in 1936, and the aircraft quickly became the standard torpedo bomber for fleet aviation and the newest mount for the 825th Squadron. The Swordfish replaces the old Fairey Seal in service.

By 1939, Fleet Aviation was withdrawn from the control of the Royal Air Force and transferred as a permanent fixture under the Royal Navy flag.

Similar to its WWI predecessors, the Swordfish was designed as a three-seat wide-wing biplane. Pictures don't do justice to this machine, as this is a very large biplane. Unlike the seemingly unremarkable design of a World War I fighter jet - which had a wooden base covered in cloth - the Swordfish features an all-metal base covered in cloth. In many ways, the Swordfish somewhat acted as a "bridge" between two different eras of aircraft.

To add to the iconic look, the aircraft still features an open-air cockpit (with an enclosed passenger cabin fixed in the final production version) and fixed landing gear. Three crew members - including the pilot, observer and radio operator/gunner - will be responsible for various positions on the aircraft. The straight tail is supported by a single tail wheel and has a traditional single vertical tail.

The radial engine was mounted at the very front of the fuselage and had a three-bladed propeller. All surfaces are rounded and contoured as much as possible. The wing assemblies of the slightly uneven span biplane have parallel struts with single cabin and light wiring. While the lower wing assembly is relatively flat, the upper assembly has a slight V-shape.

Both wing parts had the convenience of being able to fold (hinged at the root of the wing) for easier loading on the then-constrained aircraft carriers.

Given the origin and role of the swordfish type, its performance is plausible. Power is provided by a radial piston engine consisting of a Bristol Pegasus IIIM. The 3 and later versions are outputted by the improved Bristol XXX series with 690 hp and 750 hp respectively.

It has a top speed of 138 mph and a range of 546 miles. A service ceiling of 19,250 feet is available, with a climb rate of 1,220 feet per minute - not exactly a hot rod, although the Swordfish has "it" where it matters.

The standard weapon of the swordfish is more like a WW1 fighter than a WW2. The pilot received a 7.7mm machine gun fixed in the forward position and mounted on the fairing. The gunner in the rear cockpit operates a trainable 7.7mm machine gun to protect the delicate rear of the aircraft.

The real sustenance of the system lies in its ability to mount a 1,670-pound torpedo operating mid-hull. Torpedoes became the weapon of choice on the high seas during World War II, and an aircraft capable of delivering this payload competently and accurately would be a godsend for any navy. Additionally, the Swordfish Mk II model (and later) can carry explosive missiles under the wings.

When her true war worth is over, the Swordfish will be armed with a 1,500-pound anti-submarine service mine.

While the roles the Swordfish excel in seem endless (training, reconnaissance, torpedo bombing, anti-submarine warfare), the aircraft is surprisingly limited to a few variants, starting with the Mk I production series. It is not uncommon for these Mk I models to be equipped with buoys for ship operations via a catapult system, making them valuable airborne components in a very short time.

The Mk II followed in 1943 with an all-new metal lower wing, ideal for placing rocket weapons. Up to eight 60-pound RP-3 series rockets (four per side) can be mounted under the wings, increasing the biplane's lethality.

The engine was upgraded to the 820hp Pegasus XXX series at this time, which improved performance to a certain extent. The Mk II proved to be the final production model of the series, with around 1,080 examples delivered.

A Mk III variant (also powered by Pegasus XXX series engines) also appeared in 1943, featuring an ASV radar between the landing gear legs for improved anti-ship operation. The final Swordfish production model became the Mk IV, which differed considerably from its predecessors in that it had an enclosed cockpit for a crew of three.

The Mk IV was used by the Royal Canadian Air Force and production ceased on August 18, 1944.

A total of 2,396 Swordfish aircraft were produced with operators including the UK (RAF and RNFAA), Canada, the Netherlands, South Africa (transfer aircraft) and Spain. There are about 17 Swordfish squadrons in the UK.

Part of the production was handled by Fairey (at least 692 planes), although Blackburn Aircraft produced at least 1,699 planes - sometimes referred to as "Blackfish" due to their Blackburn factory origins.

During the first years of the war, Swordfish was used as an escort and escort fleet. Its first direct combat action took place in the Norwegian campaign in 1940.

Other operations included the Battle of Cape Matapan in 1941 and the "Sprint Sprint" in 1942 (all six Swordfish planes were destroyed, awarding the Victoria Cross to Lieutenant Colonel Eugene Esmond) and attacks on Italian port cities. The famous night raid in Taranto.

The value of the Fairey Swordfish to the Royal Navy - especially Fleet Aviation - during World War II cannot be underestimated. During Operation Trial, the British attack on Taranto, Swordfish aircraft left one of many tracks. Taranto is an important Italian naval base in the Mediterranean Sea. As France declined, so did her naval capabilities in the northwestern Mediterranean, a sea that was - in every way - under the control of the Axis powers. Taranto was established as an important port, providing most of the supplies for the Italian Navy, including the few but powerful battleships it maintained.

More than a year later, the Japanese navy appeared to follow suit at Pearl Harbor, with the British navy launching "Operation Trial" to remove Italian naval hegemony in the sea.

On 21 October, the British fleet of 4 battleships and battlecruisers, 10 cruisers and 4 destroyers, as well as the aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle, moved into position to initiate Operation Judgment. The USS Eagle began to suffer mechanical failures, forcing her Swordfish to board HMS Illustrious.

The fire on Tejas compounded the problem, and the attack was delayed for a while, although it gave the Royal Navy the opportunity to make some daring reconnaissance flights of Taranto and her heavy anti-aircraft defences. The opposition included as many as six Italian battleships, 27 destroyers, and 14 cruisersnot to mention ground air defenses, no less than 90 barrage balloons and torpedo nets across the estuary of the harbor.

The Royal Navy's decision has largely been made - the attack will take place while these Italian ships are still in port, with little or no space to evade bombs and torpedoes.

Luck seemed to be on the British side that day. A storm earlier this week destroyed or damaged as many as 63 of the 90 barrage balloons. All of the Italian Air Force's patrol aircraft - these usually come in the form of bulky airships - were quickly dispatched by the Royal Navy, which retained an element of surprise for a while. British offense can now rely on this element in their attack - a tactician's dream come true. By November 9, HMS Illustrious took her assigned position.

The next day, the Italian Air Force was alerted to the approaching fleet and attacked with bombers, although luckily for the Allies, the attack had little effect on the fleet and the Italians lost a bomber.

At 22:00 on 11 November, HMS Illustrious, now located near the Greek island of Kefalonia, dropped the first wave of Swordfish torpedo bombers on Taranto. An hour later, the "Swordfish" hit the target, and the main aircraft dropped target flares. The Italian battleship Cavour was hit directly by torpedoes, while Doria was hit twice in the bow. The Littorio was also hit on her starboard bow and then again on her starboard stern.

Libeccio was hit, but the torpedo did not explode.

23:35 Second wave of Swordfish torpedo bombers exploded and began attacking at 23:50. The oil depot was ambushed and attacked by Swordfish flares, but little damage was done. A torpedo hits the bow of the battleship Mar Grande.

The burning and sunken Littorio was hit again, while Trento was hit by a thrown bomb that did not explode. The battleship Vittorio Veneto somehow left the port unscathed in the early hours of the morning. At 1:22 a.m., the port was cleared and the attack on Taranto officially ended.

For the price of two sailfish for three Italian battleships, the Royal Navy carried out a brazen operation that wiped out Italian dominance in the Mediterranean in one fell swoop, with astonishing success. It should be noted that three other Swordfish were lost to engine failures prior to the attack, although these losses were later blamed on contaminated aviation fuel supplies.

Ultimately, the Swordfish completed a hard day's work with many advancements, continually demonstrating the tenacity of this "small" aircraft and the courage of its crew.

If there is one unique event in Swordfish's history worth mentioning, it is her participation in the hunt for the German battleship KMS Bismarck. The Bismarck and its German surface ships were tasked with destroying Allied shipping in the North Atlantic. Even Winston Churchill recognized the importance of caring for his island and murmured "We can't live without a boat".

As such, the Royal Navy was again called upon to hunt down the Bismarck for the ultimate logistical blow to the German Navy and ultimately Hitler's ego.

The Bismarck at one point proved to be an anomaly, capable of disappearing from the Royal Navy ships tasked with tracking her and the reconnaissance aircraft tasked with communicating her precise location. However, that all changed on May 26, when the Swordfish aircraft taking off from the carrier Ark Royal that afternoon pinpointed and tracked the Bismarck's position. Despite the heavy anti-aircraft fire, the slow-moving, low-flying Swordfish proved to be a difficult target for Bismarck's advanced artillery systems. Flak itself is relatively useless at extremely low altitudes.

Two swordfish torpedoes found their target, and the second torpedo inflicted fatal damage on the large warship. The torpedo hit the stern area, disabling the Bismarck's rudder. The rudder was locked so that the large ship was limited to infinite rotation while its engines propelled the ship forward. The fatal blow would be a death sentence for the battleship, her crew of the Bismarck would sink within 13 hours under heavy bombardment from the Royal Navy.

Only 115 German sailors were rescued from the ship.