Aeroplane Magazine Swordfish Special Issue

The Fairey Swordfi sh story is one of an aircraft initially frowned
upon when it entered service in 1936, respected by the
beginning of the Second World War and deemed legendary
by the time peace was declared. The world must have looked
on in awe at our powerful Royal Navy and its large carriers and with
equal bemusement at the seemingly fragile biplanes, with their
single torpedo and light armament upon their decks.
However, the Swordfi sh was the only torpedo bomber we had in
signifi cant numbers at the beginning of the war and it would prove
to be so much more. Designed with one role in mind, the Swordfi sh
evolved into one of the most versatile of Naval aircraft. Its slow
speed, which was criticised from the outset, proved to be one of its
strengths, especially when it came to anti-submarine work, in which
it claimed 21 U-boats sunk between April 1940 and December 1944.
The later combination of RPs and ASV radar made the Swordfi sh
particularly eff ective against U-boats and shipping, of which it
claimed over 300,000 tons sunk.
Aff ectionately nicknamed the ‘Stringbag’, the aircraft achieved an
outstanding war record beginning with operations in Norway, where
events could have been much diff erent if the Royal Navy was not
forced to divert its attention elsewhere. The attack on the Italian
harbour at Taranto that crippled the Italian Navy displayed what the
aircraft was capable of and that it was clearly not be under estimated.
The Swordfi sh also played an important role in the invasion of
Madagascar which kept the Japanese at bay early on in the war. The
bravery displayed by the aircrew during the attacks on the
Bismarck is legendary, while equal, but fruitless courage was
exhibited during the ill-fated Channel Dash. The latter incident, in
particular, not only says a lot about the aircraft, but also about the
crews.