Fairey Albacore

The Fairey Albacore is a single-engine biplane torpedo bomber designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Fairey Aviation. It was primarily operated by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA) during the Second World War.

The Albacore, popularly known as the "Applecore", was conceived as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish, an earlier biplane introduced during the mid 1930s. It was typically operated by a crew of three and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as level, dive, and torpedo bombing. First flown on 12 December 1938, the Albacore was in production between 1939 and 1943, and entered FAA service with 826 Naval Air Squadron during March 1940. The type was initially operated from land bases, being dispatched on attack missions against enemy shipping and harbours in the vicinity of the English Channel. The first operations on board an aircraft carrier commenced in November 1940.

At its height, 15 first-line FAA squadrons flew the Albacore. The type was much used in the Mediterranean, participating in the Battle of Cape Matapan, the Second Battle of El Alamein, and the landings at Sicily and Salerno. Although intended to replace the Swordfish, the Albacore served with it and was eventually retired before it, both aircraft having been replaced by a pair of monoplane designs, the Fairey Barracuda and Grumman Avenger. In addition to the FAA, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) operated the type.

Design and development

Background

The origins of the Albacore can be traced back to the issuing of Specification S.41/36 by the Air Ministry on 11 February 1937, as well as the earlier Specification M.7/36. while the fuselage was also more aerodynamically refined. The engine that powered the early Albacores was a single Bristol Taurus II radial engine, capable of 1,065 hp, while those built later on received the more powerful Taurus XII, capable of 1,130 hp, instead.

Furthermore, the Albacore provided numerous amenities for the benefit of its crew, such as its fully enclosed cockpit, a central heating system, a windscreen wiper for the pilot, and lavatory. In the event of a water landing, the aircraft was also fitted with an automatic liferaft deployment system to assist in the crew's survival. The armament of the Albacore typically included a single fixed forward-firing machine gun in the upper starboard wing, while the rear cockpit was provided with either a single or twin Vickers K machine gun. It could carry a maximum under-wing bomb load of four bombs.

The wings of the Albacore were of an equal span and were foldable for more compact stowage onboard aircraft carriers. Like the Swordfish, it was capable of dive bombing; it could dive at speeds of up to 215 knots (400 km/h) IAS irrespective of the positioning of the flaps. According to test pilot Eric Brown, the Albacore was relatively steady throughout the dive, while the recovery was typically both smooth and relatively easy to perform. the start of production had been delayed on account of production slippages of the Taurus engine. An Albacore fitted with the Taurus II engine and carrying a torpedo weighed 11,100 lb (5,045 kg). The stall characteristics were described as uncomfortable, while the crew boarding process was also seen as somewhat hazardous. However, the only major change in the specification was the replacement of the Taurus II engine with the improved Taurus XII.

A total of 800 Albacores were built, including the two prototypes, which were all manufactured at Fairey's Hayes factory. Production came to an end in 1943.

Operational history

thumb|Markings of Albacore N4389, [[827 Naval Air Squadron, , which was shot down in the raid on Kirkenes, July 1941. Salvaged, rebuilt and now on display in the Fleet Air Arm Museum ]]

During March 1940, No. 826 Naval Air Squadron was specially formed to operate the first Albacores; within weeks, the type had begun operations, attacking harbours and shipping in the English Channel, operating from shore bases, as well as providing convoy escort for the rest of 1940. s 826 and 829 Squadrons were the first to operate the Albacore from an aircraft carrier, operations commencing in November 1940. The Albacore suffered from reliability problems with the Taurus engine, although these were later solved, so that the failure rate was no worse than the Pegasus equipped Swordfish. The Albacore remained less popular than the Swordfish, as it was less manoeuvrable, while the controls were considered to be too heavy for a pilot to perform much evasive action after dropping a torpedo.

During 1943, the Albacore was replaced in FAA service by the newer Barracuda. The final Albacore squadron of the FAA, No. 841 Squadron, which had flown numerous shore-based attacks against shipping in the English Channel for the whole of its career with the Albacore, was disbanded in late 1943.

The Royal Air Force deployed some Albacores; 36 Squadron based at Singapore acquired five to supplement its Vickers Vildebeests at RAF Seletar in December 1941. The remnants of the squadron was captured by the Japanese in March 1942. During 1943, No. 415 Squadron RCAF was equipped with Albacores (presumably ex-FAA) before the Flight operating them was transferred and reformed as 119 Squadron at RAF Manston in July 1944. The squadron deployed later to Belgium and their Albacores were disposed of in early 1945, due to spares shortages, in favour of the inferior but ASV radar-equipped Swordfish Mk.IIIs that the squadron kept until the end of the war on 8 May. This was to combat German mini-submarines attacking Allied shipping entering the River Scheldt on its way to the Port of Antwerp. The Aden Communication Flight used 17 Albacores between the middle of 1944 and August 1946. Some of these were delivered by sea on the in December 1945 (all from Royal Navy stock).

The Royal Canadian Air Force took over the Albacores and used them during the Normandy invasion, for a similar role until July 1944.

Operators

thumb|A Fairey Albacore Mk I of 820 Naval Air Squadron operating from [[HMS Formidable (67)|HMS Formidable during the North African landings, November 1942]]

Royal Canadian Air Force

No. 415 Squadron RCAF

Royal Air Force

No. 36 Squadron RAF
No. 119 Squadron

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm

Specifications (Albacore with Taurus XII)

thumb|Fairey Albacore Mk.1

Notes

References

Citations

Bibliography

Harrison, W. A. Warpaint Series No.52 : Fairey Albacore. Bedfordshire: Warpaint Books Ltd 2004. .
Kostam, Angus. Sink the Tirpitz 1942–44: The RAF and Fleet Air Arm duel with Germany's mighty battleship. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2018.
Taylor, H. A. Fairey Aircraft Since 1915. London: Putnam, 1974. .

External links

828 Squadron (TSR) Albacores: Malta War-Time Diaries 1941-1943 Sgt. Thomas Barker BEM