Fairey Swordfish

The Fairey Swordfish is a retired biplane torpedo bomber, designed by the Fairey Aviation Company. Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was principally operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy. It was also used by the Royal Air Force (RAF), as well as several overseas operators, including the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Royal Netherlands Navy. It was initially operated primarily as a fleet attack aircraft. During its later years, the Swordfish was increasingly used for anti-submarine and training duties. The type was in frontline service throughout the Second World War.

Despite being obsolescent, the Swordfish achieved some spectacular successes during the war, including sinking one battleship and damaging two others belonging to the Regia Marina (the Italian navy) during the Battle of Taranto, and the famous attack on the German battleship Bismarck, which contributed to her eventually being sunk. Swordfish sank a greater tonnage of Axis shipping than any other Allied aircraft during the war. Receiving the internal designation of T.S.R. I, standing for "Torpedo-Spotter-Reconnaissance I", the proposed design was a biplane powered by a single 645 hp Bristol Pegasus IIM air-cooled radial engine. The company initially chose to pursue the project as a self-financed private venture while both customers and applicable requirements for the type were sought.

thumb|Workers carrying out salvage and repair work on a wing of a Swordfish

Significant contributions to the T.S.R.I's development came from Fairey's independent design work on a proposed aircraft for the Greek Naval Air Service, which had asked for a replacement for the Fairey IIIF Mk.IIIB, and from British Air Ministry specifications M.1/30 and S.9/30. Fairey promptly informed the Air Ministry of its work for the Greeks, whose interest had waned, and proposed its solution to the requirements for a spotter-reconnaissance plane ("spotter" referring to the activity of observing and directing a warship's fall of shot). In 1934 the Air Ministry issued the more advanced Specification S.15/33, which added the torpedo bomber role.

In 1935, following the successful completion of testing at Martlesham, an initial pre-production order for three aircraft was placed by the Air Ministry; it was at this point that the T.S.R II received the service name 'Swordfish'. All three pre-production aircraft were powered by the Pegasus IIIM3 engine, but had a three-bladed Fairey-Reed propeller in place of the two-bladed propeller used on the prototype. On 31 December 1935 the first pre-production Swordfish, K5660, made its maiden flight. The Admiralty approached Blackburn Aircraft with a proposal that manufacture of the Swordfish be transferred to them; Blackburn then set up a new fabrication and assembly facility in Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire. Less than a year later, the first Blackburn-built Swordfish made its first flight. During 1941 the Sherburn factory assumed primary responsibility for the fuselage, along with final assembly and testing of finished aircraft.

Efforts were made to disperse production and to use shadow factories to minimise the damage caused by Luftwaffe bombing raids. Almost 2,400 aircraft had been built, 692 having been constructed by Fairey and a further 1,699 by Blackburn at their Sherburn facility. Of the latter, 834 were Mark I, 545 Mark II and 320 Mark III.

Design

The Fairey Swordfish was a medium-sized biplane torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft with a fabric-covered metal airframe. It had folding wings. In service, it received the nickname Stringbag; this was not due to its profusion of struts, spars, and braces, but a reference to the seemingly endless variety of stores and equipment that the type was cleared to carry. Crews likened the aircraft to a housewife's string shopping bag, common at the time and which could accommodate contents of any shape.

The primary weapon of the Swordfish was the aerial torpedo, but the low speed of the aircraft and the need for a long straight approach made it difficult to attack well-defended targets. Swordfish torpedo doctrine called for an approach at followed by a dive to torpedo release altitude of . Maximum range of the early Mark XII torpedo was at and at . The torpedo travelled forward from release to water impact, and needed another to stabilise at preset depth and arm itself. Ideal release distance was from the target.

After more modern torpedo attack aircraft were developed, the Swordfish was redeployed successfully in an anti-submarine role, armed with depth charges or eight 60 lb (27 kg) RP-3 rockets and flying from the smaller escort carriers, or even merchant aircraft carriers (MACs) when equipped for rocket-assisted takeoff (RATO). Its low stall speed and inherently tough design made it ideal for operation from the MACs in the often severe mid-Atlantic weather. Indeed, its takeoff and landing speeds were so low that, unlike most carrier-based aircraft, it did not require the carrier to be steaming into the wind. On occasion, when the wind was right, Swordfish were flown from a carrier at anchor.

Operational history

Introduction

thumb|A formation of three Swordfish IIIs of No. 119 Squadron RAF over the North Sea, 1939–1945

In July 1936, the Swordfish entered service with the Fleet Air Arm (FAA), which was then part of the RAF; 825 Naval Air Squadron was the first squadron to receive the type. During the early months of the war, the Swordfish operated in mostly uneventful fleet protection and convoy escort missions. The crew reported seeing several German destroyers, and also spotted the anchored close to the shore in Herjangsfjord. They dived to and dropped two anti-submarine bombs; one hit and sank the submarine. Later that day a force of ten Swordfish were dispatched from HMS Furious to attack the German destroyers with 250lb bombs. They scored no hits and two aircraft were shot down; the crew of one were lost and the crew of the other were picked up after making a forced landing. During the battle, eight German destroyers were sunk or scuttled with no British ships lost.

After the Second Battle of Narvik, Swordfish continually bombed ships, land facilities, and parked enemy aircraft around Narvik. Anti-submarine patrols and aerial reconnaissance missions were also flown despite difficult terrain and inhospitable weather, which proved especially challenging for aircrew in the Swordfish's open cockpit. For many Swordfish crews, this campaign marked their first combat missions and nighttime landings upon aircraft carriers. Four days later, 767 Squadron relocated to Bone, Algeria before being split, the training elements returning to Britain while the operational portion proceeded to RAF Hal Far on Malta, where it was re-numbered as 830 Naval Air Squadron. On 30 June, operations re-commenced with an opening night raid upon oil tanks at Augusta, Sicily.

On 11 November 1940 Swordfish flying from achieved great success in the Battle of Taranto. The main fleet of the Italian Navy was based at Taranto in southern Italy; in light of the success of the earlier attack upon the French Navy at Mers-el-Kébir, members of the Admiralty sought another victory under similar conditions. The Royal Navy had conducted extensive preparations, with some planning having taken place as early as 1938, when war between the European powers had already seemed inevitable. The high manoeuvrability of the Swordfish enabled the aircraft to evade intense anti-aircraft fire and hit the Italian ships. The Battle of Taranto firmly established that naval aircraft were independently capable of immobilising an entire fleet and were therefore an effective means of altering the balance of power.

On 28 March 1941, a pair of Swordfish based at Crete contributed to the disabling of the Italian cruiser Pola during the Battle of Cape Matapan. This made Bismarck unmanoeuvrable and unable to escape to port in France. She sank after intense Royal Navy attack within 13 hours. Some of the Swordfish flew so low that most of Bismarcks flak weapons could not depress enough to hit them.

Throughout 1942, the Swordfish was progressively transferred away from the Royal Navy's fleet carriers as newer strike aircraft, such as the Fairey Albacore and Fairey Barracuda, were introduced.

In 1942, Swordfish of 810 and 829 Squadrons on HMS Illustrious took part in the Battle of Madagascar. They dropped dummy paratroopers in support of the initial landings. They later conducted anti-ship and anti-submarine operations in Diego Suarez Bay and bombed land targets in support of land operations during Operation Ironclad. In the later Operation Jane, Swordfish were ready to support the attack on Tamatave, but in the event the town surrendered before they were needed.

Home front

During early 1940, Swordfish aircraft of 812 Squadron under RAF Coastal Command started a campaign against enemy ports along the English Channel.

The intensity of Coastal Command's Swordfish operations was drastically increased after the German invasion of the Low Countries, expanding to involve four Swordfish-equipped squadrons. Typically flying from Detling, Thorney Island, North Coates and St Eval, Swordfish crews were dispatched to strike strategic targets off the coasts of Netherlands and Belgium in daylight raids, during which they braved anti-aircraft fire and interception by Luftwaffe fighter aircraft.

However, as a result of this incident, Swordfish were quickly withdrawn from the torpedo-bomber role in favour of more anti-submarine duties. Armed with depth charges and rockets, the aircraft were good submarine killers. Swordfish were flying missions with the radar by October 1941. The radar was able to detect ships at a range of around . The last operational squadron, 836 Naval Air Squadron, which had last been engaged in providing resources for the MAC ships, was disbanded on 21 May 1945, soon after the end of World War II in Europe. In mid-1946, the last training squadron equipped with the type was disbanded, after which only a few remained in service to perform sundry duties at a few naval air stations.

Variants

thumb|upright=1.2|A Swordfish III of RAF 119 Squadron being refuelled at [[Maldegem, Belgium, (1944–1945). The fairing of the aircraft's centimetric radar can be seen below the engine]]

;Swordfish I

:First production series.

;Swordfish I

:Version equipped with floats, for use from catapult-equipped warships.

;Swordfish II

:Version with strengthened lower wing permitting the mounting of rockets, introduced in 1943.

;Swordfish III

:Version with added large centimetric radar unit, introduced in 1943.

;Swordfish IV

:Last version (production ended in 1944), with an enclosed cabin for use by the RCAF

Operators

Royal Australian Air Force
Six aircraft were used by No. 25 Squadron RAAF in 1942.
Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Navy
Royal Netherlands Navy
Dutch Naval Aviation Service in exile in the United Kingdom
No. 860 (Dutch) Squadron, Fleet Air Arm
Ejercito del Aire
Swordfish W5843 of 813 squadron at North Front, Gibraltar lost its bearings during an anti-submarine sweep and force landed between Ras el Farea and Pota Pescadores, in Spanish Morocco, on 30 April 1942. The crew were all interned. The final fate of the aircraft is not known.
Swordfish P4073 of 700 squadron of HMS Malaya ran out of fuel whilst shadowing the German battleship Scharnhorst on 8 March 1941. Aircraft and crew were recovered by the Spanish liner Cabo de Buena Esperanza off Canary Islands and interned in Spain. The Swordfish was put on the strength of the Spanish air force as HR6-1 on 6 December 1943 with 54 Escuadrilla, Puerto de le Cruz, Tenerife, Canary Islands. Retired March 1945 at Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.
No. 8 Squadron RAF
No. 119 Squadron RAF
No. 202 Squadron RAF
No. 209 Squadron RAF
No. 273 Squadron RAF
No. 613 Squadron RAF
No. 3 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit (No. 3 AACU), Malta and Gibraltar
No. 4 Anti-Aircraft Co-operation Unit (No. 4 AACU), Singapore
9 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit
Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (prior to May 1939 part of RAF)
700 Naval Air Squadron
701 Naval Air Squadron
702 Naval Air Squadron
705 Naval Air Squadron (float-equipped aircraft from the battlecruisers Repulse and Renown)
710 Naval Air Squadron
722 Naval Air Squadron
726 Naval Air Squadron
727 Naval Air Squadron
728 Naval Air Squadron
730 Naval Air Squadron
731 Naval Air Squadron
733 Naval Air Squadron
735 Naval Air Squadron
737 Naval Air Squadron
739 Naval Air Squadron
740 Naval Air Squadron
741 Naval Air Squadron
742 Naval Air Squadron
743 Naval Air Squadron
744 Naval Air Squadron
747 Naval Air Squadron
753 Naval Air Squadron
759 Naval Air Squadron
763 Naval Air Squadron
764 Naval Air Squadron
765 Naval Air Squadron
766 Naval Air Squadron
767 Naval Air Squadron
768 Naval Air Squadron
769 Naval Air Squadron
770 Naval Air Squadron
771 Naval Air Squadron
772 Naval Air Squadron
773 Naval Air Squadron
774 Naval Air Squadron
775 Naval Air Squadron
776 Naval Air Squadron
777 Naval Air Squadron
778 Naval Air Squadron
779 Naval Air Squadron
780 Naval Air Squadron
781 Naval Air Squadron
782 Naval Air Squadron
783 Naval Air Squadron
785 Naval Air Squadron
786 Naval Air Squadron
787 Naval Air Squadron
788 Naval Air Squadron
789 Naval Air Squadron
791 Naval Air Squadron
794 Naval Air Squadron
796 Naval Air Squadron
797 Naval Air Squadron
810 Naval Air Squadron
811 Naval Air Squadron
812 Naval Air Squadron
814 Naval Air Squadron
815 Naval Air Squadron
816 Naval Air Squadron
817 Naval Air Squadron, transferred to South Africa in 1945
818 Naval Air Squadron
819 Naval Air Squadron
820 Naval Air Squadron
821 Naval Air Squadron
822 Naval Air Squadron
823 Naval Air Squadron
824 Naval Air Squadron
825 Naval Air Squadron
826 Naval Air Squadron
828 Naval Air Squadron
829 Naval Air Squadron
830 Naval Air Squadron
833 Naval Air Squadron
834 Naval Air Squadron
835 Naval Air Squadron
836 Naval Air Squadron
837 Naval Air Squadron
838 Naval Air Squadron
840 Naval Air Squadron
841 Naval Air Squadron
842 Naval Air Squadron
860 Naval Air Squadron
886 Naval Air Squadron

Surviving aircraft

thumb|Swordfish LS326 (2012)

thumb|Swordfish NF370, Imperial War Museum, Duxford (2011)

thumb|Swordfish II NS 122 at the [[Canada Aviation and Space Museum]]

A large proportion of the currently surviving aircraft were recovered from the farm of Canadian Ernie Simmons.

;Canada

NS122 – Swordfish II on static display at the Canada Aviation and Space Museum.
HS469 – Swordfish IV on display at the Shearwater Aviation Museum in Nova Scotia. It was restored to airworthy condition and flew once, in 1994.
HS498 – Swordfish IV in storage at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta.

;Malta

HS491 – Swordfish IV under restoration at the Malta Aviation Museum in Ta' Qali, Attard.

;United Kingdom

HS503 – Swordfish IV in storage at the Royal Air Force Museum Cosford in Cosford, Shropshire.
HS554 – Swordfish III under restoration to airworthy with private owners in White Waltham, Berkshire. Restored to flight in 2006, it was previously owned by Vintage Wings of Canada. After being grounded for several years, it was sold to the current owners in 2019.
HS618 – Swordfish II on static display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum in Yeovil, Somerset.
LS326 – Swordfish II airworthy with Navy Wings in Ilchester, Somerset.
NF370 – Swordfish III on static display at the Imperial War Museum Duxford in Duxford, Cambridgeshire. It was built in 1944. It was operated by No. 119 Squadron RAF, which was given the task of patrolling the North Sea in search of German torpedo boats and midget submarines. It has been at Duxford since 1986. In 1998, a restoration project was begun that returned the airframe to an airworthy condition; it was fitted with a non-functional Pegasus engine.
W5856 – Swordfish I airworthy with Navy Wings in Ilchester, Somerset.

;United States

HS164 – Swordfish IV on display at the American Airpower Heritage Museum of the Commemorative Air Force in Dallas, Texas.

Specifications (Swordfish I)

thumb|Fairey Swordfish Mk I 3-view drawing

thumb|Ground crew moving the folding wing of a Swordfish into position for flying

References

Citations

Bibliography

Brown, Eric, CBE, DCS, AFC, RN.; William Green and Gordon Swanborough. "Fairey Swordfish". Wings of the Navy, Flying Allied Carrier Aircraft of World War Two. London: Jane's Publishing Company, 1980, pp. 7–20. .
Campbell, John. Naval Weapons of World War II. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1985. .
Harrison, W.A. Fairey Swordfish and Albacore. Wiltshire, UK: The Crowood Press, 2002. .
Harrison, W.A. Fairey Swordfish in Action (Aircraft Number 175). Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 2001. .
Harrison, W.A. Swordfish at War. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., 1987. .
Harrison, W.A. Swordfish Special. Shepperton, Surrey, UK: Ian Allan Publishing Ltd., 1977. .
Kemp, P.K. Key to Victory: The Triumph of British Sea Power in World War II. New York: Little, Brown, 1957.
Kennedy, Ludovic. Pursuit: The Sinking of the Bismarck. Bath, UK: Chivers Press, 2002. .
Kilbracken, Lord. Bring Back My Stringbag: A Swordfish Pilot at War. London: Pan Books Ltd, 1980. . First published by Peter Davies Ltd, 1979.
Lamb, Charles. To War in a Stringbag (also published as War in a Stringbag). London: Cassell & Co., 2001. .
Lowe, Malcolm V. Fairey Swordfish: Plane Essentials No.3. Wimborne, UK: Publishing Solutions (www) Ltd., 2009. .
Lowry, Thomas P. and John Wellham.The Attack on Taranto: Blueprint for Pearl Harbor. London: Stackpole Books, 2000. .
Smith, Peter C. Dive Bomber!. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press, 1982. .
Stott, Ian G. The Fairey Swordfish Mks. I-IV (Aircraft in Profile 212). Windsor, Berkshire, UK: Profile Publications, 1971.
Sturtivant, Ray. The Swordfish Story. London: Cassell & Co., 1993 (2nd Revised edition 2000). .
Taylor, H.A, Fairey Aircraft since 1915. London: Putnam & Company Ltd., 1974. .
Thetford, Owen. British Naval Aircraft Since 1912. London: Putnam, Fourth edition, 1978. .
Thetford, Owen. British Naval Aircraft Since 1912. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books, 1994. .
Thomas, Andrew. "Light Blue 'Stringbags': The Fairey Swordfish in RAF Service". Air Enthusiast, No. 78, November/December 1998, pp. 73–77. Stamford, UK: Key Publishing. ISSN 0143-5450.
Willis, Matthew. Fleet Air Arm Legends 2 - Fairey Swordfish. Horncastle, UK: Mortons Books, 2022. .
Wragg, David. The Escort Carrier in World War II. Barnsley, UK: Pen & Sword Books, 2005. .
Wragg, David. Stringbag: The Fairey Swordfish at War. Barnsley, UK: Pen and Sword Books, 2005. .
Wragg, David. Swordfish: The Story of the Taranto Raid. London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 2003. .

External links

Swordfish Story of the Torpedoing of the Bismarck
"Stringbag Plus" a 1946 Flight article on flying the Swordfish