The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber used by the
Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during World War II.
Affectionately known as the Stringbag by its crews, it
was already outdated when the war started, but was
operated as a primary attack aircraft into 1942.
The Swordfish was based on the Fairey PV and was offered
to the Royal Navy to fulfill a reconnaissance and torpedo
attack role. The prototype TSR II first flew on April 17,
1934. It was a large biplane with a metal frame covered
in fabric, specifically for carrier use it had folding
wings. An order was placed in 1935 and the aircraft
entered service in 1936. By 1939 the Royal Navy had
thirteen squadrons equipped with the Swordfish.
The primary weapon was the torpedo, but the low speed of
the biplane and the need for a long straight approach
made it difficult to deliver against well defended
targets. However, Swordfish flying from HMS Illustrious
made a very significant strike, on November 11, 1940,
against the Italian navy at Taranto, Italy and in May
1941 a Swordfish strike was vital in damaging the German
battleship Bismarck, they also flew anti-shipping sorties
from Malta.
The problems with the aircraft were starkly demonstrated
in February 1942 when a strike on German cruisers in the
English Channel resulted in the loss of all attacking
aircraft. With the development of new torpedo attack
aircraft the Swordfish was soon redeployed in an
anti-submarine role, equipped with depth-charges or ten
27 kg rockets and flying from the smaller escort carriers
or even Merchant Aircraft Carriers with RATO.
The Mark II and Mark III variants were both introduced in
1943. The Mark II had metal lower wings to allow the use
of rockets and the Mark III added a large centrimetric
radar unit. Production ended in 1944 with the Mark IV,
which had an enclosed cabin for use by the RCAF, and the
aircraft was withdrawn from active service on May 21,
1945. Almost 2,400 had been built, 1,700 in Sherburn by
the Blackburn Aircraft Company, which were sometimes
dubbed the Blackfish. The most built was the Mark II of
which 1,080 were made.
Swordfish Mark II
- Length: 10.87 m
- Height: 3.76 m
- Wing Span: 13.87 m
- Crew: 3
- Weight: 2,135 kg (empty)
- Power: Bristol Pegasus MK XXX, 750 hp
- Speed: 245 km/hr (maximum), 214 km/hr (floatplane maximum)
- Ceiling: 3,260 m
- Range: 1,650 km (unloaded)
- Armament: 680 kg payload or 1 of 730 kg torpedo; 2 of Vickers 0.303-inch machine guns