Fairey Swordfish
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| Fairey Swordfish | |
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| Type | torpedo-bomber anti-submarine |
| Manufacturer | Fairey Aviation |
| Maiden flight | April 17, 1934 |
| Introduced | 1936 |
| Retired | 1945 |
| Primary users | UK Canada |
| Number built | about 2,400 |
The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber built by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during World War II. Affectionately known as the Stringbag by its crews, it was outdated by 1939, but achieved some spectacular successes during the war, such as the destruction of the Regia Marina (the Italian Navy) in Taranto and the famous crippling of the German battleship Bismarck. It was operated primarily as a fleet attack aircraft, however, during its later years it was also used as an anti-submarine and training craft. Designed in the 1930s, Swordfish remained in frontline service through to the end of the war in Europe in 1945.
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[edit] History
The Swordfish was based on the Fairey Private Venture (PV), a proposed solution to the Air Ministry requirements for a Spotter-Reconnaissance plane - Spotter referring to observing the fall of a warship's gunfire. A subsequent Air Ministry specification, S.15/33, added the torpedo bomber role. The prototype TSR II (Torpedo-Spotter-Reconnaissance), the PV was the TSR I, first flew on April 17, 1934. It was a large biplane with a metal frame covered in fabric, with folding wings for carrier use. An order was placed in 1935 and the aircraft entered service in 1936, replacing the Fairey Seal in the torpedo bomber role.
By 1939 the Royal Navy had thirteen squadrons equipped with the Swordfish Mark I. There were also three flights of Swordfish equipped with floats, for use off catapult-equipped warships. One such, from HMS Warspite spotted fall of shot during the Second Battle of Narvik and subsequently sank the U-boat U-64.
Swordfish flew from merchant aircraft carriers ("MAC ships"), twenty civilian cargo ships modified to carry three or four aircraft on anti-submarine duties with convoys. Three of these ships were Dutch manned, flying Swordfish from 860 (Dutch) squadron.
[edit] Combat history
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 during the Battle of Taranto and in May 1941 a Swordfish strike was vital in damaging the German battleship Bismarck. The low speed of the attacking aircraft may have acted in their favour, as the planes were too slow for the fire-control predictors of the German gunners, whose shells exploded far in front of the aircraft, barely giving it any shrapnel at all. This successful attack may have given inspiration or confidence to the Japanese who would later attack Pearl Harbor. Swordfish also flew anti-shipping sorties from Malta.
The problems with the aircraft were starkly demonstrated in February 1942 when a strike on German battlecruisers during the Channel Dash resulted in the loss of all attacking aircraft. With the development of new torpedo attack aircraft the Swordfish was soon redeployed successfully in an anti-submarine role, equipped with depth-charges or ten 60 lb (27 kg) RP-3 rockets and flying from the smaller escort carriers or even Merchant Aircraft Carriers with RATO. Its low stall speed and inherently tough design made it ideal for operation from the MAC carriers in the often severe mid Atlantic weather. Swordfish equipped units accounted for 14 U-boats destroyed. The Swordfish was meant to be replaced by the Fairey Albacore, also a biplane, but actually outlived its intended successor. It was, however, succeeded by the Fairey Barracuda monoplane torpedo bomber.
The final Swordfish had been delivered in August, 1944, the last of 2,392 aircraft; the last operational squadron was disbanded on 21 May, 1945, after the fall of Germany, and the last training squadron was disbanded in the summer of 1946.
[edit] Variants
The Mark II and Mark III variants were both introduced in 1943. The Swordfish Mark II had metal lower wings to allow the use of rockets, and the Swordfish Mark III added a large centrimetric radar unit. Production ended in 1944 with the Swordfish 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, 692 by Fairey and 1,699 in Sherburn by the Blackburn Aircraft Company, which were sometimes dubbed the "Blackfish". The most built version was the Mark II, of which 1,080 were made.
[edit] Origin of the Stringbag nickname
The Swordfish received the Stringbag nickname not because of its construction but because of the seemingly endless variety of stores and equipment that the aircraft was cleared to carry. Crews likened the aircraft to a housewife's string shopping bag which was common at the time and, which due to its having no fixed shape, could adjust to hold any shape or number of packages. Like the shopping bag, the crews thought the Swordfish could carry anything.
[edit] Operators
[edit] Specifications (Fairey Swordfish)
General characteristics
- Crew: 3
- Length: 35 ft 8 in (10.87 m)
- Wingspan: 45 ft 6 in (13.87 m)
- Height: 12 ft 4 in (3.76 m)
- Wing area: 542 ft² (50.4 m²)
- Empty weight: 4,195 lb (1,900 kg)
- Loaded weight: 7,720 lb (3,500 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: lb (kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Bristol Pegasus IIIM.3 or XXX radial engine, 690 hp (IIIM.3) or 750 hp (XXX) (510 kW / 560 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 138 mph at 5,000 ft (222 km/h at 1,500 m)
- Range: 546 mi combat; 1,025 mi ferry (879 km / 1,650 km)
- Service ceiling: 19,250 ft (5,870 m)
- Rate of climb: 1,220 ft/min (6.2 m/s)
- Wing loading: lb/ft² (kg/m²)
- Power/mass: hp/lb (kW/kg)
Armament
- 1x 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers machine gun in engine cowling
- 1x 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Lewis or Vickers machine gun in rear cockpit
- 1x 1,670 lb (760 kg) torpedo or 1,500 lb (700 kg) mine
- 8x 60 lb (27 kg) rocket projectiles (Mk.II and later)
[edit] Related content
Comparable aircraft
Designation sequence
Swordfish - Battle - Seafox - Fulmar - Albacore- Seal
Related lists
List of aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm
[edit] External links
- http://www.photoboxgallery.com/MaritimeAviationNews Images of Swordfis W5856
- Swordfish at airshow video on YouTube
