Fairey Swordfish

[WTE_Galway]

I would love to fly the swordfish, the string bag is an aircraft with incredible character. it would be awesoem to do skins for as well.

Originally Posted by Igo kyu

One of the most effective torpedo bombers in the war.

One of the most effective ??? I do not think I would go that far.

[ElAurens]

I would say the Kate, SM 79, and TBF/TBM were far better. Actually the Devastator was better.

The Swordfish just happened to be all the Brits had for that role, so it got used in a couple of famous ops.

[Igo kyu]

Originally Posted by ElAurens

I would say the Kate, SM 79, and TBF/TBM were far better. Actually the Devastator was better.

The Swordfish just happened to be all the Brits had for that role, so it got used in a couple of famous ops.

It was the best Britain had for the role, in the early war, there were others. I suspect one factor may have been it's low speed, which meant that a torpedo entered the water at about the speed it was going to run at. Apparently they were still in production in 1943.

If anyone has figures for torpedoes launched against tonnage sunk, for any torpedo bombers, I'd be interested to hear them.

[ElAurens]

That would be interesting.

Most US torpedo bombers spent the majority of their service dropping bombs though.

Aerial torpedo attack reached it's zenith with the attack on Pearl Harbor, I would think.

Perhaps Google is our friend here....

[WTE_Galway]

Originally Posted by ElAurens

That would be interesting.

Most US torpedo bombers spent the majority of their service dropping bombs though.

Actually most Swordfish spent the majority of time laying mines and dropping bombs and presumably depth charges.

A torpedo was an unusual load out.

The Swordfish had a very good record against submarines ....


1940
U-64,

1941
U-451,

1942
U-577, U-652 +, U-589 +,

1943
U-203 +, U-89 +, U-752, U-617 +,

1944
U-472 +, U-366, U-973, U-653 +, U-288 +, U-277, U-674,
U-959, U-765 +, U-344, U-394 +, U-365,



21 U-boats lost to Swordfish aircraft. + means that the Swordfish shared the credit for the sinking.

[Snuff_Pidgeon]

It also shared credit in the sinking of the Bismark..

[WTE_Galway]

Some other interesting trivia ..

- Several flights of Swordfish were fitted with floats.

- Rocket Assisted Takeoff was used operationally with the Swordfish.

[Igo kyu]

Originally Posted by Snuff_Pidgeon

It also shared credit in the sinking of the Bismark..

Yeah, except that the Bismark, being crippled, was scuttled to avoid capture, not sunk by enemy (British) fire. Shared credit in a crippling doesn't sound quite so glamourous, but it was enough.

I wonder what we'd have done with a captured Bismark?

[K_Freddie]

Originally Posted by ElAurens

I would say the Kate, SM 79, and TBF/TBM were far better. Actually the Devastator was better.

Not entirely true.. In doing the crucial damage to the Bismark, under a defensive AAA, more than any American plane has ever faced - they were mostly downed by Zero's (cannot say the same for the Kate's though, but..), The Swordfish hit it's mark due to one important fact.... It was made not of metal, but fabric.. ...Work this one out for yourselves.


Not to mention.. put 8 rockets on the wings, and every UBoat commander dreaded the Swordfish more than a Devastator, TBF, or F4(6)F