The Fairray Swordfish is a biplane torpedo bomber that served primarily in the Royal Navy's air force during World War II. Although obsolete by 1939, the Swordfish had an impressive wartime record, including sinking Axis ships with more tonnage than any other Allied aircraft, and playing a major role in the sinking of the German battleship "Bismarck".
Development of the Fairray Swordfish
Fairray Swordfish Mk I with the 785th Naval Aviation Squadron, Fleet Aviation, 1939-45.
In 1933, Fairey began to develop a new aircraft for aerial reconnaissance and as a torpedo bomber. The company named it Torpedo Reconnaissance Aircraft I (TSR I) and decided to design it as a biplane in its entirety.
The development of TSR i was initially funded internally. That being said, Fairray was designed to meet the requirements of the British Air Department for this type of aircraft. For example, in 1934, the specifications for torpedo bombers were developed and applied to the design of the TSR I.
On March 21, 1933, the TSR I prototype made its first flight. Over the next two years, the aircraft and subsequent prototypes were evaluated through flight tests, water treatment tests with twin floating landing gears, and ejection and ** tests aboard HMS Counter Strike.
After these tests were completed, the first order for 68 aircraft was placed in early 1936. Blackburn Aircraft Company also built these aircraft to guarantee production volumes. biplanes were produced until August 1944; During its operation, Fairey built 692 aircraft, while Blackburn produced 1,699.
Fairray swordfish specifications
USS Fairray Swordfish with the 816th Naval Aviation Squadron of the Fleet Air Corps aboard HMS Royal Navy Tracker (D24), 1939-45.
The Fairray Swordfish is a medium-sized biplane made of a metal fuselage covered with fabric. The design consisted of folding wings, which saved space when storing the wings on board, and the biplane was operated by a crew of three: a pilot, an observer, and a radio operator rear gunner. Having said that, it was often operated by two crew members, and the observer was replaced by an auxiliary tank.
The Swordfish was powered by a Bristol Pegasus IIIM3 Powered by a nine-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine. It uses a three-bladed metal fixed-pitch propeller that produces 690 horsepower. The Swordfish has a top speed of 5,000 mph at an altitude of 143 feet while carrying a torpedo, has a range of 522 miles, and has a range of 5 hours and 30 minutes.
The aircraft carries a variety of **, including a fixed front-firing 0A 303-inch Vickers machine gun and a rear-firing Lewis or Vickers K machine gun located in the rear cockpit. The Swordfish can also carry a 1,670-pound torpedo or a 1,500-pound mine under the fuselage, as well as up to 1,500 pounds of ammunition or up to eight 60-pound RP-3 rockets under the fuselage and wings.
Norwegian campaign
USS Fairray Swordfish with the 816th Naval Aviation Squadron of the Fleet Air Corps aboard HMS Royal Navy Tracker (D24), 1939-45.
The Fairray Swordfish began service in the fleet air force in July 1936. Initially attached to the Royal Air Force and later to the Royal Navy. At the beginning of World War II, 26 squadrons began to use Swordfish machines.
On April 11, 1940, the Swordfish got their first taste of battle during the Battle of Norway. They took off from aircraft carriers with the task of attacking German ships anchored in Trondheim. Upon arrival, they found two enemy destroyers, one of which was torpedoed. This was the first attack not only by Swordfish aircraft, but also by torpedo carriers during the war.
On 13 April, the Swordfish aboard HMS War-Weary (03) of the British Royal Navy took part in the Second Battle of Narvik. During this time, the British did not suffer any losses, while eight German destroyers were sunk or damaged. The Swordfish also became the first aircraft to destroy U-boats, one of which dived and bombed and sank the U-64.
Fairray swordfish in the Mediterranean
USS Fairray Swordfish with 820th Naval Air Squadron, Fleet Air Flying over HMS Ark Royal, 1939.
On June 14, 1940, after Italy entered the war, nine Fairray Swordfish took part in the first Allied bombing raid on the country. About two weeks later, they took part in the second attack on the Augusta oil tank in Sicily.
The Swordfish continued to support the British Army, destroying enemy ships off the coast of Libya. On 22 August, with only three torpedoes, three biplanes destroyed a destroyer, a support ship and two submarines in Bamba Bay. The aircraft also achieved great success in the Battle of Taranto.
Take on the German battleship "Bismarck".
In 1941, before engaging the German battleship Bismarck, the Fairray Swordfish boarded the Victory.
The Fairray Swordfish also attacked submarines during the Battle of the Atlantic. That being said, one of the aircraft's most famous battles was the attack on the German battleship Bismarck. On May 24, 1941, during the Battle of the Danish Strait, the Bismarck sank the British battlecruiser HMS Hood (51). The British pursued the German battleships, hoping to take revenge for their losses.
Swordfish played an important role in the discovery of Bismarck, and from 24 May, Royal Navy aircraft of HMS Victory made sorties in search of the battleship. On the first day, one of them fired a torpedo, but the damage was minimal. As the evasive measures of the Germans eventually slowed down the British, the British caught up with the Bismarck on 26 May.
On the same day, the Ark Royal came into range and launched two Swordfish attacks. The first time the ship could not be found, however, the second time the battleship was hit with two torpedoes. One of the torpedoes luckily hit the rudder of the Bismarck, jamming it 12 degrees on the port side. She could no longer maneuver and could only spin in circles.
This allowed the Royal Sea Craft to come within range of the Bismarck, which sank 13 hours later. The victory made the Fairray Swordfish famous. The biplane was already obsolete at the beginning of the war, but it helped sink one of Britain's greatest adversaries: the Bismarck.