Flying Inside World War Two’s Famous Torpedo Bomber | Fairey Swordfish

Dan Snow flies on a mission to explore one of the most daring and dangerous aerial attacks of World War II.
On 11th November 1940, 21 antiquated Swordfish aircraft took off from the aircraft carrier HMS Illustrious. They were embarking on one of the most extraordinary raids of the Second World War, 'Operation Judgement', the assault on the Italian Fleet in the well-defended harbour at Taranto. It was a mission that would make history.
In this film, Dan Snow takes to the air in the only Swordfish still flying - the aircraft operated by the Navy Wings Heritage Flight. Riding in the back of this remarkable bi-plane, he explores the story of Taranto as torpedo bombers just like this braved a hail of fire to drive home the attack.
And back on the ground, Dan explores the archives of the Fleet Air Arm Museum, uncovering items from Taranto, including a battered 1940 diary that gives a vivid eyewitness account. Items like this, and a recorded interview with veteran Alfie Sutton, bring us face to face with the life and death events of November 1940 - and remind us what a very special aircraft the Swordfish was, one of history’s great survivors.
_____________________________
Do visit the websites of the organisations History Hit worked with to make this film.
Navy Wings
www.navywings.org.uk
The National Museum of the Royal Navy - Fleet Air Arm Museum, Yeovilton
www.nmrn.org.uk/visit-us
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#historyhit #dansnow #swordfish #ww2 #aircraft

[@vulpesvulpes5177]

A very excellent discussion of a little known element of naval aviation. Virtually all torpedo bombers were obsolete by 1944, yet the torpedo was the most reliable way to sink a ship. Most torpedo bombers were designed to deliver the torpedo. Not so much to survive the AA they would face. I once knew a PBY pilot that made several torpedo runs. It’s hard for us to understand. They did not expect to survive. Their motto was “you have to go out, you don’t have to come back”. Fatalism we simply can’t understand today. Fox out

[@richardwaring8613]

Raise a glass to Eugene Esmonde who won the VC posthumously flying his Swordfish during the Channel dash where this aircraft faced the likes of Focke-Wulf 190s. Bravery and duty at its highest!

[@iangarrett741]

He’d just been to Buckingham Palace to get a gong for a similar attack a few days before. Incredible!

[@waynester71]

The old Stringbag… brave brave fellows who flew this operationally

[@seanbigay1042]

BTW, she wasn't called the Stringbag due to all the string tying her wings together/ She was called that because like the proverbial grocery bag, she was used for anything the top brass could think of, except maybe submarine duty.

[@Cailus3542]

​@@seanbigay1042They actually were used to hunt submarines, especially later in the war after they were replaced on the carriers.

[@seanbigay1042]

@@Cailus3542 True, but what I had in mind was the Stringbag's being used AS a submarine!

[@robertbeermanjr.2158]

I sit here with the awestruck glee of a child and a grin on my face. What a Magnificent aircraft! I am fully aware of the spectacular success one of these planes marked up in history.

[@user-ff4vd9rt4e]

My great uncle, Lt Harry Slaughter was killed in the Taranto action, so this was very interesting viewing

[@barrynash1676]

May he rest in peace.

[@rileyuktv6426]

A a schoolboy I recall attending a fascinating presentation by Charles Lamb DSO DSC - and his book War In a Stringbag - a incredible and brave man. He signed my copy!

[@samuelhowie4543]

I came to the comments to mention his book. 👍

[@harbourdogNL]

As did I!@@samuelhowie4543

[@RetroGamesCollector]

What a beautiful elegant old plane. Antiquated, but ready for a fight anyway. So jealous of Dan being able to fly in her.

[@spankflaps1365]

The Swordfish attack missions to the Bismarck happened during a mega-storm. The decks of the carriers Illustrious and Ark Royal were pitching 20-30 degrees. The Swordfish is probably the only aircraft that could operate in such conditions, and they suffered no losses. In war they couldn’t wait for the weather to improve, because the Bismarck would have broken through to the Atlantic.

[@timmycolpman]

Thats why they were the Queen of Convoy Escort in the Atlantic

[@SennaAugustus]

And pretty much the only plane capable of operating in the Arctic.

[@philhawley1219]

The surprise success of the Taranto raid is believed to have been the inspiration to convince the Japanese that an even bigger raid might just work at Pearl Harbour a year later.

[@user-ph8zs6xt8y]

It certainly helped convince them it was possible, if not giving them the idea in the first place. A Japanese Axis liaison officer was very interested in the results. I think they came up with a different solution for the torpedoes in shallow water, wooden fins as opposed to a retarding nose wire. Considering six times the carriers and about 12 times the aircraft were involved in the Pearl harbour attack, it goes to show the difference between night operations and having to wait until dawn to launch your aircraft.

[@mogaman28]

​@@user-ph8zs6xt8y the Japanese Navy were experts at managing massed air operations. The US Navy not so, at the beginning of the war at least.

[@user-ph8zs6xt8y]

@@mogaman28 Yes that's true, but wasn't talking about the USN. Just comparing how much damage a handful of aircraft and one aircraft carrier can do if you can conduct flight operations at night, compared to what 6 aircraft carriers and nearly 400 aircraft can do when you can't operate at night and have to wait until daylight to launch your aircraft. Just over twice as much damage using 12 times the number of aircraft.

[@meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee2]

@@user-ph8zs6xt8y Yes given that Pearl Harbour was launched against a neutral nation at peace, and Taranto was launched against a nation at war who should have been ready with their defences the statistical differences are huge. The Royal Navy managed to launch 3 waves of attacking aircraft of 12, 9, and 1 aircraft, one of which from the second wave suffered a failure and had to return, so 21 aircraft actually attacked. Those 21 aircraft sank 3 battleships, a ratio of one battleship per every 7 aircraft, damaged other ships and destroyed the fuel tank farm and other facilities. As a side affect of launching such a low level attack across a harbour in a deep bay, the horizontally fired Italian AA defence also demolished a large part of the town. In a rare case of a yellow on yellow friendly fire incident. The Japanese despite using 6 aircraft carriers only managed to launch 2 waves of strike aircraft, a total of 353 aircraft. These managed to sink 4 battleships, a ratio of one battleship for every 88.25 aircraft, damaged other facilities but failed to destroy the fuel tank farm.

[@Theshropshireratter]

I'm sure I read that the next day members from the Japanese consulate when to tarono asking about torpedo speeds and defence

[@kariannecrysler640]

Flying around with you was just what I needed today. Thank you for the taste of freedom 😉

[@williamrobinson7435]

This is right up my alley. Like others, I had the 1/72 scale Airfix Stringbag, a remarkable marque indeed.. Those magnificent men (these days of course people) in their flying machines, they go up-iddley up-up, they go down-diddly own-own🎶.. Nice one Dan and team! ⭐👍

[@harbourdogNL]

The first aircraft my Dad ever worked on was the Fairey Swordfish. He was training as an Air Artificer at RAF Halton when WW2 broke out, and was then transferred to the Fleet Air Arm. He told me they'd actually sew up tears in the fabric, or apply doped patches over them. Also told me they were sent to some remote bog in Scotland to disassemble one that had crashed. Wouldn't I love to go for a flight in this!! I heartily recommend a book written by one of the Taranto Raid pilots, it's called War in A Stringbag.

[@sharonkaczorowski8690]

My father flew TBM bombers in the Pacific for the US Navy. As a teenager he caught rattlesnakes for a scientist in San Antonio, Texas to pay for his flight training. The Blue Angels asked him to join but my mother had had enough of worrying about him. Amazing that Swordfish is still around.

[@ryanfreebody6881]

Many world firsts achieved by this aircraft. It had the most tonnage sunk, outlived its replacement, Battleship and Submarine hunter. Who would have thought the British that had metal deck aircraft carriers had their greatest naval weapon, which was an old stringbag. Spitfire, Lancaster, Mosquito, and the mighty swordfish were the 4 wonders of Britain.

[@user-ph8zs6xt8y]

The first point does seem to really hurt peoples feelings. Not the best plane of WW2 clearly, but the stats don't lie, the most successful naval aircraft of the war.

[@user-ph8zs6xt8y]

Further thought, it's probably the best example of how real world conflict is not like Top Trumps. The Swordfish wouldn't win in any category.

[@SennaAugustus]

@@user-ph8zs6xt8y It's not easy to operationalise versatility, and that's the main strength. Carrying a ridiculous amount of equipment including radar for example, or being able to operate at night (1928 for HMS Furious vs 1944 for USS Independence) or in terrible weather such as the Atlantic or Arctic.

[@SaturnCanuck]

Amazing. Highlight, the Townend Ring (my great Uncle's invention). Interestingly, the Swordfish outlived it's successor, the Albacore. What a plane On and we have one flying in Canada

[@harbourdogNL]

Where is there a flying Swordfish in Canada?

[@Ndqar]

​@@harbourdogNLthe Shearwater aviation museum has one that was restored and flown and put on display. It does not fly regularly. It needs some fabric repairs at the moment.

[@harbourdogNL]

I'll visit next time I'm there...my first years were spent as a kid in Married Quarters in Shearwater. Dad was a CPO in the Navy, and one of the guys who designed the haul down system for the Sea King helicopter. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3a9oqeenbmAnKMsi=4coXwH6zJUIbQNMD I still have a lot of his papers.@@Ndqar

[@seanbigay1042]

"Yes, this IS a World War II aircraft! Why won't you believe us?"

[@Vincentorix]

There is one on display in the Aviation Museum, CFB Shearwater, Nova Scotia, Canada.

[@harbourdogNL]

Is there??? I had no idea! The first years of my childhood were spent in Married Quarters at Shearwater. My Dad was ex-RN Fleet Air Arm, and worked on the Swordfish at the beginning of the war. After transferring to the RCN, he went on to be one of the designers of the Beartrap, the helicopter hauldown system used in the RCN. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a3a9oqeenbmAnKMsi=FXTZ1JwxqFksC7Eh

[@brianmilthorp6690]

My father was aboard a Danish freighter during the Allied attack on Dakar in September 1940. He witnessed Swordfish from HMS Hermes attacking the Vichy French Cruiser Richelieu. Later he shared time in the Vichy internment camp in Kouricoulu with some of the downed Swordfish aircrew.

[@recoil53]

Fast battleship.

[@SennaAugustus]

There was also a Swordfish floatplane launched from a battleship that earned the Fleet Air Arm's first submarine kill of WW2.

[@Cailus3542]

Yup. It was launched from HMS Warspite during the Batle of Narvik.

[@TheovanTijn]

This is one the couple of dozen contestants for my favourite plane, got the Tamiya kit with clear fuselage side in me stash.

[@bigblue6917]

Made the Airfix kit when I was a kid then when I grew up I had the great pleasure of seeing one, this one, in real life. Much bigger than I imagined it to be.

[@Jay-ql4gp]

I do love biplanes. Thank you so much! I'd love to go in one just once.

[@geordiedog1749]

Italys declaration of war wasn’t a disaster - it was expected. The disaster was the capitulation of the French meaning the Andrew were on their own. All their plans had been in cooperation with the French Navy who’d do the main lifting in the Mediterranean.

[@ogukuo72]

One of my favourite planes! A bit of an overachieveing underdog. :)

[@jamesburrell677]

One of the often overlooked heroes of WWII. Another was The Corvette a small ship which Churchill dubbed The Cheap Nasty.

[@mrmeowmeow710]

Outstanding video loved it from a history nut👍👍

[@tonnywildweasel8138]

Love the Stringbag! Thanks for the vid, appreciate it a lot 👍 Greetings from the Netherlands, T.

[@katherinecollins4685]

Fantastic documentary 👏

[@MusketeerTed]

You can just feel the bravery needed to do this mission. A massive explosive uncovered beneath you and no cockpit, vulnerable to enemy fighters, even Italian ones!! 🫡

[@geordiedog1749]

“What did you do at work today, darling?” “Oh I flew about in a Swordfish for a while.” Bastard:)

[@michaelw2288]

Powerful, robust...let me see. We have just the craft for you. Now perhaps something to round off the evening. May I suggest a torpedo.

[@andrewince8824]

So good it replaced its replacement.

[@aanchaallllllll]

0:40: ✈ The video is about the remarkable achievements of the Fairy Swordfish aircraft in World War II. 5:29: 🛩 The video discusses the versatility and capabilities of the Swordfish aircraft during World War II. 9:55: 🛩 The Royal Navy planned to use naval aviation to strike the heavily defended Italian Fleet in their safe harbor using torpedo-equipped planes. 13:41: 🚀 The HMS Illustrious used innovative tactics and aircraft to destroy the Italian Navy in a nighttime raid off the coast of Greece. 16:45: ✈ The air crew of the HMS Illustrious were both brave and mathematically skilled, using charts and calculators to navigate their way to Toronto. Recap by Tammy AI

[@seanh2390]

great video!

[@billybobkingston5604]

My first Airfix kit Christmas present as a kid, 54 and a half years old now

[@adji3149]

My Father was a TAG during WW2 and flew in a Swordfish. He later transferred to the Grumman Avenger and was based on HMS Indefatigable in the Pacific

[@54mgtf22]

Hey HH. Love your work 👍

[@HistoryHit]

Thanks! Appreciate the kind words!

[@timmycolpman]

Love the Episode. However, I think you missed out a HUGE point.. This was the first-night action by a CV.. For the first time planes were taken off and landed in darkness for a live operation. Yanks like to claim this with the BIG E (USS Enterprise) but that was years later. PS this is special to me. My grandad was a Air gunner and Machaic on HMS Hermes. Flying Swordfish.. Funny thing. Dan is sitting I'm my Grandads position

[@SennaAugustus]

British carriers could operate at night as early as 1928 with HMS Furious.

[@peterrollinson-lorimer]

Bravo to British engineering, they once again create an aircraft whose superpower was slowness.

[@jonboy9912]

It was so slow that the Bismarck's guns could not hit it!!!! Brave men only flew this!!!!

[@brettcurtis5710]

And after it's success - one man in particular, in Japan, studied it closely - Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto - architect of Pearl Harbour!

[@mikerayburn6493]

My late grandfather chief petty officer Richard Griffin served on illustrious during taranto.

[@scottamori3188]

I cannot imagine flying a torpedo bomber into fire. Those pilots had brass ones.

[@snarnok]

What is the function of the two curved vertical tubes on the top of the fuselage behind the engine?

[@davidwhittworth1841]

Looking for the remainder of the film on HH, can't see it with obvious search terms. Can you link to it, please?

[@meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee2]

Was comparing the strike range of HMS Warspite and a Swordfish armed aircraft carrier all that clever. As the first German U Boat sunk by British aircraft was sunk by a Swordfish launched by HMS Warspite. OK no doubt the carrier version would have a greater range than the battleship launched floatplane version, but even so I think they picked the wrong battleship to compare. Also consider the mental stress on the U boat crew having to hang about waiting for the bomb to drop while being dive bombed by a Swordfish float plane, only a helicopter would be able to drag the agony out for longer.

[@SennaAugustus]

It's indeed funny seeing that Warspite was one of the best users of Swordfish. Not only she had the FAA's first submarine kill, her use of spotter planes was unparalleled, and she could therefore be considered one of the best aircraft carriers.

[@ilfarmboy]

the swordfish carried an 18" torpedo which was strong enough to damaged the screw and rudder of the Bismarck

[@CAP198462]

Lovely views of the English countryside from a very nice plane. Would’ve liked some more details about the fish it dropped. Hollywood tells us the fish had to be dropped dangerously close to the target, but that’s not accurate. How far away did they drop their fish?

[@chrisstrider]

Deadly stealth bomber

[@Baconatorz]

The American girl working at the Fleet Air Arm museum cracked me up. She was a cutie.

[@bobfromaccounting93]

What an absolute honor to fly up in one of those things!

[@guidor.4161]

Did the swordfish carry the auxiliary fuel tank in the 2nd cockpit for this raid? If yes, the navigators would also have been exposed to fumes and even drenched in fuel as these tanks were notoriously leaky, apparently.

[@Russia-bullies]

Though,I’m a historical warplane fan,the UK’s WW2 fish was more impactful to the war than the Stringbag.

[@rogerblu7769]

?

[@timwodzynski7234]

Makes you proud to be British 🇬🇧🛩️

[@Theshropshireratter]

Only one carrier was used in the attack instead of the 2 planed only can imagine the damage if the full force had been deployed

[@crunchestsnack3218]

biplanes were mostly used during ww1 and lightly in ww2

[@skepticalbadger]

No shit.

[@marka5478]

The only decent airplane built by Fairey in WWII was the Firefly, IMHO.

[@nicadcock]

would love to fly in a ww 2 plane for sure just 10 mins

[@user-ph8zs6xt8y]

The greatest naval attack plane of WW2. (Disclaimer- just by the stats alone, I know, I know!)

[@ilfarmboy]

the treatment on the swordfish skin was called doping

[@harbourdogNL]

5:05 It appears the video has been flopped here...

[@randyhavard6084]

I think there's an Avenger out there that would argue about the Swordfish being the most iconic torpedo bomber of WW3

[@curiousuranus810]

This is not an aircraft to be celebrated - calling it a string bag is not a term of endearment. When assets around the world, as important as those in Britain, had to be protected the RAF got the Spitfire and the Mosquito, and the FAA got this and the Blackburn Roc. The men who flew these 20s hasbeens were the real heros and frankly, anyone who went to war in one of these should have received a VC as a matter of course.

[@Cailus3542]

It is an interesting exercise to consider how the war would've changed if the FAA had a proper monoplane torpedo bomber. The Swordfish did have certain advantages over the Avenger and Kate alongside the obvious disadvantages.

[@curiousuranus810]

I hear what you're saying, but how many Swordfish crew, when presented with the Avenger, said: No, I'll stick with the string bag. @@Cailus3542

[@meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee2]

I think the obsoleteness of the Swordfish may be over stressed. As at the beginning of WW2 biplane fighters were still just about in operational existence, if outclassed by what was more or less the first generation of monoplane fighters. Given its niche operating environment flying from carriers out of the range of land based fighters, and against an enemy with no operational carriers of their own its downside of slow speed was not a huge disadvantage, especially as it allowed take off from carriers in bad weather. (Although I have read of Swordfish loaded down with a torpedo and cruising at an economical speed into a strong headwind, being overtaken on occasion by Italian destroyers advancing to the rear at high speed.) Could anything else have been launched from a carrier taking the sea green over the front end of the flight deck, in an Atlantic storm? The Swordfish was also equipped with air to sea search radar, which was almost Star Wars type tech. in the early 1940's. The old fashioned looking fabric construction also allowed explosive cannon shells to pass right through the aircraft and off into the distance which was useful when you were busy annoying a battleship full of rather angry and confused Germans. Who are somewhat miffed that you are attacking them from below their AA guns and at speeds so slow that they are off the end of their German high tech. super wizzo fire controls allowed range of speed inputs. So obsolete or the last of its kind filling a niche where monoplane technology had not yet quite equalled what could be done with a biplane.

[@curiousuranus810]

Nicely argued but..... Just because an airframe was considered operational at the start of the war, doesn't mean it's a viable aircraft when it meats the enermy for the first time (the Fairy Battle and the Boulton Paul Defiant are prime examples). You mention the Swordfish 'could' be launched in an Atlantic storm, but that's more a case of 'should'. The maddness of war make ordinary men do remarkable things with pour quality equipment that's been forced on them, by civil servants that will never have to use that kit - the Swordfish being the exemplar. There were some outstanding things achieved using the Swordfish, but as soon as the Avenger became available the Swordfish was ditched because it was, and always had been, obsolete. @@meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee2

[@meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee2]

@@curiousuranus810 The Swordfish remained in service until the end of the war in Europe, by which time it had sunk more enemy tonnage than any other aircraft before or since, so hardly a quick ditching. The Avenger only lasted about a year longer. Its nick name of the String Bag was not a reference to the wires between the wings, but that like the pilots mothers sting shopping bag it could carry almost anything. Torpedoes, bombs, depth charges, mines, flares etc... Having carrying capabilities that modern aircraft lack. Flying your fancy pants jet from your carrier to a shore base? Try attaching your crews bicycles to the wings with string so they will be handily available when you land. :-) As I said it is horses for courses, no enemy fighters, and want to be able to do strikes in bad weather in an Atlantic winter use a Swordfish. (Taking off by starting your run as the bow digs into the sea to get the extra acceleration of a downhill runway, which then raises you up and throws you into the sky as the bow goes over the crest of the next wave may be a bit dicey but inexperienced crews were able to do it in a Swordfish and land back on when they returned. Could a US carrier have launched a strike using their modern monoplanes in those conditions?) Want to attack a Japanese carrier with a fighter defence on a summer day in the Pacific use a heavier faster plane like an Avenger.

[@steveshoemaker6347]

All of this and waiting on part 2 somewhere ? = 👎

[@bravo2zero796]

In a way , its the reason the USA joined the war

[@jimmarshall807]

Bit disappointing that this was essentially an extended trailer for a paid channel, poor show

[@avenaoat]

WHY DID NOT THE AMERICAN LEARNT FROM TARANTO???????????????

[@dougearnest7590]

There are two types of people: The ones who think things like this only happen elsewhere, and those who know they don't (also called conspiracy theorists).

[@davedingbat9965]

Dan are you a woke person yes or no

[@jaybay9595]

What a load of bullshit a ww2 fighter cockpit hahaha dont make me laugh its ww2 cockpit, the swordfish was made during ww1 not ww2 they had a surplus of swordfish biplanes so British airforce decided to use them during ww2.

[@skepticalbadger]

It was NOT made during WW1. You are clueless.