Swordfish Special

This biplane with a legendary history and achievements second to none, had the affection of all who flew it, in peace or war. Known universally as the "Stringbag" it defied efforts to replace it with more modern equipment and served in front line squadrons of the Fleet Air Arm from 1936 to 1945.

The secret of the Swordfish's success was its superb handling qualities which made it particularly suitable for aircraft carrier borne operations and for dealing with problems of torpedo or dive bombing attacks.

In all, Swordfish were responsible for sinking more than 300,000 tons of German/Italian shipping and over 20 U-boats. Of all the Swordfish's battle honours, the one that stands out is the Battle of Taranto, in which Swordfish inflicted serious damage to the Italian fleet, and the operation to destory the German battleship Bismarck.
The Swordfish was, of course, just an aircraft its legends, its achievements, were only as good as the skilled and gallant crews could make them.