May 26, 1941. Fifteen British Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers chug through the storm-ravaged North Atlantic skies. Their crews grit their teeth as their faces are pummeled by heavy rain and howling wind, the aircraft’s open cockpits leaving them woefully exposed as they navigate through the thick, dark clouds.
They are looking to intercept the Royal Navy’s enemy number one – the infamous German battleship Bismarck – before she can reach safety in Occupied France. She eluded every warship Britain has left in the region, but they didn’t count on these old-fashioned fabric-covered biplanes.
As the Swordfish’s crews strain their eyes to locate their target through the gloom, suddenly, they make out the towering form of Bismarck emerging through the fog. They line up for their bombing run, to do what no other aircraft could…
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Was AMAZED to see SWORDFISH loitering over Finglesham and Bettshanger near Deal last month. Tried to explain to my grandchildren what an historic aircraft we were seeing . We previously visited the memorial in Ramsgate to the gallant Swordfish attack against the Scharnhorst in February 1942.
Stunning to watch a Swordfish circling low overhead for 15 minutes before joining up with what looked like a Hurricane or Spitfire and then heading off towards Dover.
🫡 to the Swordfish. 🫡 to the bravest of the brave who flew them into such heavy enemy fire.
LEST WE FORGET
So… what's with the red-painted Swordfish with the invasion markings in the thumbnail? Something from a video game perhaps?
In latter Mks why did they not fit a covered cockpit
Its speed was not as much concern in the Atlantic because the Germans did not have a any active aircraft carriers and there were no flights in the Atlantic
Yes! My Grandad worked on these and wildcats on escort carriers during WW2. He was proud of the tonnage these old biplanes sank. RIP Albert "trader" Horne RN.
they were called 'string bags' by their air crew , no one ever called 'shopping bags' that slang phrase came from the usa in the fifties!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My father in law was a Swordfish rigger during WW2. He served on HMS Implacable and HMS Indefatigable. Special bloke with some incredible stories about String bags and his buddies.
String Bag slow but deadly ❤
Loving the techno!
How can you sink 22.5 Uboats?😂
11:10 The Swordfish's low speed made them hard for AA guns to track, or the maneuverability permitted by low speed did this?
Did he not do a Swordfish film not long ago? Maybe that was another channel. So many of them about.
Do you mean “Stringbag” Fighter?
Normally I enjoy `Dark Skies' but that crazy trash music killed this for me…
Great video on an outstanding, successful aircraft.Liked the music too👍
"Stringbag" FFS!!
country of shopkeepers will fly shopping bags
My final drafting in the Royal Navy was to the Royal Navy Historic Flight. I was privileged to gain 30 flying hours in the swordfish in the Telegraphist Air Gunner position. It is such an amazing aircraft
again amazing content spoiled by shit music. So frustrating.
Warspite …not warspit …
Possible a good video … but I couldn't tolerate the incessant pulsating musak-noise that overlaid everything. Who put that noise on … and WHY ?
I cliked off & thumbs down.
A biplane carrying a radar. Unbeleivable!
Stringbag you idiot not shopping bag.
Had an Airfix Swordfish as a kid and played torpedoing my model Bismark after watching the film Sink the Bismark
It wasn't Shopping Bag it was known as the Stringbag……..
When attacking the Bismark they would attack so low and slow the Bismarks guns couldn't depress enough to get a shot.
known as the String Bag…………..not shoppong
I heard somewhere that the actor Laurance Olivier was a Swordfish pilot.
It's WarspitE not spit ! Can't you bloody read? The 'Stringbag' was an amazing aircraft given the times in which it was conceived, with everything else in the aircraft industry going towards monoplane metal aircraft. But she may have been slightly outdated in conceptual terms, but Fairey Aviation made a wonderful stable platform for a seaborne torpedo aircraft and boy didn't the stringbag do the business in a number of important successes for the Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Navy.