Aviation Art…

Posted on by October 29, 2016

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The Channel Dash (officially known as Operation Cerberus) was one of three operations during the Second World War for which the Fairey Swordfish was to become the most famous. Heavily outgunned in the Straits of Dover on this day, February 11, 1942 by the German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen, with their accompanying flotilla of destroyers and motor torpedo boats, and with top cover provided by deadly fighter aircraft of the Luftwaffe, all six Fleet Air Arm Fairey Swordfish were shot down. Only five of the eighteen aircrew survived.

Here we see the Swordfish flown by Sub. Lt. Kingsmill and Sub. Lt. Samples with PO Bunce in the rear, fighting for their lives with his machine gun.The bravery of the Fairey Swordfish aircrew in this and all other operations is a matter of history and must never be forgotten.

Comments

Aviation Art… — 15 Comments

  1. Not to take anything away from the courage of those airmen, I believe that the Swordfish’s assumed name was the Stringbag.

    • Excuse a ground pounder’s lack of technical knowledge. Read somewhere a German officer on the Bismark said their firing directors couldn’t be set for the slow speeds of the Swordfish. Seems their AA was setup for faster aircraft. They got a torpedo in the Bismark’s stern jamming the steering gear keeping her from going anywhere but a circle.

  3. Not to take anything away from the courage of those airmen, I believe that the assigned name of the Swordfish was the
    Stringbag.

  4. It goes to show you, don’t count out old in times of need. Those old, obsolete planes still did some damage to the German and Italian Navy. Much like us old farts in case we are needed.

  5. Roger- I think you are correct…

    Ed- Yes their achievement was, and it IS a beautiful piece of artwork.

    WSF- That is correct. Normally there is a ‘low’ speed setting that is the minimum speed the director accepts. That keeps it from shooting birds, boats and other things. It also has to do with lead/lag calculations, especially when they were being done with analog directors.

    CP- Excellent point! Old, slow and fat isn’t necessarily bad… 🙂

  6. Hey Old NFO;

    Several of your posters already touched on the Fairey Swordfish, one of the obsolete aircraft the British started the war with. The airplane was too slow butt it helped it against the Bismark and some of the other targets. The airplane crews were brave men. As I recall the British used the Swordfish until they got the Avenger through Lendlease.

  8. Someone asked “Where do they find these men?” I could only reply “I don’t know, but thank G-d that we could, and pray that we still can!”

    • Thank you!
      I had one uncle who’s Bronze Star had 5 campaign stars on it from WW II (Army tanker). Another who collected Purple Hearts from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, courtesy of the USMC. When people say “Thank you for your service” to me, I think of men like them, and feel like a fraud. Just pray that we can find men like them when we need them.