Willis, Matthew/Swiatlon, Janusz (Illustr.)/Hector, Gareth (Illustr.) Swordfish Units of World War 2

In the 1930s, the Royal Navy's flying squadron was looking for an aircraft that could combine torpedo attack, reconnaissance, and target acquisition capabilities. This goal was ultimately achieved with the Swordfish biplane. Despite competition from more modern types such as the Blackburn Shark and Barracuda, the Swordfish made a decisive contribution to some of the British Navy's greatest successes in World War II, helping to tip the balance in operations such as the attack on the Italian battle fleet at Taranto in November 1940 and the attacks on the German battleship Bismarck in May 1941. Elsewhere, it took on a role in anti-submarine warfare both in the Battle of the Atlantic and in escorting convoys in the Arctic, and was used by the RAF to combat ships during the D-Day landings and in the final stages of the war in Europe. In this fascinating study, historian Matthew Willis draws on Admiralty records, mission reports, and interviews with Fleet Air Arm crew members to compile a comprehensive history of one of the Royal Navy's most important aircraft. Archival photographs and 22 newly commissioned color profiles help document the Swordfish's development and illustrate the aircraft's resilience and adaptability through both its many victories and its equally eventful defeats.