"I just watched Sink The Bismark last night (on-line at Netflix). Those Swordfish pilots attacking with torpedos were nuts."
They were indeed. Here are two wonderful true stories of the Swordfish crews that attacked the
Bismarck:
One of the Swordfish observers from
Ark Royal had bought a new camera and taken it along with him to record the sortie. Failing to get a decent shot during the attack run, he asked the pilot to go round again. The pilot said afterwards 'it wasn't the barrage fire from the big guns or the flashes from the AA bursts, it was the nasty little tracers nipping through between the wings that worried me.'
Another pilot of 825 Squadron from HMS
Victorious recalled that his laconic Telegraphist Air Gunner (TAG) made only two comments throughout their sortie. The first came when an AA shell-burst blew a large hole in the bottom of the fuselage. 'Bloody hell, someone's just knocked the floor out of my house.' The Swordfish made its attack and eventually landed back on with the carrier's deck pitching heavily. Just as the aircraft came to a stop the carrier's bow dipped into the heavy sea and the Swordfish disappeared in a massive cloud of spray. When it re-appeared, seawater was pouring out of every orifice and bullet-hole and the TAG made his second statement as he unshipped his gun. 'That bloody hole's come in handy.'
Men of few words and great courage, I salute you.
