Fairey Swordfish

[Ack-Ack]

Just to be fair, the bismark's guns couldn't depress far enough to hit the swordfish, the problem wasn't with tracking the targets.

Yes, the problem was with tracking the targets.  The speed of the Swordfish were too slow for the German fire-control predictors used by German gunners.  This caused the shells to explode way in front of the planes, minimizing the threat of damage or being shot down from shrapnel.  It also helped that some of the Swordfish came in so low that the Bismark's flak guns couldn't depress enough to engage the attacking planes.

Read "Pursuit: The Sinking of the Bismarck", it's a very good book about the pursuit and sinking of the Bismark.

ack-ack

[Tank-Ace]

Yes, the problem was with tracking the targets.  The speed of the Swordfish were too slow for the German fire-control predictors used by German gunners.  This caused the shells to explode way in front of the planes, minimizing the threat of damage or being shot down from shrapnel.  It also helped that some of the Swordfish came in so low that the Bismark's flak guns couldn't depress enough to engage the attacking planes.

Read "Pursuit: The Sinking of the Bismarck", it's a very good book about the pursuit and sinking of the Bismark.

ack-ack

Oh, he meant tracking as in range. I thought he meant tracking, like they couldn't accurately direct the guns to the correct bearing.

[Ack-Ack]

Oh, he meant tracking as in range. I thought he meant tracking, like they couldn't accurately direct the guns to the correct bearing.

Basically.  The fire-control predictors couldn't compensate for the low speed of the Swordfish.

ack-ack

[danny76]

Oh, he meant tracking as in range. I thought he meant tracking, like they couldn't accurately direct the guns to the correct bearing.