One of the most feared ships during World War II was the German battleship Bismarck. On May 24, 1941, the HMS Hood, known as the pride of the British fleet, along with the HMS Price of Wales caught up with Bismarck in the Denmark Straight. After a short exchange of fire, the Hood’s armor was pierced by a shell from the Bismarck and detonated in the aft magazine. The resulting explosion broke the ships back and she quickly sank leaving only three survivors. The loss of the Hood was a great shock to the nation and the pursuit of the Bismarck became top priority.
At 1030 on the morning of May 26 Bismarck was located by an RAF Coastal Command PBY Catalina on long range reconnaissance. Force H out of Gibraltar which included the aircraft carrier Ark Royal was nearest to Bismarck. In an effort to slow the ship so the heavier battleships of the home fleet could catch her, Ark Royal launched 15 Swordfish torpedo bombers to attempt an attack on the battleship.
Manufactured by the Fairey Aircraft Company, the Swordfish was a biplane design originating in the early 1930s. It features a metal airframe which was covered in fabric. The aircraft carried a crew of three in an open cockpit - pilot, observer, and radio operator/rear gunner. By the time World War II broke out, the aircraft was obsolescent. Despite this, The Swordfish performed its role excellently and was in frontline service throughout the Second World War.
The aircraft from Ark Royal launched at 1910 in a Force 9 gale from the pitching deck of the aircraft carrier. The weather was rough with thick cloud cover, driving wind and rain and heavy seas. Extreme conditions for an open cockpit biplane which could make about 140 MPH at best with full crew and torpedo load. After nearly 90 minutes in the air the squadron struck the Bismarck.
The Swordfish attacked from both starboard and port beams making their torpedo runs, sometimes flying in at 20 feet and just 90 MPH. Bismarck put up a heavy barrage of anti-aircraft fire. Miraculously, none of the aircraft were downed. Two torpedoes found their mark on the port beam with one torpedo damaging and jamming the ships rudder. This proved a fateful blow as the Bismarck could not be effectively maneuvered and the home fleet was able to catch and sink her the following day.
This artwork is a depiction of Swordfish 5C / L9726 of 818 Naval Squadron with pilot Jock Moffat, observer JD “Dusty” Miller and telegraphist / gunner Albert Hayman. This is believed to be the aircraft which launched the torpedo which damaged the rudder although it is not known for certain which aircraft delivered the fateful blow.