Swordfish crews recall the first torpedo attack on Bismarck

It was a pivotal moment in the struggle between battleships and aircraft. The Royal Navy's biplane Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers were flung against Nazi Germany's finest battleship - the Bismarck - in a desperate bid to prevent it wreaking havoc on vital supply convoys. <br>The Swordfish was under-rated. It represented the pinnacle of biplane technology. It was big. It was strong. It could fly in atrocious weather. Its nickname &quot;Stringbag&quot; was derived from its ability to carry almost anything. It was also fitted with a world-first - air-to-surface (ASV) radar. <br>The Bismarck was a marvel of German engineering. It was big at 41,700 tons. It was fast at 30kts. It was heavily armed. It had modern anti-aircraft directors and guns. It also had a torpedo defence system capable of withstanding a 550lb TNT blast. <br>The first clash came when nine Swordfish of HMS Victorious' 825 Naval Air Squadron found the Bismarck in the North Atlantic on May 24, 1941. <br>The outcome was surprising. And held severe implications for Bismarck in the days to come. <br> <br>NOTE: For the full story of survival of Patrick James and his crew (nine days in freezing North Atlantic weather) you can find his audio account at the IWM online archives: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collect....ions/item/object/800 <br> <br>Other audio records: <br>William Garthwaite: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collect....ions/item/object/800 <br>Leslie Sayer: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collect....ions/item/object/800 <br>Patrick Jackson: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collect....ions/item/object/800 <br>Philip Gick: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collect....ions/item/object/800 <br>Donald Bunce: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collect....ions/item/object/800