Saturday, March 8, 2014

Swordfish



The plane spotters amongst us will almost certainly recognise this as a Fairey Swordfish, a biplane torpedo bomber used by the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.  Antiquated even when it first entered service, it did good service, as it's low speed and rugged construction provided a stable platform for launching torpedoes. Most famous for its service at the Battle of Taranto where they inflicted heavy losses on the Italian navy.  There was a double page spread in a Warlord annual about it - so I mainly remember the Swordfish (also known as the stringbag) in four colour comic form. 

Swordfish also took part in the Channel Dash, the only time since the Anglo-Dutch wars that an enemy fleet has successfully traversed the Channel. This was a battle that took place in 1942, when a group of German vessels sailed from Brest to bases in Germany, during which they were attacked by a flight of six Swordfish.  The attacking planes were wiped out by superior numbers of more advanced German fighters, but their determination and grit was saluted by no less a personage Admiral Ciliax, the German officer commanding, who said "....the mothball attack of a handful of ancient plance, piloted by men whose bravery surpasses any other action by either side that day."



This specimen was something I picked up as a passing fancy. I have a weakness for biplanes and I managed to pick this one on eBay, fully assembled and painted for about the price of a pint. I don't have any plans for naval games, so I think this will be doing service against the Anglican League or the Soviet Socialist Republic of Liverpool in Very British Civil War games. 



As the Swordfish comes, like the Gladiator, with its landing gear deployed, it can also be used on the ground either as an objective or a piece of scenary.  I've been playing a number of Very British Civil War games via webcam with a nameless mysterious figure in Roscommon known only by the codename Steve. The British Union of Fascists air power has been making life somewhat difficult for me, so it might be time to play an attack on an airfield scenario. 



This will give me an excuse to put a shape on my newly discovered RAF control tower and will give the Swordfish and the Gloster Gladiator a bit of an outing. 

Although it may mean that I may now have to build some sort of 1/72 scale wind sock. 


7 comments:

  1. Conrad
    Well done on the purchase - buy yourself a pint to celebrate. Don't forget that the Swordfish also did in the Bismarck!
    Cheers, PD

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    1. You know Peter, I may just do that. And I didn't know that about the Bismarck - another mark in the biplane favour.

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    2. Conrad
      Ok they didn't sink the Bismarck, but the key hit to her rudder than doomed her was a torpedo launched from a Stringbag in appalling conditions.
      They were anachronistic marvels and actually outlasted their replacements in service as they were very useful on the escort carriers in an ASW role because their stall speed was so slow. Apparently they had to strapped down in heavy winds or they would take off unmanned.
      Enjoy your pint, PD

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  2. Great plane ,looking forward to seeing the wind sock too. I have built a plane for years,make that forty, must have a go and get air support for vbcw etc...

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    1. I think it's rather fancy - though I didn't build or paint it I hasten to add. The problem with the VBCW is that it offers the opportunity to use the sort of odd interwar planes that I particularly like. The problem is that these need to be stored and I won't use them that much. But my they are pretty.

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  3. Hi Conrad,

    Love the plane! What rules are you using for the VBCW?

    Jerry

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    1. Modified Memoir '44 for speed and ease of adaptation.

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