Fleet Air Arm Legends

Author: Matthew Willis
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781911658498
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

Book Description
Few aircraft encompass as many contradictions as the Fairey Swordfish - the legendary 'Stringbag' naval torpedo bomber was approaching antiquation at the start of the war yet struck mortal blows against some of the most powerful battleships in the Axis fleets. Naval Aviation historian Matthew Willis explores how modern technology such as radar kept the Swordfish effective in the early years of the war and enabled it to find and hit the Italian fleet at Taranto, and the Bismarck in the Atlantic, in circumstances where no other aircraft could have succeeded.When it was finally superseded in its main role with the Fleet, the Swordfish fulfilled vital roles protecting convoys from the U-boat menace. The story of the Swordfish's service across the majority of theatres in WW2, from the hunt for the Graf Spee to the beaches of Normandy, is told here with never-before-published accounts from veteran aircrews. Includes 100+ historic photographs and unique images of the Royal Navy Historic Flight's preserved aircraft.

Fairey Swordfish in Action

Author: W. Harrison
Publisher: Squadron/Signal Publications
ISBN: 9780897474214
Category : Swordfish (Torpedo bomber)
Languages : da
Pages : 50

Book Description
Beskriver det engelske jagerfly Fairey Swordfish bygget i årene mellem 1. og 2. verdenskrig.

Modeler's Guide to Realistic Painting & Finishing

Author:
Publisher: Kalmbach Publishing, Co.
ISBN: 9780890243916
Category : Crafts & Hobbies
Languages : en
Pages : 84

Book Description
Perfect for the beginning plastic modeler who wants to learn more advanced techniques, this photo-driven guide includes an introduction to airbrushing and sections on brush painting, spray painting, weathering, and applying finishes.

Fairey Swordfish 1934 to 1945 (all marks)

Author: Jim Humberstone
Publisher: Haynes Publishing UK
ISBN: 9780857333629
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
Affectionately known as the ‘Stringbag’ by its crews, the Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bomber was obsolete by 1939, but it still achieved some spectacular successes during the Second World War, including the famous crippling of the German battleship Bismarck in 1941. The centrepiece of this manual is Swordfish Mk II, LS326, operated by the Royal Navy Historic Flight from RNAS Yeovilton. The author and Haynes have been given unique access to this rare aircraft, which is one of only two airworthy examples in the world.

Kites, Birds & Stuff - FAIREY Aircraft

Author: P.D. Stemp
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1446618242
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 94

Book Description
Fairey Aircraft - One of the early manufacturers of Great Britain, during the 20th. Century. A comprehensive study of this British manufacturer.

The Unknown Battle of Midway

Author: Alvin Kernan
Publisher: Yale University Press
ISBN: 0300128312
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 201

Book Description
“A memoir and more . . . Kernan brings this maritime battle superbly to life. . . . And he narrates the air assault in gripping detail” (The Wall Street Journal). The Battle of Midway is considered the greatest US naval victory, but behind the luster is the devastation of the American torpedo squadrons. Of the 51 planes sent to attack Japanese carriers only 7 returned, and of the 127 aircrew only 29 survived. Not a single torpedo hit its target. A story of avoidable mistakes and flawed planning, The Unknown Battle of Midway reveals the enormous failures that led to the destruction of four torpedo squadrons but were omitted from official naval reports: the planes that ran out of gas, the torpedoes that didn’t work, the pilots who had never dropped torpedoes, and the breakdown of the attack plan. Alvin Kernan, who was present at the battle, has written a troubling but persuasive analysis of these and other little-publicized aspects of this great battle. The standard navy tactics for carrier warfare are revealed in tragic contrast to the actual conduct of the battle and the after-action reports of the ships and squadrons involved. “An incisive and laconic writer, Kernan knows his facts and presents them with deep feeling. A World War II must-read.” —Booklist “I read The Unknown Battle of Midway in one sitting. It is a momentous piece of work, reeking of the authenticity of carrier warfare as experienced by the flight crews.” —Sir John Keegan, author of A History of Warfare “An emotionally powerful story, not merely one of war but of its lasting effects.” —The Times Literary Supplement

The Stringbags

Author: Garth Ennis
Publisher: Naval Institute Press
ISBN: 1682475239
Category : Comics & Graphic Novels
Languages : en
Pages : 194

Book Description
If you do the incredible often enough, they'll want you to do the impossible. Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, and Fascist Italy began World War II with aircraft that could devastate enemy warships and merchantmen at will. Britain's Royal Navy squadrons went to war equipped with the Fairey Swordfish. A biplane torpedo bomber in an age of monoplanes, the Swordfish was underpowered and undergunned; an obsolete museum piece, an embarrassment. Its crews fully expected to be shot from the skies. Instead, they flew the ancient "Stringbag" into legend. Writer Garth Ennis (Preacher, The Boys, War Stories) and artist PJ Holden (Battlefields, World of Tanks: Citadel) present the story of the men who crewed the Swordfish: from their triumphs against the Italian Fleet at Taranto and the mighty German battleship Bismarck in the Atlantic, to the deadly challenge of the Channel Dash in the bleak winter waters of their homeland. They lived as they flew, without a second to lose--and the greatest tributes to their courage would come from the enemy who strove to kill them. Based on the true story of the Royal Navy's Swordfish crews, The Stringbags is an epic tale of young men facing death in an aircraft almost out of time.

Torpedo Bombers, 1900–1950

Author: Jean-Denis Lepage
Publisher: Pen and Sword Aviation
ISBN: 1526763508
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 408

Book Description
The torpedo-bomber was a very short-lived weapon system, operational for scarcely half a century from just prior WWI to the 1960s. Yet during its brief existence it transformed naval warfare, extending the ship-killing range of ships and coastal defences to hundreds of miles. The Royal Navy and Fleet Air Arm led the way, recording the first sinking of a ship by aerial torpedo in August 1915 but all major navies eagerly developed their own torpedo bomber forces. The torpedo-bomber reached its zenith in WWII, particularly from 1940-42, with notable successes at the Battle of Taranto, the sinking of the Bismarck and Pearl Harbor. It was the weapon of choice for both the US and Japanese in the big Pacific battles such as Midway. In the latter stages of the war, increasingly effective anti-aircraft fire and interceptor aircraft started to render it obsolete, a process completed post-war by long-range anti-ship missiles. Jean-Denis Lepage traces the development of torpedo bombers worldwide, describing their tactics, operational history and the aircraft themselves, including such well-loved types as the Swordfish, Beaufighter and Avenger. Over 300 aircraft are beautifully illustrated.

Wings Across Canada

Author: Peter Pigott
Publisher: Dundurn
ISBN: 1554883792
Category : Transportation
Languages : en
Pages : 189

Book Description
From the eccentric Fairey Battle to the lethal-looking CF-18, from modern airliners that have no defects (and no character) to the classic North Star (which had both), here is the ultimate line-up of the aircraft that have served Canadians in the last century. With over one hundred photographs of fifty historic planes, Wings Across Canada is a retrospective of Canada’s aeronautical technology. This book does not compare the planes, nor claim that all are "classics" in the traditional sense of the word. Instead, it is a celebration of a love affair with aircraft that all served a purpose in their own time.

War in a Stringbag

Author: Charles Lamb
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
ISBN: 9780304358410
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 325

Book Description
A classic autobiography by the best known Second World War Fleet Air Arm pilot. A story of real life adventure, action and heroism. Commander Charles Lamb fought an exceptional war flying the slow and obsolete Fairey Swordfish for the Fleet Air Arm. It was an antiquated machine, but it could outmanoeuvre almost any other aircraft, and in Charles Lamb's hands, the 'Stringbag' - as the torpedo bomber was affectionately known - was a deadly weapon. Charles Lamb fought in the thick of the action. This is his story, from the first day of war as a Lieutenant on board Courageous, to the accident aboard Implacable in action against the Japanese in June 1945 which ended his war. A rare account of determination, action and spirit by a man who was an inspiration to those around him.