Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum

On 14 June 1940 HMS Ark Royal returned to Scapa Flow from her last foray off Norway. At the time, 810 Squadron (code 2 on AR) had only 11 Swordfish on hand as one, 2C, had been lost on 10 June. 810 Squadron did not depart the ship prior to her arrival Scapa. However, one plane short of establishment, one of the squadron’s senior pilots, Lt. John Rumney Robins, RN traveled to RNAS Hatston to obtain a replacement Swordfish.

On 17 June, having embarked considerable stores, Ark Royal departed Scapa Flow for the Mediterranean. At 1630 hours Lt. Robbins arrived overhead in K8375 and landed aboard. At that point, after some shuffling, the plane was coded 2Q and was nominally assigned to A/S-Lt.(A) Anthony William Duncan Beale, RN, who would, eleven months later, torpedo the Bismarck (while flying another Swordfish entirely, 2P).

K8375 survived the roughly four month period in the Med, during which time she was flown by many pilots besides Beale The ship returned to the UK, specifically to Liverpool, for a brief refit period on 8 October. Her squadrons flew off at 0900 for RNAS Prestwick, just prior to her arrival. In preparation for rejoining the ship her squadrons received a number of new birds, 803 Squadron with its Skua Fighter-Dive Bombers was replaced by 807 Squadron with its new eight-gun Fulmar I fighters, and then they rejoined the ship after her departure on 29 October, after which the ship sailed for Gibraltar.

Hope this helps :)

Mark E. Horan