FAIRY SWORDFISH L9781 circles the ARK ROYAL
 

These photos were taken in 1939 just at the outbreak of World War 2.
It shows Fairey Swordfish Mk 1, serial number L9781 of the Royal Naval Air squadron 810, coded 650, circling her mother ship, the Royal Navy carrier Ark Royal.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...7_2008/sw2.png

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...2008/2618L.jpg

All swordfish of the day were painted different colours for each carrier.
The colours on the swordfish below show it belongs to the Ark Royal.
Swordfish achieved some spectacular successes during the war, notably the sinking of one and damaging two battleships of the Regia Marina (the Italian Navy) in the Battle of Taranto and the famous crippling of the Bismarck.


http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n.../swordfish.jpg

Ark Royal was sunk after being was hit by a torpedo fired for U-81 on the 13th November 1941.

http://i302.photobucket.com/albums/n...al_sinking.jpg

I have inadvertently written Fairy instead of Fairey. I have asked the admin to correct this, but it still isn't done. Frank Savage