Gents;
I'm thinking some of you need to re-evaluate your impression of the Swordfish missions flown against Bismarck, particularly those flown by the three TSR squadrons aboard HMS Ark Royal on 26 May 1941.
First, NO other nation operating carrier aircraft in May 1941 would have even considered flight operations possible on 26 May, let alone offensive combat operations! Force H was operating in Force 8 seas, with 50' waves (peak to trough) and 50 knot winds, and HMS Ark Royal was taking it green over her flight deck, 62 feet above her waterline, and the flight deck was swinging throug an arc of more than 50'. In fact, per RN operating doctrine, flight operations were not possible in such seas, and the concerted opinion off all involved from Commander Flying on down was that operatins with all metal monoplanes, specifically the Fulmar, were impossible.
The Swordfish themselves even fully loaded, required double tie downs and 15 plane handlers to keep them on deck. None the less, 53 sorties were flown with only three aircraft being placed "hors de combat" when, during landing, the aircraft mistimed the rise of the stern at the moment of landing and literally smashed into the flight deck.
Once in the air, the aircraft faced horrific winds and extremely limited visibility. However, skillfully using their few ASV-equipped Swordfish to Shadow Bismarch and to lead each strike group, the aircrew found the target, fixed it by successfully shadowing it for more than 12-hours, and lanching not one, but two strike groups, the first of which only attacked HMS Sheffield because they had been expressly briefed that Bismarck was the only ship in the target area and word never reached them that Sheffield had been dispatched to shadow.
I have interviwed three of the aircrew involved in the attack and all indicated that, in their entire flying career they never again flew in such conditions.
As for the strike by 825 Squadron on HMS Victorious on 24 May, the seas were foce 7, with 35' waves and 35+ knot winds, and the aircraft had to fly 120 miles into that wind to reach Bismarck and execute their attack. Further, on 24-25 May Victorious even used her Fulmar fighters as search aircraft even though most of the observers had no experience with open ocean navigation! Those search operations cost four ircraft (two of each type) and, ultimately five men of two crews, all because they were flying in 10/10ths cloud cover when the ship's homning becon out of service!
I would venture that, given the choice, few pilots would have chosen to fly in such conditions rather than attack a heavily protected target in decent flying weather instead!
Mark E. Horan