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Fairey
Swordfish. Torpedo bomber and reconnaissance aircraft of the Fleet Air Arm in aviation art
prints by aviation artists, Ivan Berryman, David Pentland, Geoff Lea and Robert
Taylor. The Fairey Swordfish Torpedo Bomber of the Royal Navy, art prints
available from the aviation prints.co.uk.
FAIREY SWORDFISH, Torpedo Bomber and reconnaissance Biplane, crewed by Three,
with a top speed of 154mph, reduced to 136mph as a float plane. maximum ceiling
19,000 feet. reduced as a float plane. armed with a .303 Vickers machine gun
fixed forward and one in the rear cockpit.. One 1610lb Torpedo or up to
1500lb bomb load
At the outbreak of world war two the Fleet Air
Arm had 13 operational
squadrons .The Fairey Swordfish has earned its place in history for major
contributions to naval warfare, during the Norwegian campaign, and
especially during the raid on Taranto. During November 1940, Twenty
Swordfish took off from HMS Illustrious (operation Judgement ) to attack the
Italian Fleet in their Harbour of Taranto. At Least nine torpedoes hit their
targets. Seven Italian ships were badly damaged including the Italian
battleships, Caio Duillio, Littorio and Conte De Cavour. This was followed
in February 1942, by an heroic but suicidal attack on German Battle Cruisers in
the English Channel by six swordfish of 825 squadron of RAF Manston, all
aircraft and crews were lost. This resulted in a Victoria Cross for the leader
Lieutenant Commander E Esmonde. The next major event was the Torpedo
Attack on the Bismarck by Swordfish from HMS Ark Royal, which badly damaged
the steering gear of the Bismarck which helped in the final destruction of
the German battleship by Royal Navy Battleships. The Fairey
Swordfish was also used in anti-submarine and anti-shipping roles. The
Swordfish sunk more enemy ships (by Tonnage) than any other aircraft acting in
the same roles. By the end of the War the Fleet Air Arm still had nine
active squadrons, which were finally disbanded in May 1945. A total of 2399
Swordfish were built. |
 | Flight Against the Bismarck by Philip West. | 2 editions available from £135.00 |  | Bismarck by Ivan Berryman. | 8 editions available from £95.00 |  | Swordfish Over the QE2 by Chris Woods. | £13.00 |  | Fairey Swordfish Mk I W5984 H. by M A Kinnear. | £14.00 |  | Launch Against the Bismarck by Robert Taylor. | SOLD OUT / SOLD |  | Swordfish Attack at Taranto by Robert Taylor. | £120.00 |  | Out of Alex by David Pentland. | 4 editions available from £51.00 |  | HMS Glorious by Ivan Berryman. | 6 editions available from £95.00 |  | HMS Courageous by Randall Wilson. | 7 editions available from £95.00 |  | Operation Cerberus - The Channel Dash by Philip West. | 2 editions available from £95.00 |  | Attack on the Scharnhorst by Ivan Berryman. (PC) | 5 editions available from £2.00 |  | Raid on Taranto by Anthony Saunders | 5 editions available from £95.00 |  | Attack on the Scharnhorst by Ivan Berryman. | 3 editions available from £24.00 |  | Safe Return by Ivan Berryman. | 3 editions available from £26.00 |  | Sea Wings by Ivan Berryman. | 3 editions available from £145.00 |  | On a Wing and a Prayer by Philip West. | 2 editions available from £95.00 |  | Bismarck and Swordfish by Jason Askew. (P) | £620.00 |  | Sink the Bismarck by Geoff Lea. | 5 editions available from £79.80 |  | Channel Dash Heroes by Philip West. | 2 editions available from £95.00 |  | Sink the Bismarck by Stan Stokes. | 4 editions available from £40.00 |  | Operation Judgement by Philip West. | 2 editions available from £95.00 |
| Attack on the
Scharnhorst by Ivan Berryman Swordfish of 825 Sqn led by Lt-Cdr Esmonde begin their
heroic attack on the battlescruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau and
the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen as they make their way up the
English Channel from Brest during Operation Cerberus on 12th
February 1942. Although all the aircraft were lost and no
significant damage was done to the German fleet, all the pilots
were decorated for their bravery and Lt-Cdr Esmonde received the
first Fleet Air Arm VC to be awarded, albeit posthumously. The painting depicts the first wave of Swordfish attacking
the Scharnhorst with Gneisenau taking avoiding action in the
distance. A German torpedo boat has turned to confront the
attacking aircraft.
Out of Alex by David Pentland A swordfish from HMS Warspite on patrol off the coast of Egypt, near
the port of Alexandria.
HMS Courageous by Randall Wilson. Two Stringbags
(Fairey Swordfish) pass across the bow
of HMS Courageous as she staggers from torpedo strikes launched from a
German U-Boat in the Irish Sea.
HMS Glorious by Ivan Berryman HMS Glorious flying off a Fairey Swordfish at sunset with HMS Ardent
off to Starboard.
Safe Return by Ivan Berryman The pilot of a Fairey Swordfish MKII guides his aircraft towards the
landing ramp of HMS Victorious following a sortie in the Mediterranean Sea
1940
SINK THE BISMARCK BY GEOFF LEA
Sink the Bismarck by Stan Stokes.
Commissioned
on August 24, 1940, the German battleship Bismarck was the epitome of
naval power. The great ship was 823 feet in length, had a beam of 118
feet, and a displacement of 50,000 tons. After nine months of sea trials
the Bismarck embarked on its first mission accompanied by the cruiser
Prinz Eugen on May 19, 1941. The Bismarcks mission was to destroy and
disrupt convoys carrying war relief supplies to Britain from North
America. On May 20th the Bismarck was spotted and reported to British
intelligence as it passed through the narrow straits between Denmark and
Sweden. The British presumed correctly that the Bismarck was headed for
the North Atlantic, but by which route? Dividing its naval forces in an
attempt to intercept the mighty German battleship, four ships were sent
to patrol the Denmark strait, including the newly commissioned
battleship Prince of Wales, and the H.M.S. Hood, a heavily armed battle
cruiser, pride of the British fleet. On may 23rd the Bismarck was
spotted by the H.M.S. Norfolk and the H.M.S. Suffolk. The Bismarck
opened fire on the Norfolk, which was out gunned by the German ship, but
fortunately was able to elude the Bismarck because of heavy fog and
mist. With its position identified British Naval authorities ordered
several other ships to the area including the H.M.S. Ark Royal, one of
two aircraft carriers dispatched. On May 24th the Bismarck was engaged
again. The H.M.S. Hood took a direct hit and exploded with the loss of
all but three of its large crew. The Bismarck took two hits from the
Prince of Wales during this battle, one of which had the effect of
reducing the huge ships effective fuel capacity, and hence range. Later
that evening a torpedo plane attack was launched at the German
battleship, which sustained one hit with little damage. On May 25th the
Bismarck separated from the Prinz Eugen, and set a course for the French
coast in hopes of making repairs. On May 26th the Bismarck was located
again by a British reconnaissance aircraft. In an attempt to prevent the
ship from reaching the safety of Luftwaffe air cover, a second torpedo
plane attack was launched from the Ark Royal. Utilizing Fairy Swordfish
bi-plane torpedo bombers, two hits were achieved. The first was
amidships and caused virtually no damage. The second hit was astern, and
resulted in the jamming of the Bismarcks rudder. Unable to maneuver, the
great German battleship had little choice that to continue steaming for
the French coast. Four more British warships lay in its path including
the H.M.S. Rodney, the H.M.S. King George V, the H.M.S. Dorsetshire, and
the H.M.S. Norfolk. On the morning of May 27th an enormous sea battle
took place, with the unmaneuverable Bismarck taking more than 1,000
direct hits. After losing its fire control system, the Bismarck became a
defenseless target. At approximately 10:00 AM Bismarcks Captain gave the
orders to scuttle the enormous ship, and about 40 minutes later the
great vessel slipped quietly beneath the surface of the Atlantic.
Flight Against the Bismarck by Philip West. The
Royal Navys week long chase of the formidable German battleship Bismarck
culminated in the foul evening weather of 26th May 1941. Despite the
deck of HMS Ark Royal pitching through 55 feet, S/Lt John Moffat was one
of fifteen Swordfish pilots who took off to attack Bismarck. After 90
minutes of arduous and turbulent flying the Swordfish found their quarry
and dived through the intense anti-aircraft fire to drop their
torpedoes. One of these hit and jammed Bismarcks rudder and condemned
the battleship to sail in slow circles. The Royal Navys own capital
ships then closed in and pounded Bismarck into a burning wreck.
Operation Cerberus - The Channel
Dash by Philip West. The
Channel Dash (officially known as Operation Cerberus) was one of three
operations during the Second World War for which the Swordfish was to
become the most famous. Heavily outgunned in the Straits of Dover on
this day in February 1942 by the German warships Scharnhorst, Gneisenau
and Prinz Eugen, with their accompanying flotilla of destroyers and
motor torpedo boats, and with top cover provided by deadly fighter
aircraft of the Luftwaffe, all six Fleet Air Arm Swordfish were shot
down. Only five of the eighteen aircrew survived. Here we see the
Swordfish flown by Sub. Lt. Kingsmill and Sub. Lt. Samples with PO Bunce
in the rear, fighting for their lives with his machine gun.
Operation Judgement by Philip West.
The attack
on Taranto was the first major victory for naval air power in the world
and blueprint for the strike on Pearl Harbor. The Fleet Air Arm played
an active part in the fight against the Axis forces in the
Mediterranean. Their greatest achievement was the strike against the
Italian Fleet at Taranto, 11 November 1940 by four Fleet Air Arm
squadrons and 40 or so men who carried out this daring raid. In this
picture we see the Swordfish flown by Lt. FMA Torrense-Spence and Lt.
AWF Sutton, having just released its torpedo.
Swordfish Attack at Taranto by Robert Taylor On November 11, 1940 a group of 21 slow, outdated Swordfish biplanes
attacked and crippled the Italian Fleet in the heavily defended port of
Taranto. One of the most daring raids of World War II captured in this
print for posterity Signed by C Lamb, D Janvrin. |
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825 Squadron was formed 8th October 1934
as a reconnaissance squadron equipped with the Fairey IIIF. In July 1936,
825 re-equipped with the Fairey Swordfish Mk I bi-plane whilst on HMS
Glorious. In May 1940, 825 disembarked to UK land bases, carrying out
operations against U-Boats and E-Boats in the Calais area during Operation
Dynamo - the Dunkirk evacuation. They joined HMS Furious in July, taking
part in operations off Norway during September. In May 1941, 825 joined
HMS Victorious and successfully located the German battleship Bismarck.
Damage inflicted by the squadron enabled surface vessels to sink the
battleship on 26th May. They transferred to HMS Ark Royal in June for
Malta convoy protection duties. Following the sinking of HMS Ark Royal in
November the squadron was reformed at Lee-on-Solent in January 1942. Six
aircraft on detachment at RAF Manston attacked the German ships
Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Prinz Eugen in the English Channel. No hits
were made and all aircraft were lost. 825 was on convoy escort duty in the
Arctic and Atlantic until its disbandment in April 1945. Since 1945, 825
has been reformed and disbanded several times. They reformed at RNAS
Culdros in May 1982 seeing action in the Falkland Islands. 825 returned to
the UK and was finally disbanded September 1982. Battle
Honours: Dunkirk 1940, English Channel 1940-42, Norway 1940, Bismarck
1941, Malta Convoys 1941, Arctic 1942-45, Atlantic 1944, Korea 1952,
Falkland Islands 1982. Motto: "Nihil Obstat" (Nothing Stops Us).
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| SHOWCASE PRODUCT | |
| ARTIST | Featured Artist - Ivan Berryman
Ivan Berryman - Battle of Britain Art
Artist Ivan Berryman has been producing many pencil drawings depicting scenes from the Battle of Britain. Each of these is signed by one of the pilots who was actually present at the battle, and is often inspired by the events they took part in themselves. Special signed print editions have also been created from existing full colour print editions, with some featuring multiple pilot signatures. You can find all of Ivan's Battle of Britain artwork on his website - www.ivanberryman.com, or see a full list of pencil drawings - updated regularly, in our dedicated section of pencil drawings.
When you go to a product page for an item in our shop, click on the names of the pilots where they are linked in the text for an item to see a profile page for that pilot. Often we include photos of signing sessions along with details of their flying career, and a full list of all items signed by the pilot. |
| | Pilot Signed Battle of Britain Prints and Original Pencil Drawings |
Commemorating the 70th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain
We are busy building up a portfolio of many many original pencil drawings which depict events from the Battle of Britain, the famous air battle won by 'the Few' in the summer of 1940. The British and Commonwealth pilots defended the air above Britain and the surrounding seaways from the might of the German Luftwaffe. Greatly outnumbered, the bravery of these young pilots saved the country from invasion, and let Britain survive to go on to defeat Germany. Without that first crucial victory, the outcome of the war could have been so very different. We have been busy arranging signing sessions with the few pilots who fought in that great battle who remain with us to this day. Our newly commissioned pencil drawings are often based on the descriptions of the battle by these great men, and are authenticated by their signatures. We have also had several editions of existing prints signed in full, or have signatures added to parts of existing editions. We have also incoporated signatures of some of the German pilots who also took part in the battle, some of whom went on to become top scoring aces of the war. See our Original Pencil Drawings Section - particularly the section of artists David Pentland and Ivan Berryman. Also, see our New Signature Editions section to see all of our newly signed editions.
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