From 1940 to 1945, the Fleet Air Arm sank or crippled over 26 Capital or significant axis ships, and sank 18 Axis submarines and shared 16 other U-boat sinkings with escort vessels or RAF units. The Swordfish was responsible for 15 of the 18 solo kills, and participated in 10 of the 16 shared sinkings.

Aircrew involved in the strike against the German destroyer Konigsberg

Aircrew involved in the strike on the Italian Battle Fleeet at Taranto

Aircrew involved in the strike on the German Battleship Bismarck

Barracuda aircrew involved in the strike on the German Battleship Tirpitz

SIGNIFICANT WARSHIPS DAMAGED OR SUNK BY THE FLEET AIR ARM  Name Tonnage/type Nationality Sunk, Location Date Squadrons, Ships, RNAS Königsberg  8,130 ts Destroyer  Germany Sunk  Bergen, Norway  10.4.1940 800, 803 sqdn Skuas  Hatston Richelieu 47,458 ts  Battleship  Vichy France Torpedo strike  Hit minor damage Dakar  8.7.1940  814 sqdn Swordfish  HMS Hermes Strasbourg 35,500 ts  Battleship  Vichy France Dive bomb,  1 hit but escapes Mers el Kebir, Oran  3.7.1940 820 sqdn  Swordfish  HMS Ark Royal  Dunkerque 35,500 ts  Battleship  Vichy France Torpedoed,  Sunk  Mers el Kebir, Oran, 6.7.1940 810, 820 sqdn Swordfish  HMS Ark Royal  Zeffiro 1,200 ts  Destroyer  Italy Torpedoed  Sunk Tobruk  (see additional information)  5.7.1940 824 sqdn Swordfish  HMS Eagle  Pancaldo 967 ts  Destroyer  Italy Torpedoed, Sunk (later re-floated) Augusta harbour  10.7.1940 824 sqdn Swordfish  HMS Eagle  Nembo  1,200 ts  Destroyer  Italy Torpedoed Sunk  Gulf of Bomba 20.7.1940 824 sqdn Swordfish  HMS Eagle  Ostra 1,200 ts  Destroyer  Italy Torpedoed Sunk  Gulf of Bomba  20.7.1940 824 sqdn Swordfish  HMS Eagle  Königen Louise Destroyer Germany Torpedoed  1 hit  North Sea 23.7.1940 823 sqdn  Swordfish  Borea 1,200 ts  Destroyer  Italy Torpedoed damaged (later sunk by the mines laid by the Swordfish)  Benghazi  (see additional information) 17.9.1940 Swordfish Conte di Cavour  25,086 ts  Battleship  Italy Sunk  Taranto  11.11.1940 813, 815, 819, 824 sqdns, Swordfish  HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle  Caio Duilio 25,086 ts  Batleship  Italy Sunk  Taranto  11.11.1940 813, 815, 819, 824 sqdns, Swordfish    HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle  Littoria 46,215 ts  Battleship  Italy Sunk  Taranto  11.11.1940 813, 815, 819, 824 sqdns, Swordfish    HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle  Andromeda 1,020 ts  Destroyer  Italy Torpedo, Damaged,  Paramythia 14.3.1941 815 sqd Swordfish with RAF Blenheim support Vittorio Veneto 46,215 ts  Battleship  Italy Cape Matapan torpedoed Damaged (damage slows the ship - allowing British fleet to escape)  28.3.1941 826, 829, sqdns Swordfish, Albacore  HMS Formidable Pola  14,360 ts  Heavy Cruiser  Italy Cape Matapan torpedoed damaged (later sunk by Jervis and Nubian)  28.3.1941 826, 829, sqdns Swordfish, Albacore HMS Formidable Danieli Manin 1,580 ts  Destroyer  Italy Bombed  Sunk  Port Sudan, Sudan 3.4.1941 824 sqd  Swordfish HMS Eagle  Nazario Sauro 1,580 ts  Destroyer  Italy Bombed  Sunk  Port Sudan, Sudan  3.4.1941 813 sqdn Swordfish  HMS Eagle  Bismarck  53,546 t  Battleship  Germany Damaged (later sunk by King George V, Rodney and Dorsetshire)  Atlantic 28.3.1941  810, 818, 820 sqdn Swordfish,  HMS Ark Royal , HMS Victorious  Chevaliere Paul  Destroyer  Vichy France Sunk  Eastern Mediterranean  16.6.1941 815 sqdn, Swordfish Nicosia, Cyprus  Scharnhorst  38,900 ts  Battleship  Germany Attempted torpedoing  No hits  English Channel  12.2.1942 825 Swordfish  RAF Detling  Gneisenau   38,900 ts  Battleship  Germany  Attempted torpedoing  No hits  English Channel  12.2.1942 825 Swordfish  RAF Detling  Bouganville  armed merchant cruiser  Vichy  France Torpedoed, blew up  Diego Suarez 5.5.1942 810, 829 sqdns Swordfish  HMS Illustrious D'Entrecasteaux Sloop  Vichy  France Multiple torpedo attacks/bombing  +2 direct hits, beached Diego Suarez 5.5.1942 810, 829 sqdns,  Swordfish  HMS Illustrious Tirpitz 53,546 t  Battleship  Germany 14 hits bombs crippled Alta, Norway,  3.4.1944 827,829, 830,831 Barracuda sqdns  HMS Victorious, and HMS Furious  Amakusa 1,000 ts  Destroyer  Japan  Sunk,  (Minesweeper 33, destroyers Ohama, and Soya also attacked), Onagawa harbour, NE Honshu, Japan  9.8.1945 1841 sqdn Corsair    HMS Formidable GERMAN NAVY - ALL MAJOR WARSHIPS Totals and (Due to Royal Navy) GERMAN NAVY 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 Total Capital ships 1 (RN) - 1 (RN) - 1 (RN) 1  3 (a) 7  (3 RN) Cruisers - 3 (2 RN) - - - - 3 (a) 6 (2 RN) Raiders - - 3 (RN) 3 (1 RN) 1 - - 7  (4 RN) Destroyers (b) - 12 (RN) - 4 (3 RN) 2 (1 RN) 7 (2 RN) 2  27 (18 RN) Submarines 9 (RN) 22 (17 RN) 35 (28 RN) 86 (34 RN) 237 (61 RN) 242 (85 RN) 149 (41 RN) 780 (275 RN) TOTALS 10 (RN) 37 (31 RN) 39 (32 RN) 93 (38 RN) 241 (63 RN) 250 (87 RN) 157 (41 RN) 827 (302 RN) ITALIAN NAVY: Totals and (Due to Royal Navy)   1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 Total Battleships N/A    1 (RN) - - - 1 (RN) Cruisers N/A    1 (RN) 6 (RN) 3 (2 RN) 2  12 (9 RN) Destroyers(a) N/A 8 (RN) 14 (10 RN) 8 (4 RN) 13 (6 RN) 43  (28 RN) Submarines N/A    20 (12 RN) 18 (14 RN) 22 (17 RN) 25 (13 RN) 85 (56 RN) TOTALS  N/A 30 (22 RN) 38 (30 RN) 33 (23 RN) 40 (19 RN) 141 (94 RN) JAPANESE NAVY Totals and (Due to Royal Navy)   1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 Total Battleships n/a n/a - 2  1  4  4  11  Carriers n/a n/a - 6  1  12  2  21  Cruisers n/a n/a - 6  2  24 (1 RN) 9 (3 RN) 41  (4 RN) Destroyers n/a n/a 4  18  34  61  18  135  Submarines n/a n/a 3  16 (2.5 RN) 28 (2.5 RN) 53 (3 RN) 27  127  (8 RN) TOTALS  n/a   n/a   7  48  (2.5 RN) 66  (2.5 RN) 154  (4 RN) 60  (3 RN) 335 (12 RN)

Last Modified: 3-4-2001

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