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Swordfish

The Sensational True Story of the Daring British Raid that Changed Naval Aviation Forever

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Swordfish

Written by: David Wragg
Narrated by: Chris Courtenay
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About this listen
 In November 1940 Britain was isolated in its stand against the Axis powers. The country could not afford to lose control of the Mediterranean, but the Royal Navy was already overstretched by the U-boat war and the threat of invasion. On the night of 11 November, 42 members of the Fleet Air Arm took off in 21 obsolete 'Swordfish' biplanes, launched from HMS Illustrious. Their target: the Italian fleet anchorage at Taranto.

Pressing home their attack in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire and searchlights, they torpedoed and sank three battleships. Incredibly, all but two of the biplanes survived. The Italian fleet was crippled and the world took note that Britain was far from defeated. No-one was more impressed than the Japanese, who noted how a fleet in harbour could be demolished by air attack.

In this spellbinding account of the Royal Navy's most daring operation of the Second World War, David Wragg draws on British and Italian records as well as interviews with the aircrew to tell the full story of a night that changed the course of the war.©2003 David Wragg (P)2026 Orion Publishing Group Limited Armed Forces Military Wars & Conflicts World War II
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Critic Reviews

A pacy and informative read . . . Uses the reports of the air crew involved to good effect
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