The Deep Wrecks of Malta | Fairey Swordfish and Junkers JU88. Swordfish was a British single-engine biplane torpedo bomber, about 11 m in length and 14 m wingspan. The Fairey Aviation Company responded with the prototype T.S.R. Malta was to feel the full wrath of the jilted German Luftwaffe. One such example was the Fairey Swordfish, a slow-moving, fabric-covered biplane used by the British in the stunning November 1940 attack on the Italian fleet at Taranto. Phoenician Shipwreck. The Virtual Museum: Underwater Malta is a permanent and free online exhibition. The reconstruction was completed in February 1928 before being based in Malta. Significantly, the Swordfish entered service in 1936, the year the first Spitfire flew. By Mark 'Crowley' Russell. Six months later a venerable Swordfish incapacitated the mighty Bismarck, enabling the Royal Navy to close on and sink the pride of Adolf Hitler’s navy. The crew of two survived but the airplane sunk. HMS Stubborn. II (for Tor­pedo-Spotter-Reconnaissance), progenitor of the Swordfish, for which it received a contract a few months later. ... Fairey Swordfish. The Fairey Swordfish was a torpedo bomber biplane designed by the Fairey Aviation Company and used by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy during the Second World War.Originating in the 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was an outdated design by the start of the war in 1939, but remained in front-line service until VE Day, outliving several types intended to replace it. Schnellboot S-31. The plane was introduced in 1936 and its design was reminiscent of rudimentary biplanes flown during the First World War. Professor Gambin has plans to expand the online museum in 2020 and 2021: In the coming weeks, new wrecks will be added ensuring that the museum content remains dynamic and relevant. JU88. The Fairey Swordfish was a biplane torpedo bomber which was operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. The plane was introduced in 1936 and its design was reminiscent of rudimentary biplanes flown during the First World War. It is one of only a handful of Fairey Swordfish biplanes that exist today. The Fairey Swordfish was a biplane torpedo bomber which was operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. JU88 South. Fairey Swordfish Mk II (HS491) On Thursday September 16th, 2004 a forty foot long container arrived at the Malta Aviation Museum in Ta' Qali. The Fairey Swordfish is a biplane torpedo bomber designed by the Fairey Aviation Company.Originating in the early 1930s, the Swordfish, nicknamed "Stringbag", was operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy, in addition to having been equipped by the Royal Air Force (RAF) alongside multiple overseas operators, including the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the Royal … The Mediterranean saw some of the most intense fighting of the Second World War, and the Allied island outpost of Malta was subjected to a relentless bombing campaign which saw several thousand aircraft shot down over Maltese waters. In 1943 soon after take-off from Hal Far airfield, this Swordfish had engine problems, and the pilot had to ditch the plane in the sea. Fairey Swordfish is a World War II airplane wreck dive in Malta. HMS Maori. The plane was introduced in 1936 and its design was reminiscent of rudimentary biplanes flown during the First World War. Malta was to experience a record number of raid warnings that night, and the drone of aircraft was almost constant overhead. The Fairey Swordfish was a biplane torpedo bomber which was operated by the Fleet Air Arm of the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force. The island was to suffer 58 air attacks that January. Inside was the skeletal fuselage and wing parts of Swordfish HS491 built in 1943, which had been purchased by the Foundation from Bob Spence of Canada. The use of powerful cameras and special underwater lights enable us to capture Malta’s underwater cultural heritage in such a way as to make it accessible to everyone, whilst also allowing the public to dive into history. Stuka – Ju87. But no attacks developed until the afternoon of January 16.