>The way I heard it...the Swordfish was too slow for the “advanced fire control” and the automatic cannon and machine guns to track.
Yep. They didn’t design it with WW1 planes in mind. It shot down or drove off all the other types of planes attacking it.
The Swordfish first flew in 1934! That is a heck of a long time after WW1. Heck they started building the Bismarck only 2 years later in ‘36. Considering the Swordfish was the primary torpedo bomber for British carriers the ENTIRE time the Bismarck was in service it was pretty damn stupid of them to make guns that couldn’t hit it....
But that isn’t what happened. Automatic anti-aircraft systems on ships were all designed back then to hit the high altitude planes ABOVE you and not the stuff coming in at wave top level. Does not matter if it was a bi plane or a skip bombing B-24. So that story is a mis-representation at best and an urban legend at worst.
What ‘other planes’ supposedly attacked her? HMS Ark Royal and HMS Victorious didn’t HAVE any other torpedo bombers except Swordfish. And as far as I know nothing else ever came near except some long range patrol planes (scouts).