The aircraft's reputation for low speed obscures its success over Crete, Illustrious, and Mediterranean convoys. Repeated favorable results cannot be dismissed as luck, especially when many Fleet Air Arm aces scored in Fulmars and commanders continued asking for more. Carrier vulnerability rose when fighter strength fell below the critical mass needed to sustain patrols, with roughly eighteen aircraft described as the desired force and fewer than twelve as a danger point. The problem lay partly in lost replacements and spares while British fighter production was consumed by the Battle of Britain, rather than in the Fulmar's specification alone.
Notable Point · 3:01:36-3:05:24
The Fairey Fulmar's record against Axis air power
Fulmars shot down large numbers of Axis aircraft because their endurance, positioning, and squadron tactics matched the Fleet Air Arm's defensive requirements.