Q&A · 1:33:52-1:37:22

How would 25 mm fire affect a Swordfish?

The Swordfish's fabric covering complicates how explosive shells interact with the aircraft without making it immune to hits.

Question

What would Japanese 25 mm anti-aircraft fire do to a Fairey Swordfish?

Short answer

A shell might pass through fabric before detonating, but a hit on the airframe or machinery would still be extremely dangerous.

Notes

A shell passing only through the Swordfish's thin fabric might travel beyond the aircraft before its fuze acted. That could make some hits less effective than the calibre alone suggests, particularly during a night attack in which obtaining a hit is already difficult. A strike on the engine, frame, crew, or another substantial component would still be destructive. The unusual target construction does not mean that the Swordfish could safely absorb 25 mm fire.