How could the Royal Navy find and strike ships at night before radar?
Short answerSwordfish would locate and shadow the enemy from late afternoon, then use that maintained contact to guide the night strike.
NotesThe method depended less on discovering a fleet from scratch at night than on preserving a daylight contact. Swordfish would locate the enemy in the late afternoon and continue shadowing after dark. Their reports could then guide the strike toward a moving target. The method resembled destroyers shadowing Bismarck and continuously reporting her position to the approaching force.