The incomplete Richelieu was at Dakar and later had to be moved by tugs after being torpedoed. Calling the Fairey Swordfish "ancient" in 1940 is misleading: it had entered proper service only a few years earlier, remained reliable, and could carry a torpedo or heavy load. Wartime expansion of the Fleet Air Arm made a rapid phase-out impractical, while the intended Albacore replacement proved insufficiently reliable. The Swordfish’s longevity reflected usefulness and replacement failure; it was still a practical combat aircraft when it attacked Richelieu in 1940.
Notable Point · 13:24-16:25
Richelieu and the Swordfish myth
Richelieu’s presence at Dakar mattered, but the video challenges the idea that the 1940 Swordfish was already an obsolete aircraft.