Why US surprise at Royal Navy biplanes is overstated

Why was the US Navy surprised that the Royal Navy still used biplanes?

It was not as surprised as later accounts suggest; the US also had biplanes in 1939 and understood the Swordfish's operational advantages.

Much of the supposed American astonishment appears to be a story constructed after the war. The US Navy itself still operated biplanes in 1939, so the configuration was not alien to contemporary officers. Americans could also recognize the Swordfish's low-speed handling and other practical advantages for its assigned missions. The later Albacore offers a less persuasive case for retaining a biplane, but it should not be projected backward onto the Swordfish.