A tension wire and extended wooden fins helped a Swordfish torpedo enter more nearly level, absorb some shock, and run shallower. The visible wooden pieces could reveal part of the method to an observer, whereas discarded wire was much easier to overlook. This equipment explains the practical mechanics behind shallow-water attacks such as Taranto. The Swordfish's 1934 first flight also shows that the Navy viewed it as a late-1930s solution rather than the final aircraft it intended to carry through the 1940s.
Chapter · 1:37:53-1:40:50
Swordfish torpedo gear and shallow-water attack
The Swordfish used wire and fin arrangements to reduce a torpedo's dive on entry, a technique central to shallow-water attacks such as Taranto.