Two Swordfish collided while taxiing for the second wave, leaving one with broken ribs and torn fabric. Carrier riggers made the damaged aircraft serviceable in roughly fifteen minutes. Its crew obtained permission to launch independently and departed only twenty-four minutes after the collision. The episode demonstrates why rugged construction and skilled maintenance were operational capabilities, not merely desirable engineering traits.
Notable Point · 2:39:14-2:40:12
Repairing a Swordfish in twenty-four minutes
Illustrious's maintainers returned a collision-damaged Swordfish to the air quickly enough for its crew to continue the raid alone.