Wellum's Swordfish entered the harbour through tracer fire, barrage balloons, and intense visual confusion. It struck a balloon cable and suffered impaired control, yet the pilot continued a low torpedo run against a battleship. The crew then escaped the harbour and reconstructed its position in darkness rather than assuming the carrier would be easy to find. Navigation skill and Illustrious's beacon brought them back to the fleet. Only after landing did the hangar inspection reveal the extent of the damaged wing controls and fabric. The account makes the raid's human, navigational, and technical risks tangible without reducing it to a simple weapons story.
Chapter · 2:22:14-2:41:44
A damaged Swordfish attacks and returns
John Wellum's account captures the strike's flare-lit approach, anti-aircraft fire, improvised torpedo run, and remarkable recovery aboard Illustrious.