2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 (sPzB 41) or "Panzerbüchse 41": German Anti-tank Weapon

2.8 cm sPzB 41 le Fl 41, France, 1942. (Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-258-1312-36)

2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 (sPzB 41) or "Panzerbüchse 41" was a German anti-tank weapon working on the squeeze bore principle. Officially classified as a heavy anti-tank rifle (German: schwere Panzerbüchse), it would be better described, and is widely referred to, as a light anti-tank gun.

Description

Although the sPzB 41 was classified as a heavy anti-tank rifle, its construction was much more typical of an anti-tank gun. Like the latter, it had a recoil mechanism, carriage and shield. The only significant feature the weapon had in common with anti-tank rifles was a lack of elevation and traverse mechanisms—the light barrel could be easily manipulated manually.

The squeeze bore design was based on a tapering barrel, with the caliber reducing from 28 mm at the chamber end to only 20 mm at the muzzle. The projectile carried two external flanges; as it proceeded toward the muzzle, the flanges were squeezed down, decreasing the diameter with the result that pressure did not drop off as quickly and the projectile was propelled to a higher velocity. The barrel construction resulted in a very high muzzle velocity - up to 1,400 m/s. The bore was fitted with a muzzle brake. The horizontal sliding breech block was "quarter-automatic": it closed automatically once a shell was loaded, but unlike semi-automatic guns, the fired shell casing had to be manually ejected by opening the breech block. The gun was equipped with an open sight for distances up to 500m; a telescopic sight, the ZF 1х11 from the 3.7 cm Pak 36 anti-tank gun, could also be fitted.

The recoil system consisted of a hydraulic recoil buffer and spring-driven recuperator. The carriage was of the split trail type, with suspension. Wheels with rubber tires could be removed, making the gun significantly lower and therefore easier to conceal; the process took 30–40 seconds. The guns' construction allowed toolless dismantling to five pieces, the heaviest of which weighed 62 kg.

Development and Production History

The cone-bore principle was first patented in 1903 by a German inventor, Carl Puff. In the 1920s and 1930s, another German engineer, Hermann Gerlich, conducted experiments with coned-bore barrels that resulted in an experimental 7 mm anti-tank rifle with a muzzle velocity of 1,800 m/s.

Based on these works, Mauser-Werke AG developed a 28/20 mm anti-tank weapon initially designated Gerät 231 or MK.8202 in 1939–1940. In June–July 1940, an experimental batch of 94 (other sources say 30) pieces was given to the army for trials. They resulted in some modifications and in 1941 mass production of what became 2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 started. One piece cost 4,520 Reichsmarks (for the sake of comparison, one 5 cm Pak 38 gun cost 10,600 Reichsmarks). The last gun was built in 1943; the main reason for the discontinuance was the lack of tungsten for projectiles.

Production of sPzB 41, pcs.
1940	1941	1942	1943	Total
94	349	1030	1324	2797

 

Production of Ammunition for sPzB 41, Thousands
Shell type	1940	1941	1942	1943	Total
Fragmentation	-	9.2	373.3	130.1	512.6
Armor-piercing	156.2	889.5	270.0	278.1	1602.8

Organization and Employment

The sPzB 41 was used by some motorized divisions and by some Jäger (light infantry), Gebirgsjäger (mountain) and Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) units. Some guns were supplied to anti-tank and sapper units. The weapon was employed on the Eastern Front from the beginning of hostilities (the Wehrmacht possessed 183 pieces on 1 June 1941), until the end of the war and also saw combat in the Italian campaign, the North African Campaign and on the Western Front in 1944–45.

Variants

2.8 cm sPzB 41 leFl 41 (2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 auf leichter Feldlafette 41): a variant developed for paratrooper units. It used a lightweight carriage without suspension; the wheels were replaced by small rollers; the shield was typically removed. The resulting weapon weighed only 139 kg (118 kg without rollers). The carriage supported a 360° field of fire, elevation ranged from -15° to 25°.

2.8 cm KwK 42: tank gun modification intended for the VK 903 turret. A Versuchs-Serie (developmental series) of twenty-four were produced, of which ten were reported as available for the VK 903 project on July 1, 1942. A total of 200 guns were ordered, though there is no evidence to show these were completed, nor is there evidence showing this weapon was ever actually mounted in a turret.

Self-propelled Mounts

The sPzB 41 was also mounted on several vehicles, such as cars, half-tracks and armored cars:

Sd.Kfz. 221 armored cars;

Sd.Kfz. 250/11 half-tracks;

Sd.Kfz. 251 half-tracks;

Horch 901 4x4 cross-country passenger cars;

Horch Typ 40 (Kfz. 15) 4x4 cross-country passenger cars.

Service

Squeeze bore guns saw only limited use in World War II. Manufacturing such weapons was impossible without advanced technologies and high production standards. Besides Germany, the only country to bring such weapons to mass production was Britain, with the Littlejohn adaptor which, although not a gun in itself, used the same principle. An attempt by a Soviet design bureau headed by V. G. Grabin in 1940, failed because of technological problems. In the US, reports about the sPzB 41 inspired a series of experiments with 28/20 barrels and taper bore adaptors for the 37 mm Gun M3; the work started in September 1941 and continued throughout the war, with no practical success.

The sPzB 41 combined good anti-armor performance at short range (for example, at least once a shot penetrated the lower front plate of the heavy IS-1) and a high rate of fire with small, lightweight (for anti-tank gun), dismantleable construction. However, it also had several shortcomings, such as:

The barrel was hard to manufacture and had a short service life (about 500 rounds)

It had a very weak fragmentation shell

Its use of tungsten for armor-piercing shells

Its short effective range

Its relatively weak beyond-armor effect

Some authors that criticize the sPzB 41 concentrate mainly on the short service life of its barrel. However, its chance of survival after 500 short-range shots was slim anyway. High-velocity guns with "normal" barrel construction also had a short service life, e.g. for the Soviet 57-mm ZiS-2 it was about 1,000 shots. In the end, the factor that brought production of the sPzB 41 to a halt was the shortage of tungsten.

Ammunition

There were two shell types for the taper-bore sPzB 41: the armor-piercing 2.8 cm Pzgr.41 and the fragmentation 2.8 cm Sprg.41, shown left and right respectively in the illustration below.

The Pzgr.41 had a tungsten carbide core, a softer steel casing and a magnesium alloy ballistic cap. The core was 40 mm long and 10.9 mm in diameter.

Available Ammunition
Type	Model	Weight, kg	Filler	Muzzle velocity, m/s	Range, m
APCNR-T	2.8 cm Pzgr.41	0.125	-	1,430	500
Fragmentation	2.8 cm Sprg.41	0.093	5 g, phlegmatized PETN	1,400	1,000

 

Armor Penetration Table
APCNR-T Projectile 2.8 cm Pzgr.41
Distance, m	Meet angle 60°, mm	Meet angle 90°, mm
100	52 – 69	75
300	46
400		40
500	40 – 52

Sources

Gander, Terry and Chamberlain, Peter. Weapons of the Third Reich: An Encyclopedic Survey of All Small Arms, Artillery and Special Weapons of the German Land Forces 1939-1945. New York: Doubleday, 1979.

Hogg, Ian V. German Artillery of World War Two. 2nd corrected edition. Mechanicsville, PA: Stackpole Books, 1997.

Shirokorad A. B. The God of War of the Third Reich. M. AST, 2002 (Широкорад А. Б. - Бог войны Третьего рейха. — М.,ООО Издательство АСТ, 2002).

Ivanov A. Artillery of Germany in Second World War. SPb Neva, 2003 (Иванов А. - Артиллерия Германии во Второй Мировой войне. — СПб., Издательский дом «Нева», 2003).

Zaloga, Steven J., Brian Delf. US Anti-tank Artillery 1941–45 (2005). Osprey Publishing (New Vanguard 107).

Guns vs Armor: German Guns up to 30mm caliber

A soldier examines a captured German 28mm sPzB 41 anti-tank gun, 21 July 1943. (Imperial War Museum NA 4961)

 

A captured German 28mm sPzB 41 anti-tank gun, 6 March 1942. (Imperial War Museum E 9090)

Sd.Kfz. 250/11 (with 2.8cm Panzerbüchse) of the Großdeutschland Division, Eastern Front, September 23, 1943. (Bundesarchiv Bild 101I-732-0111-15A)

Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) version of the sPzB 41, Gran Sasso, September 12, 1943. (Bundesarchive Bild 1011-567-15038-09)

Fallschirmjäger (paratrooper) version of the sPzB 41, Gran Sasso, September 12, 1943.

 s.Pz.B. 41 gun and Infanteriekarren 8 cart. The gun was brought into position in this manner.

Royal Military Academy, Brussels, Belgium. 

2.8 cm sPzB 41 anti-tank gun at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Taken on July 31, 2007.

2.8 cm sPzB 41 anti-tank gun at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Taken on July 31, 2007.

Breech of 2.8 cm sPzB 41 anti-tank gun at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. Taken on July 31, 2007.

2.8 cm sPzB 41 at the Musée des Blindés. Taken on September 11, 2013.

View of cartridges and projectiles for 2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41. Key: 1=Armor piercing; 2=Fragmentation.

Captured 2.8 cm s.Pz.B. 41 on trials in the USSR.

Gerlich's conical barrels and bullets for them (US patent 1944883).

Captured 2.8 cm s.Pz.B. 41 with a first type carriage on trials in the USSR.

s.Pz.B. 41 on a wheeled carriage. The carriage design and shield configuration are visible.

Diagram of the barrel and breech.  (Enemy weapons. Part III. German light anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns. The War Office. December 1942)

Cutaway of the s.Pz.B. 41.

Transporting the s.Pz.B. 41 in parts through the mountains.

2.8 cm Sprgr.-Patr. 41 and 2.8 cm Pzgr.Patr. 41 shells, illustration from "Artillery ammunition of the former German army. Reference. USSR Armed Forces GAU. Ministry of Defense of the USSR publisher, 1946".

Cradle and counterweight.

Wheels and suspension.

Trails, upper and lower mounts.

Firing with wheels removed.

Mountain soldiers with s.Pz.B. 41 guns in transport position on Sd.Ah.32/2 trailers.

Lightened Sd. Ah. 32/3 trailer for transporting the s.Pz.B. 41 with a lightened carriage (Saumur tank museum).

German paratroopers with 2.8 cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 light anti-tank gun.

Captured 2.8cm schwere Panzerbüchse 41 auf leichter Feldlafette 41 squeeze-bore gun demonstrated to troops in England in 1943.

sPzB 41 installed on a captured 1.5-ton Chevy truck.

sPzB 41 on SdAh.32/2 trailer under British inspection.

2.8cm sPzB 41 with SdKfz.10 Demag D7 1-ton halftrack.

2.8cm sPzB 41 with SdKfz.10 Demag D7 1-ton halftrack.

Sd.Kfz. 250/11 with 2.8cm sPzB 41.

Sd.Kfz. 221 armored car with 2.8cm sPzB 41.

Sd.Kfz. 221 armored car with 2.8cm sPzB 41.

Sd.Kfz. 221 armored car with 2.8cm sPzB 41.

Fairey Albacore: British Torpedo Bomber

L7075, the second prototype of the Fairey Albacore in flight. The markings place it around 1940. (Royal Air Force)

The Fairey Albacore is a single-engine biplane torpedo bomber designed and produced by the British aircraft manufacturer Fairey Aviation. It was primarily operated by the Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA) during the Second World War.

The Albacore, popularly known as the "Applecore", was conceived as a replacement for the Fairey Swordfish, an earlier biplane introduced during the mid 1930s. It was typically operated by a crew of three and was designed for spotting and reconnaissance as well as level, dive, and torpedo bombing. First flown on 12 December 1938, the Albacore was in production between 1939 and 1943, and entered FAA service with 826 Naval Air Squadron during March 1940. The type was initially operated from land bases, being dispatched on attack missions against enemy shipping and harbors in the vicinity of the English Channel. The first operations on board an aircraft carrier commenced in November 1940.

At its height, 15 first-line FAA squadrons flew the Albacore. The type was much used in the Mediterranean, participating in the Battle of Cape Matapan, the Second Battle of El Alamein, as well as the landings at Sicily and Salerno. Despite the intention to replace the Swordfish, the Albacore served with it and was eventually retired before it, both aircraft having been replaced by a pair of monoplane designs, the Fairey Barracuda and Grumman Avenger. In addition to the FAA, the Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) operated the type.

Design and Development

Background

The origins of the Albacore can be traced back to the issuing of Specification S.41/36 by the Air Ministry on 11 February 1937, as well as the earlier Specification M.7/36. The latter had sought a three-seat TSR (torpedo/spotter/reconnaissance) aircraft with which to replace the Fairey Swordfish in Fleet Air Arm (FAA) service. It was required to be capable of speeds between 58 and 183 knots while also carrying a single 18-inch Mark XIIA torpedo; furthermore, it was to be fitted with dual flight controls, have a powered rear turret, comprehensive facilities for observation and navigation, and incorporate soundproofing and heating measures.

In response, Fairey Aviation decided to work on its own design. Early activities included the wind tunnel testing of various biplane models at RAE Farnborough between November 1936 and June 1937. These tests reportedly influenced designs regarding the fitting of flaps upon the wings. The company produced both biplane and monoplane configurations to fulfill the requirement, officials dismissed the monoplane proposal as it raised uncertainties for the role it was to be tasked with at that time. Accordingly, Fairey focused its efforts onto the biplane configuration.

The Albacore, otherwise designated TBR (torpedo/bomber/reconnaissance), was a single-bay all-metal biplane. Its fuselage was of a semi-monocoque design and was equipped with a split undercarriage. In comparison to the Swordfish, the Albacore was furnished with a more powerful engine that drove a Constant-speed propeller, while the fuselage was also more aerodynamically refined. The engine that powered the early Albacores was a single Bristol Taurus II radial engine, capable of 1,065 hp, while those built later on received the more powerful Taurus XII, capable of 1,130 hp, instead.

Furthermore, the Albacore provided numerous amenities for the benefit of its crew, such as its fully enclosed cockpit, a central heating system, a windscreen wiper for the pilot, and lavatory. In the event of a water landing, the aircraft was also fitted with an automatic life raft deployment system to assist in the crew's survival. The armament of the Albacore typically included a single fixed forward-firing machine gun in the upper starboard wing, while the rear cockpit was provided with either a single or twin Vickers K machine gun. It could carry a maximum under-wing bomb load of four 500 lb (230 kg) bombs.

The wings of the Albacore were of an equal span and were foldable for more compact stowage onboard aircraft carriers. These wings, which were covered by fabric, featured relatively large flaps that were hydraulically-actuated and could also act as air brakes during dives. Akin to the preceding Swordfish, it was capable of dive bombing; it was capable of diving at speeds of up to 215 knots (400 km/h) IAS irrespective of the positioning of the flaps. According to the wartime pilot Eric Brown, the Albacore was relatively steady throughout the dive, while the recovery was typically both smooth and relatively easy to perform.

Into Flight

On 12 December 1938, the first of two prototypes performed its maiden flight from the Great West Aerodrome, flown by F. H. Dixon. During April 1939, the second prototype made its first flight, joining its sibling in the flight test program shortly thereafter. Both prototypes had not been ordered under individual contracts, but had instead been the first two of a production batch of 100 aircraft. There were some differences from subsequent production aircraft, such as their initial outfitting with non-tapered engine cowlings and wheel-spats.

While the Albacore had been developed as a carrier-capable land plane, there was interest in its potential as a floatplane, thus the first prototype was later outfitted with floats and was experimentally configured for catapult-assisted takeoffs. The Marine Aircraft Experimental Establishment (MAEE) tested it in early 1940, during which its water-handling was less than favorable, although it retained acceptable airborne characteristics, save for its reportedly poorly-harmonized flight controls.

During 1939, quantity production of the first batch of 98 aircraft commenced; the start of production had been delayed on account of production slippages of the Taurus engine. During February 1940, testing of the Albacore and Taurus II engine alike commenced at RAF Boscombe Down. During these tests, the prototype demonstrated its ability to attain a maximum speed of 160 mph (140 kn; 260 km/h), at an altitude of 4,800 ft (1,463 m), at 11,570 lb (5,259 kg), which was achieved while carrying four depth charges underneath its wings, while its maximum speed without the depth charges was 172 mph (149 kn; 277 km/h). An Albacore fitted with the Taurus II engine and carrying a torpedo weighed 11,100 lb (5,045 kg).

Some minor criticisms of the Albacore were produced during its 1940 evaluation flights; issues included the excessive heat of the forward cockpit during the summer months, while the rear cockpit was cold and subject to persistent drafts. The stall characteristics were described as uncomfortable, while the crew boarding process was also seen as somewhat hazardous. However, the only notable change in the specification was the replacement of the Taurus II engine with the improved Taurus XII counterpart.

A total of 800 Albacores were built, including the two prototypes, which were all manufactured at Fairey's Hayes factory. Production came to an end in 1943. They were typically test flown from London's Great West Aerodrome, what has since been expanded into London Heathrow Airport.

Type: Torpedo bomber

National origin: United Kingdom

Manufacturer: Fairey Aviation

Primary users:

Royal Navy

Royal Air Force

Royal Canadian Air Force

Number built: 800

Introduction date: 1940

First flight: 12 December 1938

Retired: 1949

Specifications (Albacore with Taurus XII)

Crew: 2 (torpedo bomber) or 3 (reconnaissance mission)

Length: 40 ft 1+1⁄8 in (12.221 m) in tail-up rigging position

Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m)

Width: 17 ft 9 in (5.41 m) wings folded

Height: 12 ft 10+1⁄2 in (3.924 m) tail down, propeller tip down

Wing area: 623 sq ft (57.9 m2)

Empty weight: 7,250 lb (3,289 kg) torpedo bomber

Gross weight: 10,460 lb (4,745 kg) torpedo bomber

Maximum takeoff weight: 12,830 lb (5,820 kg)

Powerplant: 1 × Bristol Taurus XII 14-cylinder sleeve-valve radial piston engine, 1,130 hp (840 kW) for take-off

Propellers: 3-bladed constant-speed propeller

Maximum speed: 161 mph (259 km/h, 140 kn) torpedo bomber at 4,500 ft (1,400 m)

Cruise speed: 140 mph (230 km/h, 120 kn) maximum

Stall speed: 54 mph (87 km/h, 47 kn) flaps down

Range: 710 mi (1,140 km, 620 nmi) with torpedo

Ferry range: 930 mi (1,500 km, 810 nmi)

Service ceiling: 18,800 ft (5,700 m)

Time to altitude: eight minutes to 6,000 ft (1,800 m)

Armament

Guns:

1 × fixed, forward-firing 0.303 in (7.7 mm) M1919 Browning machine gun in starboard wing

1 or 2 × 0.303 in (7.7 mm) Vickers K machine guns in rear cockpit.

Bombs: 1 × 1,670 lb (760 kg) torpedo or 2,000 lb (910 kg) of bombs

Operational History

During March 1940, No. 826 Naval Air Squadron was specially formed to operate the first Albacores; within weeks, the type had begun operations, attacking harbours and shipping in the English Channel, operating from shore bases, as well as providing convoy escort for the rest of 1940. HMS Formidable's 826 and 829 Squadrons were the first to operate the Albacore from an aircraft carrier, operations commencing in November 1940. The Albacore suffered from reliability problems with the Taurus engine, although these were later solved, so that the failure rate was no worse than the Pegasus equipped Swordfish. The Albacore remained less popular than the Swordfish, as it was less maneuverable, while the controls were considered to be too heavy for a pilot to perform much evasive action after dropping a torpedo.

Eventually, there were 15 first-line FAA squadrons equipped with the Albacore which operated widely in the Mediterranean. In March 1941, Albacores made torpedo attacks during the Battle of Cape Matapan, inflicting severe damage on the Italian battleship Vittorio Veneto despite the presence of heavy anti-aircraft fire. The type also played a prominent role in the ill-fated raid on Kirkenes and Petsamo during July 1941. Albacores also participated, with greater success, in the fighting at El Alamein, dropping flares to mark targets for RAF night bombers.

Between September 1941 and June 1943, No. 828 Squadron, based at RAF Hal Far, Malta, operated a squadron of Albacores under severe blitz conditions during the Siege of Malta. The type employed a mixture of mines and bombs to attack Italian shipping, including convoys, along with shore targets in Sicily, mainland Italy, and North Africa. Albacores also supported the landings at Sicily and Salerno, guarding against enemy submarines and raiding key enemy facilities such as airfields and forts.

On 9 March 1942, twelve Albacores from HMS Victorious attacked the German battleship Tirpitz at sea near Narvik. Based on information from one of a search force of six Albacores that had been launched earlier, Albacores from 817 and 832 Squadrons launched torpedoes. One attack came within 20 yd (18 m) of Tirpitz, but the attack failed for the loss of two aircraft.

During 1943, the Albacore was replaced in FAA service by the newer Barracuda. The final Albacore squadron of the FAA, No. 841 Squadron, which had flown numerous shore-based attacks against shipping in the English Channel for the whole of its career with the Albacore, was disbanded in late 1943.

The Royal Air Force deployed some Albacores; 36 Squadron based at Singapore acquired five to supplement its Vickers Vildebeests at RAF Seletar in December 1941. The remnants of the squadron was captured by the Japanese in March 1942. During 1943, No. 415 Squadron RCAF was equipped with Albacores (presumably ex-FAA) before the Flight operating them was transferred and reformed as 119 Squadron at RAF Manston in July 1944. The squadron deployed later to Belgium and their Albacores were disposed of in early 1945, due to spares shortages, in favor of the inferior but ASV radar-equipped Swordfish Mk.IIIs that the squadron kept until the end of the war on 8 May. This was to combat German mini-submarines attacking Allied shipping entering the River Scheldt on its way to the Port of Antwerp. The Aden Communication Flight used 17 Albacores between the middle of 1944 and August 1946. Some of these were delivered by sea on the SS Empire Arun in December 1945 (all from Royal Navy stock).

The Royal Canadian Air Force took over the Albacores and used them during the Normandy invasion, for a similar role until July 1944. The Albacore was the last biplane to be used in combat by the RCAF.

Operators

Canada

Royal Canadian Air Force

No. 415 Squadron RCAF

United Kingdom

Royal Air Force

No. 36 Squadron RAF

No. 119 Squadron

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm

700 Naval Air Squadron

733 Naval Air Squadron

747 Naval Air Squadron

750 Naval Air Squadron

753 Naval Air Squadron

754 Naval Air Squadron

756 Naval Air Squadron

763 Naval Air Squadron

766 Naval Air Squadron

767 Naval Air Squadron

768 Naval Air Squadron

769 Naval Air Squadron

771 Naval Air Squadron

774 Naval Air Squadron

775 Naval Air Squadron

778 Naval Air Squadron

781 Naval Air Squadron

782 Naval Air Squadron

783 Naval Air Squadron

785 Naval Air Squadron

786 Naval Air Squadron

787 Naval Air Squadron

788 Naval Air Squadron

789 Naval Air Squadron

791 Naval Air Squadron

793 Naval Air Squadron

796 Naval Air Squadron

797 Naval Air Squadron

799 Naval Air Squadron

810 Naval Air Squadron

815 Naval Air Squadron

817 Naval Air Squadron

818 Naval Air Squadron

820 Naval Air Squadron

821 Naval Air Squadron

822 Naval Air Squadron

823 Naval Air Squadron

826 Naval Air Squadron

827 Naval Air Squadron

828 Naval Air Squadron

829 Naval Air Squadron

830 Naval Air Squadron

831 Naval Air Squadron

832 Naval Air Squadron

841 Naval Air Squadron

Surviving Aircraft

Only one Albacore is known to survive, on display at the Fleet Air Arm Museum, which was built using parts of Albacores N4389 and N4172 recovered from crash sites.

Bibliography

Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1944). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1943-44. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co.

Brown, Eric (CBE, DCS, AFC, RN); Green, William; Swanborough, Gordon (1980). Wings of the navy : flying allied carrier aircraft of World War Two. Janeʼs.

Harrison, W.A. Warpaint Series No.52: Fairey Albacore. Bedfordshire: Warpaint Books Ltd 2004.

Kostam, Angus. Sink the Tirpitz 1942–44: The RAF and Fleet Air Arm duel with Germany's mighty battleship. Oxford: Osprey Publishing, 2018.

Lawrence, Joseph (1945). The Observer's Book Of Airplanes. London and New York: Frederick Warne & Co.

Mason, Francis K. (1994). The British Bomber Since 1914. London: Putnam Aeronautical Books.

Shores, Christopher; Cull, Brian; Izawa, Yasuho (1992). Bloody Shambles: Volume One: The Drift to War to the Fall of Singapore. London: Grub Street.

Taylor, H.A. Fairey Aircraft Since 1915. London: Putnam, 1974.

Further Reading

Smith, Peter C. (1982). Dive bomber : an illustrated history. Annapolis, Maryland: Naval Institute Press.

Taylor, H.A. (1974). Fairey aircraft since 1915. London: Putnam & Company Ltd.

 

Albacore, Fleet Air Arm.

 

Albacore, Fleet Air Arm.

Albacore in flight circa 1940.

A Fairey Albacore Mk I (BF759/4L) of 820 Squadron in flight operating from HMS Formidable during the North African landings, November 1942. (Imperial War Museum TR 296)

Fairey Albacore stationed on Malta. Airman at left appears to be performing maintenance while the officer in the center appears to be conducting training with the aircraft's rear gunner.

Another view of the Fairey Albacore stationed on Malta with the officer conducting training with the aircraft's rear gunner.

Loading a torpedo onto a Fairey Albacore of the Fleet Air Arm stationed at Malta.

Fairey Albacore Mk.I.

Markings of Albacore N4389, 827 Naval Air Squadron, HMS Victorious, which was shot down in the raid on Kirkenes, July 1941. Salvaged, rebuilt and now on display in the Fleet Air Arm Museum.

Albacore (N4389) at the Fleet Air Arm Museum. Taken on December 31, 2008.