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to replace the Swordfish, the Albacore served with it and was eventually retired before it, both aircraft having been replaced by a pair of monoplane designs, the Fairey Barracuda and Grumman Avenger.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.

Battle of Overloon (Netherlands), 30 September to 18 October 1944

Churchill tanks and infantry advance during the attack by 3rd Division on an enemy pocket near Overloon, 14 October 1944. (Imperial War Museum B 10821)

The Battle of Overloon was fought in the Second World War between Allied forces and the German Army which took place in and around the village of Overloon in the south-east of the Netherlands between 30 September and 18 October 1944. The battle was an Allied victory, after the Allies launched Operation Aintree. The Allies went on to liberate the town of Venray.

Background

Operation Market Garden

In September 1944, the Allies had conducted Operation Market Garden, an offensive from the Dutch–Belgian border across the south of the Netherlands through Eindhoven and Nijmegen toward the Rhine bridge at Arnhem, with the goal of crossing the Rhine and bypassing the Siegfried Line in preparation for the final drive toward Berlin. Allied airborne troops were defeated at the Rhine bridge in Arnhem and the advance stopped south of the Nederrijn (Lower Rhine), resulting in a narrow salient that ran from the north of Belgium across the south-east of the Netherlands.

German forces attacked the salient from a bridgehead west of the bend in the river Meuse (Maas to the Dutch and the Germans) near the city of Venlo. The bridgehead was established by retreating German forces who were reinforced with troops arriving from nearby Germany by crossing the Meuse in Venlo. The western edge of this bridgehead ran through the Peel, a region with bogs and several canals blocking an Allied advance. The Allies decided to attack the bridgehead from the north and this meant they had to capture Overloon and Venray, which were on the road toward Venlo.

Operation Aintree

The operation had the goal of securing the narrow salient the Allies had established between Eindhoven and Nijmegen during Operation Market Garden and destroying the German bridgehead west of the Meuse, in preparation for the eventual Allied advance into the nearby German Rhineland.

Battle

During Operation Aintree the battle of Overloon took place as the Allies advanced from nearby positions south toward the village of Overloon. After a failed attack on Overloon by the US 7th Armored Division, the British 3rd Infantry Division and the British 11th Armoured Division took over. The U.S. 7th Armored Division was moved south of Overloon to the Deurne–Weert area. Here they were attached to the British Second Army, and ordered to make demonstration attacks to the east to divert enemy forces from the Overloon and Venlo areas.

The British captured Overloon in a costly attack and moved on towards Venray. The advance on Venray resulted in more casualties, especially around the Loobeek creek, which was swollen due to the autumn rains and was flooded and mined by the Germans. Casualties were severe among the 1st Battalion, Royal Norfolk Regiment which was serving in 185th Infantry Brigade of the 3rd Infantry Division. During the battle, the village of Overloon was destroyed. In and around Overloon about 2,500 soldiers were killed, making it one of the bloodiest battles in the Netherlands during the Second World War. Dozens of tanks, mainly American, were destroyed.

Aftermath

Despite the fact that Overloon and Venray were taken by the Allies, the advance toward the bend of the Meuse near Venlo was postponed. This was due to the number of casualties the Allies had suffered and because troops were needed to support the Battle of the Scheldt to occupy the Scheldt estuary, leading to the port of Antwerp. Operation Pheasant was conducted on 20 October to expand the Market Garden salient westwards to the province of North Brabant. Following this, the German bridgehead west of the Meuse was destroyed. Blerick (near Venlo) was liberated in the first days of December 1944, Venlo and other districts east of the Meuse were liberated on 1 March 1945 (during Operation Grenade). Some days before, Wehrmacht units had left the Maas-Rur-Stellung [de] between Wassenberg (at the river Rur) and Venlo (at the river Meuse).

Remembrance

The battle of Overloon has become known as the second battle of Caen[citation needed] due to its ferocity and also as the forgotten battle, because like the other engagements in the Peel area it is not well known in much of the Netherlands.[citation needed] The tanks and other armored vehicles which were left on the battlefield have been preserved and in Overloon a museum, which opened in 1946, was erected to commemorate the battle. Today, two museums occupy the original museum grounds, which have been renamed Liberty Park. The National War and Resistance Museum of the Netherlands focuses on the Dutch experience of war and German occupation between 1940 and 1945. The Marshall Museum holds a collection of armored vehicles, weaponry and aircraft from the Second World War, much of it left on the Overloon battlefield and focuses on the battle of Overloon and other military aspects of the Second World War. Two memorials have been erected on the battle site. On the banks of the Loobeek creek, where it is crossed by the road between Overloon and Venray, stands the Norfolk monument, dedicated to the 1st Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment. The liberation of Venray is one of their battle honors. There is also another memorial in the museum grounds of Liberty Park.

The text of the memorial:

Dutch: STA EEN OGENBLIK STIL bezoeker en bedenk dat de grond waarop gij nu vertoeft eens een van de felst omstreden sectoren was van het slagveld Overloon. Bitter is hier gevochten in man tegen man gevechten. Vele jonge levens ontkomen aan de slagvelden van Nettuno en Normandië vonden onder deze bomen hun einde.

English translation: "TAKE PAUSE FOR A MOMENT visitor, and consider that the ground you are now on was once one of the most fiercely contested sectors of the Overloon battlefield. Bitter hand-to-hand combat ensued here. Many young lives, having escaped from the battlefields of Nettuno and Normandy, met their ends under these trees."

Further Reading

Ellis, Lionel; Allen, G. R. G.; Warhurst, A. E.; Robb, J. (2004) [1962]. Butler, J. R. M. (ed.). Victory in the West: The Battle of Normandy. History of the Second World War United Kingdom. Vol. I (2nd pbk. facs. Naval & Military Press, Uckfield ed.). Uckfield, East Sussex: HMSO.

Jackson, G. S. (2006). 8 Corps: Normandy to the Baltic. Buxtons: MLRS Book. Originally published in two volumes as Operations of Eighth Corps, Account of Operations from Normandy to the River Rhine. London: St. Clements Press. 1948 and The River Rhine to the Baltic Sea: A Narrative Account of the Pursuit and final Defeat of the German Armed Forces.....March – May 1945 by Lieutenant-Colonel G. S. Jackson.

 

A Sherman command tank advancing through Overloon, 14 October 1944. (Imperial War Museum B10820)

 

Infantry of the 1st Suffolk Regiment, 3rd Division, during the attack on Overloon, 14 October 1944. (Imperial War Museum B10813)

On 18 October 1944, a firefly and Sherman III tanks of 29th Armoured Brigade advances near Venray. The marking just below the co-driver hatch of the firefly is not clear enough to identify the regiment. (Imperial War Museum B11058)

Churchill tanks and infantry advance during the attack by 3rd Division on an enemy pocket near Overloon, 14 October 1944. (Imperial War Museum B10816)

A Sherman Crab and Royal Engineers in Overloon, 14 October 1944. (Imperial War Museum B10818)

A Sherman Fireflies of 10th Armoured Regiment (The Fort Garry Horse), 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade near the Beveland Canal (east of Goes), Netherlands, on 29 October 1944.

A Churchill tank of 6th Guards Tank Brigade supporting infantry of 3rd Division attacking Overloon in the Netherlands, 14 October 1944. (Imperial War Museum B10809)

A Churchill Mk IV tank supporting infantry of 3rd Division during the attack on Overloon, 14 October 1944. (Imperial War Museum B10812)

A Sherman and Churchill tank advance through Overloon during the attack by 3rd Division on an enemy pocket near the town, 14 October 1944. (Imperial War Museum B10819) 

Knocked out Panzer V Panther tank at North Brabant, Overloon. Taken in 1945.

German Panzer V Ausf. G "Panther" at the Nationaal Oorlogsen Verzetsmuseum (Overloon War Museum), Overloon, the Netherlands. The tank of the German 107th Panzer Brigade was knocked out by the 2nd Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, on 13 October 1944 at Overloon. Possibly the same tank as in the previous photo (note the number “22” on the turret). Taken in 1987.

British troops at the outskirts of Venray, October 18, 1944.

Memorial to the battle in Overloon, August 8, 2006.

Panzer V Ausf.G Panther of the German 107th Panzer Brigade at the Overloon War Museum, was knocked out by the 2nd Battallion, East Yorkshire Regiment, on 13 October 1944 at Overloon. Taken February 3, 2018.