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Plane: Fairey Swordfish U3K from 818 Squadron

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Crew: Lieutenant(A) S. Keane, RN (P), Lieutenant A. S. Marshall, RN (O), and Naval Airman F. Clark, RN

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Mother ship: HMS Furious -battlecruiser

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The record is from April 19 1940

HMS Furious had expected to finally get fully refueled from the newly arrived tanker War Pindari (5,559 BRT), but the need to get underway in the face of two air attacks left little doubt that Tromso was no longer a safe haven. Abandoning further efforts, she put to sea at her best speed on three shafts, 20 knots. That afternoon, having received word (errantly) that five German destroyers were at sea, a single Swordfish was send off on an armed reconnaissance mission ahead of the ship.

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The aircraft, 818 Squadrons U3K, became entangled in a snowstorm and was unable to return home. The crew navigated to Skogsfjord where they force-landed in a snowy field. The aircraft was recovered by Norwegian Navy personnel and taken to Skattoia, while the flight crew, Lieutenant(A) S. Keane, RN (P), Lieutenant A. S. Marshall, RN (O), and Naval Airman F. Clark, RN (AG) eventually reached friendly forces. (Mark Horan)

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And there is another record, few days early about battle of Narvik and emergency landing of the same plane on air ship:

April 13

Meanwhile, after the previous days attacks on Trondheim, the Home Fleet had sailed for Narvik, arriving off Vestfjord at 0500. At 1545, with plans well underway for a dive bombing attack on the German warships trapped at Narvik, HMS Furious was detached to join the Battlecruiser Squadron stationed

further off shore. At 1615, the first range, eight Swordfish of 818 Squadron led by the OC, Lieutenant-Commander P. G. O. Sydney-Turner, RN, began taking off.

The nine Swordfish of 816 Squadron, led by OC Lieutenant-Commander G. B.

Hodgkinson, RN, followed at 1655. Each aircraft was armed with 4 x 250 lb. GP

bombs and 8 x 20 lb. Cooper bombs.

The weather was miserable, with 10/10 cloud at 1,500 over the ship, though

as 818 Squadron approached Narvik, the cloud base suddenly increased to 2,800

feet leaving the aircraft exposed during their approach. The three

sub-flights attacked independently in the face of extremely intense and

accurate

Flak, targeting two of five destroyers sighted as well as the ore quay.

Although

one Swordfish was unable to release its bombs, the others claimed three 250

lb. and one 20 lb. hits. In the event, Erich Koellner (Z-13) was hit once,

Erich Giese (Z-12) received splinter damage, and three small Norwegian craft,

including the fishery protection vessel Senja, were sunk. Additionally, in

all the confusion, the Dutch steamer Bernisse (951 BRT) scuttled herself. Six

of the attacking planes were hit, three seriously. U3L, missing its port

wingtip and aileron, half the starboard elevator and the bottom of the rudder,

with virtually the entire instrument panel wrecked, and with b

oth aircrew wounded, opted to make a water landing alongside HMS Grenade,

which quickly picked up both Sub-Lieutenant(A) S. G. J. Appleby, RN (P) and

Leading Airman E. Tapping, RN (AG). Meanwhile, U3A, with its petrol tank

holed,

managed to make it to the task force before force-landing alongside HMS

Punjabi who quickly gathered in all three aircrew, Lieutenant-Commander P. G.

O.

Sydney-Turner, RN (P), Lieutenant W. B. Kellett, RN (O), and Petty Officer W.

H. Dillnutt, RN (AG).

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The third Swordfish, U3K, having lost its port

landing gear, remained aloft until all the other aircraft were down before executing a superb night landing.

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Meanwhile, 816 Squadron, took its departure at 1712. At 1808 they passed

the returning survivors of 818 Squadron, but immediately afterward a sudden

snow squall dropped visibility to virtually nil. By 1827 Hodgkinson gave up

and

turned for home, arriving at 2205 in pitch darkness. In the ensuing night

landings, Swordfish U4L:K6002 missed the arrestor wires, catapulted overboard,

and landed upside down in the Arctic waters. In what can only be called a

miracle both aircrew, Lieutenant(A) M. D. Donati, RN (P) and Leading Airman F.

A. J. Smith, RN (AG) scrambled clear to be rescued by HMS Hero after 45

minutes in the frigid water with only their life vests for support. (Mark

Horan)

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