The Shopping Bag Fighter - Britain's Deadliest Secret

May 26, 1941. Fifteen British Fairey Swordfish torpedo bombers chug through the storm-ravaged North Atlantic skies. Their crews grit their teeth as their faces are pummeled by heavy rain and howling wind, the aircraft’s open cockpits leaving them woefully exposed as they navigate through the thick, dark clouds.

They are looking to intercept the Royal Navy’s enemy number one - the infamous German battleship Bismarck - before she can reach safety in Occupied France. She eluded every warship Britain has left in the region, but they didn’t count on these old-fashioned fabric-covered biplanes.
As the Swordfish’s crews strain their eyes to locate their target through the gloom, suddenly, they make out the towering form of Bismarck emerging through the fog. They line up for their bombing run, to do what no other aircraft could…


---

Join Dark Skies as we explore the world of aviation with cinematic short documentaries featuring the biggest and fastest airplanes ever built, top-secret military projects, and classified missions with hidden untold true stories. Including US, German, and Soviet warplanes, along with aircraft developments that took place during World War I, World War 2, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, the Gulf War, and special operations mission in between.

As images and footage of actual events are not always available, Dark Skies sometimes utilizes similar historical images and footage for dramatic effect and soundtracks for emotional impact. We do our best to keep it as visually accurate as possible.

All content on Dark Skies is researched, produced, and presented in historical context for educational purposes. We are history enthusiasts and are not always experts in some areas, so please don't hesitate to reach out to us with corrections, additional information, or new ideas.