Word: swordfish
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Dates: during 1940-1949
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...British radio announcement that Swordfish torpedo planes were being based in Cuba to aid United States naval and army air forces was confirmed by an official British source in Havana...
...began to list alarmingly to starboard-"at an angle suggesting a motor car with both wheels on one side off." On the flight and hangar decks mechanics and pilots worked frantically in an effort to launch the ship's planes, 60 Swordfish torpedo-carriers and Skua dive-bombers...
...broadside after broadside into Italy's fourth city, her chief merchant port. Over 300 tons of shells flew into docks, warehouses, oil tanks, power stations, supply ships, harbor installations, and into the electric and boiler works of the huge Ansaldo shipbuilding plant. In the whole operation, only one Swordfish was lost. The squadron included the 32,000-ton battle cruiser Renown, the 31,000-ton battleship Malaya, a veteran of Jutland, the 22,000-ton aircraft carrier Ark Royal, the 9,100-ton cruiser Sheffield, and a covering guard of smaller vessels. The commander again was Sir James Somerville...
...nimble Italians were not scot free. Fairey Swordfish torpedo planes and Blackburn Skua dive bombers went whirring after them from the aircraft carrier Ark Royal, far in the rear of the British formation. These plunged and plopped their projectiles at the escapists, while their fighter escorts took on Italian defensive aircraft. As they returned to the Ark Royal, and reconnaissance planes flew up to check the battle score, Sir James led his ships away from land, down toward Malta and their original course, well knowing what a hornets' nest the action would stir up at the Cagliari air bases...
...British said: one of their Swordfish punctured the biggest Italian battleship; another torpedo hit the Bolzano (heavy cruiser) and a Skua's bomb hit a Condottieri (light) cruiser; fire from the Renown and the British cruisers damaged another heavy cruiser and two destroyers. Total: six strikes, which reduced Italy's serviceable battleships to two, her cruisers to 16, as against only one British ship struck, the cruiser Berwick, which lost seven men killed, nine injured when hit by two shells, but was still ready for action...