Lawson (second from left) with other members of The Black-Hand Gang (from left) Eric Margetts, John Moffat, Buster May and Glan Evans

It was a classic contest between David and Goliath.  On May 27, 1941, the German battleship Bismark had just sunk the pride of the Royal Navy, the HMS Hood. As she was close to escaping into safe waters, she was attacked by a swarm of obsolete Fairey Swordfish biplanes launched from the carrier HMS Ark Royal.   Lt-Cdr Bobby Lawson, one of the Swordfish pilots,  recently died at 91.

Lt-Cdr Bobby Lawson

Lieutenant-Commander Bobby Lawson, who has died aged 91, attacked the German battleship Bismarck only hours after she had sunk the battlecruiser Hood, the pride of the British fleet.

At about midnight on May 24 1941, Lawson was piloting a Swordfish over the North Atlantic. His was one of nine aircraft from 825 Naval Air Squadron sent to attack Bismarck, which earlier that day had sunk Hood, with the loss of all but three of the 1,418 crew.

Led by Lieutenant-Commander Eugene Esmonde, Lawson and his fellow pilots had flown from the new fleet carrier Victorious. They were inexperienced; Lawson had made his first deck landing only five days earlier, and the squadron had not practised a formation attack.

At about midnight on May 24 1941, Lawson was piloting a Swordfish over the North Atlantic. His was one of nine aircraft from 825 Naval Air Squadron sent to attack Bismarck, which earlier that day had sunk Hood, with the loss of all but three of the 1,418 crew.

Thanks to Alaric Bond for passing the news along.