Date:	Wednesday 4 September 1940
Time:	Early mornin
Type:	Fairey Swordfish Mk I
Owner/operator:	813 Sqn FAA RN
Registration:	K8403
MSN:	F2585
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Unknown
Location:	Scarpanto island, -   Greece
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	HMS Eagle
Destination airport:	HMS Eagle

Narrative:
813 Sqn. FAA Royal Navy, Fairy Swordfish K8403 'E4-M', operating from the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle, force landed on Scarpanto Island, Greece on 4th September 1940, following combat with Italian Fiat CR.42 fighters during a bombing attack on Maritza Airfield, Rhodes Island, Greece. The three aircrew became prisoners of war.
K8403 was shipped in December 1940 to Guidonia Airfield, Lazio, the Italian Air Force aeronautic research center. The Swordfish was used by the Italian Air Force until mid 1941, kept airworthy by using spare parts from Swordfish K8422 that force landed on Kasos Island, Greece, during the same bombing mission to Rhodes on 4th September 1940.

Twenty one Swordfish aircraft from the aircraft carriers HMS Illustrious and HMS Eagle, stationed off Rhodes Island, Greece, were launched on an early morning attack on the Rhodes Island airfields on the 4th September 1940. Four Swordfish from 813 Squadron, HMS Eagle were lost in combat with Italian Fiat fighters in the attack on Maritza Airfield, three ditching in the Mediterranean Sea and one force landing on Scarpanto Island, Greece.

K8403 | Captured Wings Wiki | Fandom (wikia.org)
Harold A. Skaarup web pages (silverhawkauthor.com)
Italian Forces - Swordfish captured by Italians (ww2incolor.com)
U-boats in Atlantic, September 1940 (naval-history.net)
British aircraft in Italian markings 1940-43, any photos? - Axis History Forum
RAFCommands Forums
WINGS PALETTE - Fairey Swordfish - Italy (fascists) (scn.ru)
Can You Count? | Page 52 | WW2Talk

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
09-Feb-2021 17:32	Peter Clarke	Added
13-Feb-2021 21:51	Nepa	Updated [Aircraft type, Operator]