The Fairey Swordfish was an antiquated design from the moment it was introduced in 1936 (and [here is a picture](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Swordfish_(7582559196).jpg) so you can visualize the plane). In general the 1930's saw a rapid shift from biplane designs to all metal monoplanes, but the Swordfish bucked that trend. Its specifications would be more suited to WWI than WWII, especially in its speed (sub 150 mph) and defensive armament (one fixed forward gun and one flexible rear gun). Even for a naval torpedo bomber it was slow, low, and vulnerable. But it was what the Royal Navy had.

And they put it to good use.

First, during the 1940 attack on Taranto the Swordfish attacked the Italian navy (Regia Marina) at anchor in port with torpedoes and bombs. These obsolete bombers wreaked havoc. For the cost of two planes they sunk one battleship, damaged two more, and damaged a couple more cruisers to boot. If that sounds like a precursor to Pearl Harbor, it was. The Japanese had already begun experimenting with shallow water attacks but Taranto proved it was a workable plan.

Then in 1941 the Swordfish intervened in the dramatic British effort to find and sink the German battleship Bismark. The British had already lost the famous HMS Hood to the marauder, and were anxious to destroy it before it could attack other targets. These low and slow warplanes scored a fateful hit on Bismark's rudder, making it impossible for the warship to maneuver effectively. The Royal Navy was finally able to close in and destroy the German ship, but it would have been much much more difficult without the damage done by the Swordfish.

The Swordfish biplanes were an antiquated design, but were effective on those two occasions. They also served in antisubmarine and scouting missions. When they ran into enemy fighters they had serious vulnerabilities, but they also affected the course of the war at Taranto and against Bismark.

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Be careful about other WWII biplane stories, especially Faith, Hope, and Charity (Gloster Gladiators) on the island of Malta. There were indeed biplane fighters there during the siege of the island, but there were also modern fighters like Hurricanes and Spitfires. The Russians did use the Po-2 biplane bomber to some effect but its contribution can also be overstated.