Recent content by RCAFson

FAA and RAF divebombing- trial data from Smith's 'Dive Bomber!' Swordfish: Although Centurion was not a fast ship, it's interesting to note that accuracy against a manoeuvring ship went up. RAF and the Fairey Battle: In fact 6 Battle squadrons conducted high angle dive-bombing trials...

That's very unlikely. See here for actual data: https://www.hmshood.org.uk/ship/hoodspecs4.htm (note the reduction of speed in tight turns!) There's a finite amount of power that can be applied to the prop shafts before the props begin to cavitate and the turbine blades can be stripped if too...

In windless conditions to launch a deck load strike. The IJN never used flight deck catapults on their carriers, so high speed was specified to aid in carrier ops, as was the need for light weight aircraft. The speed chosen when under attack had to also factor in the ability of screening ships...

It takes a long time for a carrier to accelerate from cruising speed to max speed. Without AW radar the IJN wouldn't have time to appreciably increase speed.

The SBD never carried more than a 1000lb bomb load during carrier based missions. Even the SBD-5 had to reduce fuel load from 254 to 165USG to carry a 1600lb bomb and the rated combat radius was reduced from 240nm (1000lb bomb) to 95nm. The SBD-3 had a 1000hp at TO engine and the SBD-5 (1943)...

The attrition rates are irrelevant because the Luftwaffe and German Army knew that the bridges would be targets and they reacted accordingly, especially as the Battles were sent in several days after the bridges had been captured. Any other available aircraft type making tactical strikes...

The Battles were used in France and, to lesser extent in Africa for tactical strike/glide bombing missions. Anyways we have lots of examples of IJN CAP entirely failing to intercept SDBs prior to them beginning their attack dives. On 10 12 May 1940, 5 Battles attacked the Vroenhoeven bridge...

Yes, but if they had hit and damaged or sunk Akagi, which navy/AF would consider the attrition rate too high? The real tragedy here, IMHO, was the RAF's opposition to tactical strike missions and the needed tactics and the reliance on level bombing. If we replace those 9 Blenheim with 9...

You brought up the TBF... You'll have to argue with Nimitz... The FAA's experience with the F4F variants was mixed. It had better range and endurance but it's climb rate was abysmal for a single seat fighter, which is the main complaint against it in the USN, and as I stated it was...

They were caught by surprise whilst flying between bases.

The TBF wasn't available until June 1942 and it was not a success as a TB until it was equipped with reliable torpedoes in mid 1944. The F4F-4 was considerably outperformed by the Hurricane II and even the IB had a far superior climb rate and better performance at low altitude where most of...

Yet the USN used the TBD until Midway... at least with Swordfish they could have used a night TB strike. In mid 1942 Nimitz was calling for Merlin engined fighters to be placed on USN carriers...: Here is the text of a despatch from Admiral Nimitz to Admiral King sent on 20 June 1942:

I agree that in the OTL rapid reinforcement of Ceylon is unlikely but I also think that it wouldn't have taken a very large departure from the OTL to have built more airbases on Ceylon and established OTU squadrons there with a couple of Battle and/or Skua squadrons. Somerville had 45...

Gee, didn't we used to have a forum member who also found everyone else's post to be funny?

There was only a dozen or so Swordfish available at Ceylon, but Indomitable and Formidable had 45 Albacores (24+21) between them. The range of a SWordfish II was 450nm at 90knots, with allowances for warmup and TO and full internal fuel (143IG). The range could be extended via an internal 60IG...