Best anti-shipping aircraft?

[the lancaster kicks ass]

they tried mounting them to -88s in the BoB didn't they??

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I dont know if it ever entered operational status. I think it was only in testing but it was about the time of the BoB.

 

[syscom3]

Ok, so now that we have some interesting comments here, whats the 2nd rounds of comments for which was the anti-shipping plane of WW2?
B25
SBD
Mousie
Beaufighter
A20
Condor

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I think pretty much everyone has allready agreed on the Dauntless, B-25, Beaufighter or Condor.

 

[Erich]

ah no..........

Ju 290

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Correct me if I am wrong but wasn't the Ju-290 used more for Maritime Recon than anti shipping?

 

[Erich]

hee hee, your getting close Adler. actually both really .......

I'll be back with more info tonight as I gotta run

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I know they used it for Maritime recon and that it was in the running for the Amerika Bomber program that never materialized. I have no info though on it being used to sink ships though. I believe though that it was used to search for convoys and then tell the U-Boots where the convoy was at.

 

[syscom3]

I have a question for you Mosquito experts about its anti-shipping operations in the North Sea.

Did they go on daily (weather permitting) anti-shipping patrols, or did they only go after shipping when they knew a convoy was operating.

The 5th and 13th AF often went on regular patrols just to sink any barges they might come across.

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I am sure they would go on patrol as well as attack known convoys. It just makes sense.

 

[Gemhorse]

To my knowledge, both....The occupied country's resistance-movements kept British High Command up to date with the German shipping, and there was extensive mining-ops carried out as well...mostly the Strike Wings' attacked on information received though....

A total of 4,786 British merchant ships and fishing vessels were sunk by subs, mines, surface craft, aircraft and 'unknown causes'...as stated, aircraft-figures alone are elusive here.....
Roughly 52,000 RN sailors died in action, and 31,000 British Merchant Navy seamen....
A total of 10,600,000 personnel were moved around the world in troopships during the War, and of these, only 2,978 lost their lives at sea.

Many thanks for presenting those awesome action-shots guys, bloody superb !!!!.....

IMHO, the B-25 Dauntless were the PTO's best....and Beaufighters....
- ETO, the Mosquito and Beaufighter, the latter had to be a refinement of the Beaufighter at this task, being a little faster and more manoeuverable, both as heavily-armed and with a few 'Tse-tse's' as well...

The Fw-200 was really more a reconn to bring the U-boats in, or if within land-range, Luftwaffe bombers.....Although heavily-armed, they appear to have only attacked vulnerable targets, and with the advent of the Cam ships, which put up a Hurricane, they would try to avoid aerial combat....afterall, they were only airliners with guns and were quite structurally vulnerable...As Coastal Command got more aircraft to support convoys, Condors' kept out of their way....

Gemhorse

 

[schwarzpanzer]

evangilder wrote:

Both the G and H models of the B-25 carried the 75mm cannon. Due to it's low rate of fire, it wasn't as effective as it could have been. It had a low rate of fire because it was hand loaded by a loader who sat behind and below the cockpit

.

Isn't that the one that de-torqued all the bolts on the plane?

Some Ju88's carried 75mm cannons for anti-tank work, did maritime versions also?

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

...

The Fw-200 was really more a reconn to bring the U-boats in, or if within land-range, Luftwaffe bombers.....Although heavily-armed, they appear to have only attacked vulnerable targets, Gemhorse

Thats partially because there main targets were convoy ships.

 

[trackend]

Good info Gem cheers, im still hunting on the aircraft ship kills but as you say its really hard to get an accurate figure

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I dont really think anyone except for the allies would have the true figures for there tonnage lost and the real question is where to find that. For German tonnage lost I am pretty sure that is lost unless it is in the Bundesarchives.

 

[lesofprimus]

Its easier to track tonnage losses in the Pacific than in the ETO for some reason, though not sure why...

I still think it comes down to 2 anti-shipping platforms, the Beaufighter and the B-25J...

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

I can agree with that about the 2 aircraft.

 

[Glider]

I also concur with the B25 and Beaufighter, both flexible tough planes.

 

[lesofprimus]

I dont think the -25J was really operated as an anti-shipping stike craft in the MTO... Maybe in the Med, but Im not sure...

 

[syscom3]

I never heard of the B25 operated in that role either (in the MTO). I think all of the B25's operated in Europe were used strictly as medium altitude bombers. Only the PTO/CBI got the strafer versions.