Best ship buster.....

[the lancaster kicks ass]

yeah but we still had good ship busters.............

 

[lesofprimus]

For sure....

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

the swordfish in particular..............

 

[lesofprimus]

I would think the Beaufighters and Blenheims sank more shipping than the "Stringbag"......

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

yes but that doesn't make them the better ship busters...................

 

[lesofprimus]

Hmmmmmm to an extent it does....

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

no it means they were faster and had better range, but they were very good..............

 

[cheddar cheese]

Piaggio P.108A (Best I could find - sorry. Well they pnly made one...)

The P.108A was one of many developments of the Italian heavy bomber. Equipped with a 102mm cannon (the second largest gun ever fitted to any plane ever, and the largest gun fitted to a plane during World War 2) the P.108A was designed for attacking shipping. Although the only one made was captured by the Germans, I am fairly certain it would have been extremely successful. It would have been able to hold its own against the enemy fighters as well, because it was equipped with 8MG's for defence - 2 in the wings, 1 in the nose, 2 on the top, 2 waist gunners and a ventral turret. I believe this made the P.108 the most heavily defended bomber until the B-29 came along some 3 years later 8)

 

[the lancaster kicks ass]

8MG's for defence

I believe this made the P.108 the most heavily defended bomber until the B-29 came

are you forgetting the B-17 or maybe even the B-24??

I am fairly certain it would have been extremely successful

i don't think it would have been, even a 102mm shell would assure the sinking of a ship, how many rounds could it carry??

It would have been able to hold its own against the enemy fighters as well

wouldn't the gun the reduce the performance of the plane?? also the number and posistions of guns can't assure it would be safe from attack, look at the B-17, up to 13mgs, many in turrets, still defenceless against fighter attack when unescorted..................

 

[mosquitoman]

Best ship buster has to be the Beaufighter, Rocket and Cannon Beaus went in to kill the flak crews and then the torpedo aircraft came in low and did the actual sinking. A highly co-ordinated attack

 

[Adolf Galland]

The best way to "BUST" ships is to use dive bombers because no (almost none) normal bombers can be as accurate (look how effective the Stukas attcking Allied shipping to UK in the English Channel in 1940, and the dive bombers are better than the torpedo bombers (well, what I mean by that is in case there are fighter opposition, because torpedoes cause lot more damage than bombs) and I would suggest the Helldiver as a really good dive bomber.

 

[Lightning Guy]

The Helldiver was the top ship killer of American aircraft.

 

[Adolf Galland]

thats my point

 

[MikeMan]

The Mosquito with the 57mm would rank in this category as well right?

 

[GermansRGeniuses]

Best ship buster has to be the Beaufighter, Rocket and Cannon Beaus went in to kill the flak crews and then the torpedo aircraft came in low and did the actual sinking. A highly co-ordinated attack

Or, get two Torbeaus with rockets...


One can attack with machine guns, cannons, and rockets while the other dives in to drop the torpedo, and then reverse the combination...


First color change is drop of its assigned strike (rocket dropping rockets, torpedo dropping torpedo), second color change is drop of other ordanance (where rockets drops torpedo and torpedo drops rockets) before turning for home...


Of course they would use more than two planes as insurance of success, but this is only to show a point.

 

[Gemhorse]

Absolutely the Beaufighters first, and Mosquitos of the Coastal Command Strike Wings, I'm in full agreement with Dave and Mikeman........

Also the Beaufighters in the ETO and PTO, but I also agree with Evan on the B-25's in the Pacific.... didn't the one you mention have some recoil mechanism worked-out for it's 75mm.?......

 

[Gemhorse]

I mention the Beaufighters as they were the first at it, but definately the Tse-Tse Mk.XVIII Mosquitos, although there weren't that many of them....most of their Strike Wing ones were FBVI's..........

 

[Cougar]

id say as well the mossy with the 57mm would be one of the best

 

[Erich]

excellent suggestions. Do not forget that the Ju 88A was also used by Germany successfully.....

 

[Lightning Guy]

The think is, not that many Tse-Tses were built because a FB.VI with rockets was found to be just as effective.

And it the PTO, don't forget the A-20 which had a lot of success as a skip-bomber.