Given what you’ve got, how would you organize RAF Malaya April-Nov 1941 onwards?

[Shortround6]

That or scrounge up some old 112 lb bombs (drag is equal to a couple of parachutes) or rig two-three 40lb bombs under each wing.

Might be a better bet. one out of the six bombs might land close enough for the fragments to damage a Japanese aircraft.

 

[buffnut453]

The Buffalo (at least the American ones) was rated/equipped to carry a pair of 100lb bombs.

Unknown if the British or Dutch versions had similar capability. (like actual racks/shackles and dropping gear. )

Both the Dutch and British airframes had the capability to fit bomb racks under the wings. There's a photo of a Dutch machine in the Squadron/Signal "In Action" book showing the bomb rack fitted with a bomb loaded. The RAF also performed bombing trials with a Buffalo in Singapore prior to the outbreak of hostilities.

 

[Juha3]

J Juha3 I'm on board for jungle warfare. We're an avation forum, so what's the plan for the RAF? Are we too early technologically for radio directed CAS for our Commonwealth Chindits? Can the RAF Buffalo carry bombs, like the Dutch ones? Not that there are enough Buffaloes for both fighter and CAS.

That is equipment and training issue. IIRC the Luftwaffe used Flivos already in 1940 but did the British Army and The RAF/RAAF had suitable radios and maps for that in 1941/42, I don't know. I mentioned chindits only to emphasize that it is entirely possible to train ordinary troops to jungle warfare and so successfully counter Japanese tactics. RAF/RAAF were underdogs during the campaign, so better not to use meager fighter resources to CAS except in emergencies. For RAF/RAAF, put cameras to some Buffaloes to use them as recon fighters, built revetments under jungle canopy, improve camouflage at bases, built some new carefully camouflaged airfields not so obvious places.

 

[taly01]

Hit and run strafing of troops and ships (ignoring dogfighting) with MG and ~100lb bombs would probably have been more effective than what the Buffalos actually accomplished as fighters. Also neither the Japanese army or navy had much AAA in 1941. The Dutch Buffalos using US 100lb bomb managed to sink a Japanese destroyer.

But doctrinally the Buffalos in Singapore were "fighters" so that wasn't going to happen.

 

[Peter Gunn]

Hit and run strafing of troops and ships (ignoring dogfighting) with MG and ~100lb bombs would probably have been more effective than what the Buffalos actually accomplished as fighters. Also neither the Japanese army or navy had much AAA in 1941. The Dutch Buffalos using US 100lb bomb managed to sink a Japanese destroyer.

But doctrinally the Buffalos in Singapore were "fighters" so that wasn't going to happen.

Agreed, it's going to take a pretty dynamic person to go against doctrine to get the Buff turned into a CAS aircraft. Not saying it can't be done but we'd need a forward thinking/thinking out of the box kind of guy in charge of air assets to get some of these proposals off the ground... so to speak.

 

[buffnut453]

Errr....the Buffalo was used for strafing troops. Ok, it wasn't used in that role right at the start of the conflict but it certainly was during January 1942.

Also, putting bombs on a Buffalo and using it as a CAS aircraft isn't going to buy you much if you don't have air superiority. You have no fighters to escort the CAS Buffalos and so they'll probably get shot down in droves. Bear in mind the IJAAF had just under 100 Ki-27s specifically for providing air cover over the invasion convoys...and that's in addition to the two Sentais worth of Ki-43s.