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They were beautiful thoughThey were not so agile as dive bombers that they were not going to fight US fighters but run spraying 7.7mm shells behind.
To reduce the weight would be better to run faster
You learn something new every dayTorpedo bombers in the 3 big navies rarely strafed.
depending on the torpedoes used they had to aimed ahead of the ship so even on the torpedo run the plane was not pointed at the ship, some torpedoes could be aimed at off angle.
Other job was level bombing.
Front firing machine gun was as much for moral as any aspect of actually shooting down attacking aircraft. Maybe a line of tracers could discourage a fighter from making a frontal attack?
US put .50 cal guns on anything bigger than a Motorcycle
Avengers started with one gun, after the first 1500+ they went to two guns. Not sure where the MK 13 torpedo saga was at that point but the Avenger was doing more glide bombing/low level bombing
The Aichi B7A Ryusei (Grace) had twin 20mm cannons in the wings. Perhaps as it was a dual role with a dive bomber and torpedo function....but the Kate and Jill did not receive any type of forward-firing weaponry.
The Avengers fought for just about 3 years. A lot changed in those 3 years. They actually got good torpedoes in the last yearYou learn something new every dayI always assumed that the Avengers did some CAS/ground pounding because they were or at least the later variants were able to carry rockets.
The Skyraider didn't get 4 cannon in the 1st or early versions. They had two guns.The Douglas A-1 Skyraider beats the Grace with its four 20mm cannons in the wings.
Thats a very good example of if it looks right it is right, a very good looking aircraft it is.The Aichi B7A Ryusei (Grace) had twin 20mm cannons in the wings. Perhaps as it was a dual role with a dive bomber and torpedo function.
View attachment 745975
The Grace has some of the most powerful forward gun armament of any single-engine carrier torpedo bomber. The Fairey Spearfish was to have two .50 cal mgs in the wings. The Douglas A-1 Skyraider beats the Grace with its four 20mm cannons in the wings.
The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver had its forward armament upgunned from 2x0.5" to 2x20mm from the -1C Model. So after about the first 600 or so had been produced.The Aichi B7A Ryusei (Grace) had twin 20mm cannons in the wings. Perhaps as it was a dual role with a dive bomber and torpedo function.
View attachment 745975
The Grace has some of the most powerful forward gun armament of any single-engine carrier torpedo bomber. The Fairey Spearfish was to have two .50 cal mgs in the wings. The Douglas A-1 Skyraider beats the Grace with its four 20mm cannons in the wings.
Japanese aircraft were almost always some of the best looking. Though I think the Ki-100's tail looks too small.Thats a very good example of if it looks right it is right, a very good looking aircraft it is.
The reason for the Aichi Type 99s being armed was likely two-fold... 1. They were far more agile and could give a decent account of themselves in air-to-air actions... witness the combats over O'ahu on 7Dec41. Secondly, doctrine dictated that the carrier bombers were to strafe the targets as they descended in order to scatter and demoralize the enemy. This tidbit was preserved in the Shokaku's action report from the Hawaiian Operation... the only such report known to have survived. Supposedly, Fuchida destroyed or buried the others, I think. The Nakajima Type 97s were probably too slow and unwieldy to justify the extra weight of guns and ammunition.Torpedo bombers in the 3 big navies rarely strafed.
depending on the torpedoes used they had to aimed ahead of the ship so even on the torpedo run the plane was not pointed at the ship, some torpedoes could be aimed at off angle.
Other job was level bombing.
Front firing machine gun was as much for moral as any aspect of actually shooting down attacking aircraft. Maybe a line of tracers could discourage a fighter from making a frontal attack?
US put .50 cal guns on anything bigger than a Motorcycle
Avengers started with one gun, after the first 1500+ they went to two guns. Not sure where the MK 13 torpedo saga was at that point but the Avenger was doing more glide bombing/low level bombing
From a Western perspective, it's rather weird given the fact that the TBF/TBM Avenger did have .50 caliber machine guns at its disposal.
I believe power operated turrets were a rare thing in the Japanese air services.The Avenger was unusually heavily armed for a torpedo bomber, incorporating a power operated gun turret
Yup, they were. Neither of these aircraft had powered turrets. They were a technology that wasn't widely applied, the British, the Americans and the Russians were the only ones to use power turrets extensively, while the Italians and Germans also applied them and did expend effort to develop them, but never got them to the extent that Britain and the USA did. The Avenger's turret was unique in a WW2 carrier-based aircraft.I believe power operated turrets were a rare thing in the Japanese air services.
An Avenger with the Roc's 4x.303 would be something.Yup, they were. Neither of these aircraft had powered turrets. They were a technology that wasn't widely applied, the British, the Americans and the Russians were the only ones to use power turrets extensively, while the Italians and Germans also applied them and did expend effort to develop them, but never got them to the extent that Britain and the USA did. The Avenger's turret was unique in a WW2 carrier-based aircraft.
An Avenger with the Roc's 4x.303 would be something.