You are correct, but the point that Dave is missing, is that you can't determine capability based off of one account.
May 1943. Allied maritime attack capability
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You are correct, but the point that Dave is missing, is that you can't determine capability based off of one account.
The Pacificic theatre is outside my realm really but again I would pose the question of how many sorties were required to do the deed? How many bombs and torpedoes were dropped?
We all know the cost,entire squadrons almost annihilated.
There were also fortuitous circumstances,often vital in war,that accompanied the bombing of three of those ships (Kaga,Soryu,Akagi). It is also self evident that an aircraft carrier is just about the biggest naval target that can be engaged. The four bombs that hit Hiryu might all have missed a steamer in the English Channel.
Cheers
Steve
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A freighter may be smaller, but they are also 1/3 to 1/2 as fast as a carrier, a fraction of the AA guns, and generally aren't being covered by a swarm of Zeros. I personally wouldn't want to be on a Japanese freighter being strafed and skip bombed by a late model B25 either.
syscom3
Pacific Historian
They had contempt for the USN. But the crews of their sister carriers, the Shōkaku and Zuikaku had a different perspective from the Coral Sea where they got bloodied.
Did they still have contempt for US Navy fliers on June 8, 1942?
syscom3
Pacific Historian
You mean June 5th. No they did not. They had just been cured of their "victory disease".
Jabberwocky
Staff Sergeant
In the MTO in 1942/early 1943 the RAF and Coastal Command used small groups of torpedo bombers (typically 4-8 Hampdens, Beauforts or even Bisleys), along with 2-6 Beaufighters with bombs, escorted by more Beaufighters (3-6) for flak suppression. The mixed unit tactics were quite successful.
The Beaufighters would go in first, straffing and bombing to draw flak and hit any escort vessels. The torpedo bombers would then follow, aiming for any larger merchant craft.
The aerial torpedo was the primary weapon for these operations, but low level bombing (low angle dive bombing from about 2000 to 300 ft) was successfully used as well.
From June/July 1943, the tactics changed, with the introduction of the 60 lb RP. Now the flak suppression Beaufighters would also be armed with rocket projectiles, and they actively hunted the escorts, rather than just suppressing them. Increasingly, bombs and torpedoes were traded for RPs during 1943, as more aircraft were converted with rocket rails and tactics were refined.
These tactics were also developed in the waters around the UK, Denmark and Norway, notaby with the Banff and Dallachy strike wings. By mid 1944, these two units could mount a combined strike force of better than 60 aircraft, not counting fighter escorts.
The Beaufighters would go in first, straffing and bombing to draw flak and hit any escort vessels. The torpedo bombers would then follow, aiming for any larger merchant craft.
The aerial torpedo was the primary weapon for these operations, but low level bombing (low angle dive bombing from about 2000 to 300 ft) was successfully used as well.
From June/July 1943, the tactics changed, with the introduction of the 60 lb RP. Now the flak suppression Beaufighters would also be armed with rocket projectiles, and they actively hunted the escorts, rather than just suppressing them. Increasingly, bombs and torpedoes were traded for RPs during 1943, as more aircraft were converted with rocket rails and tactics were refined.
These tactics were also developed in the waters around the UK, Denmark and Norway, notaby with the Banff and Dallachy strike wings. By mid 1944, these two units could mount a combined strike force of better than 60 aircraft, not counting fighter escorts.
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vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
I'm actually reading about the USN VPB-109 right now that operated in the PTO and flying the PB4Y-1 -2 they seem to do a pretty good job at low level attacks on shipping. Though they did start in August of 43
oldcrowcv63
Tech Sergeant
The attack on the 4 carriers at Midway did not involve the anihilation of entire squadrons of dive bombers. VB-6 was hard hit and suffered something like 30% casualties because they happened to depart at low altitude through a particularly heavy concentration of CAP fighters and also ran afoul of escort fighters from the Hiryu counterstrike that departed at about the same time. The latter effort hit the USN SBDs rather hard but also stripped away the escorts from the IJN VALs which subsequently suffered even worse (~60% casualties) at the hands of the USN VF-3 CAP. The only squadrons lost or suffering even worse losses than VB/VS-6 were the ones that did essentially no material damage: the Midway based rookies and the VT squadrons flying the TBD Devastators. In contrast, Yorktown's VB-3 got away essentially free of damage except for a pair ditched from fuel exhaustion while waiting to land on the damaged carrier.
oldcrowcv63
Tech Sergeant
IIRC, 10-12 hits or damaging near misses on the three IJN carriers were obtained out of approximately 40 bombs dropped. I believe the IJN VB obtained 3 out of 7 dropped.
Would be awesome to see some action photos of that strategic bomber sized aircraft down low!
vikingBerserker
Lieutenant General
There are a couple of really good pics taken of attacks at a height of 200ft, but my )@#*($)# scanner just died! I will scan them when I can.
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