fastmongrel
1st Sergeant
I have a vague memory of a photo of an RAF Boston with 12 X .303s in the nose. Can't find it again as is usual when you remember something.
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Another Heinemann hotrod. Just think if they'd put a machine gun battery nose on it like they did on B25s later, what an unholy terror it would have been in the Port Moresby - Lae feud early on. Zeros would get one pass at it, MAYBE, then be over the hump of the Owen Stanleys before they could catch up to it again. That is, IF they survived the initial head-on pass against a battery of boresighted .50s. What do you think, could you fit six in there without resorting to cheek blisters? Anybody for eight? Any takers?
They did have a solid-nose version with six fifties iirc.
The B-25 and A-26 gunships could easily have 12 or more .50 MGs facing foreward.
An 8-gun nose, two "cheek packs" (two .50s each) and the upper turret (two .50s) locked foreward would rain down a great deal of hurt.
Add wing blisters and the numbers increase from there...
I assume that you know that the A-20/DB-7 intended role was a battlefield attack light bomber - tasked for interdiction.
Perhaps you could name other similar role aircraft operationally available in 1941-1942?
It wasn't very successful as recon or nightfighter and others were in service such as the Mosquito and the Beaufighter (deployed by USAAF in the MTO).Recall that the A-20 was tasked for medium level bombardment as required - simply because it was available in quantity when the B-25 and B-26 (and Successor A-26) were not. So it was tasked to perform fighter bomber/attack roles in Pacific/CBI and Africa and Italy. It was tasked for recon and night fighting because it could be modified to fit those roles until newer attack/recon/NF aircraft replaced it.
Against the idea that it was THE light bomber/interdictor. Could be my fault that I had gone to put the A-20 in the highest regard at first and came after to see that wasn't so unique. There were others as capable at first and others more versatile after midwar.To your point of 'most over-rated'. Versus what?
Basically because it didn't win the whole war from start to finish in every theatre on its own, some have the impression that it did.I'm surprised that the Mustang got so many "overrated" votes.
It wasn't very successful as recon
There's only a select few types that soldiered on from the war's start to finish AND served in all theaters, the Mustang was not one of them.It didn't?
This was rather dependent on theater. It didn't have enough range for many recon missions in the Pacific.
The Russians used a number of the early ones (without armor or self sealing tanks) for Recon and were fairly successful. But most of eastern Europe didn't have anywhere near the flak density or fighter coverage of either western Europe or the Med.
See: The Douglas A-20 Havoc/Boston in Soviet Service
although some of the claims may be a bit overstated
Then how do you explain it escorting the Doolittle raid, torpedoing three carriers at Midway, knocking Rommel for six and dropping the Atomic bomb?There's only a select few types that soldiered on from the war's start to finish AND served in all theaters, the Mustang was not one of them.
Then how do you explain it escorting the Doolittle raid, torpedoing three carriers at Midway, knocking Rommel for six and dropping the Atomic bomb?
Scuttled when they saw the einsel schwantz flieger Cadillac, commonly called "grumbling backfiring laminar death"It was only two carriers at Midway the third was scuttled by the crew.
I know, I know. Aw c'mon GrauGeist, I was joking. I think that's the third confirmed joke to crash and burn.There's only a select few types that soldiered on from the war's start to finish AND served in all theaters, the Mustang was not one of them.
You forgot leading the air search for Amelia Earhart.Then how do you explain it escorting the Doolittle raid, torpedoing three carriers at Midway, knocking Rommel for six and dropping the Atomic bomb?
Hey, stick around a while, we havnt agreed when it started and finished yet.I know, I know. Aw c'mon GrauGeist, I was joking. I think that's the third confirmed joke to crash and burn.
That was the P-39 (without nose-armor)...and dropping the Atomic bomb?
Try putting black crosses on your jokes, then.I know, I know. Aw c'mon GrauGeist, I was joking. I think that's the third confirmed joke to crash and burn.