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In Vietnam, the most frequently used container of napalm held about 130 gallons of gasoline with a solution of six percent napalm added. When dropped from "hedge-hopping" — those flying at an altitude of about 100 feet — the device was able to cover a surface with flames 270 feet long and 75 feet wide.
I assume Germany adopted this delivery method because it was compatible with their dive bombers. USA didn't dive bomb to any great extent which probably influenced decision to adopt low altitude skip bomb system.On impact, the fuze fires the gaine and the picric burster pellats, breaking the case and scattering the filling over a radius of about 70 yards. The filling ignites spontaneously, burning with a great deal of smoke.
USA didn't dive bomb to any great extent
There are probably a few SBD squadrons that might disagree with this.
And maybe a few IJN sailors. The US didn't dive bomb that much in Europe, probably as they had found that specialist dive bombing aircraft were too vulnerable to fighters. Of course, sometime in 1945, that probably stopped being a concern, but the USAAF found no need to reform specialized dive bomber units. Why bother? The Germans were beaten, but their leadership just hadn't figured it out yet.
Steve, Group Captain Gillam is not quite correct. Napalm was used by the Mosquitos of 100 and 2 Groups, on 'Firebash' operations, mainly against enemy airfields (I'd need to check this last point.). I believe 2 Group Mitchells also carried out 'Firebash' ops, and the napalm containers appeared to be the 108 gal, British made, 'paper' drop tanks, as used by the USAAF.
Dive bombers are also rather vulnerable to things like multiple .50 cal/20mm mounts and 37-40mm AA guns. In 1939-41 when many armies depended on troops firing bolt action rifles and a few LMGs for a large part of their AA defense dive bombers had things pretty much their own way. A British Army infantry Division had 4 single mounted Bren guns on trucks in each battalion for AA work in 1939-40. No heavier AA was supplied at division level or below. By 1942-42 the truck mounted Brens were gone and an AA regiment of 48 towed 40mm guns was being used in each division. In 1944 for Normandy the regiment was expanded to 54 40mm guns and reinforced by 24 truck mounted 20mm guns, lack of German air attacks saw the 20mm batteries disbanded.
The Dive needed for the dive bombers accuracy and the pull-out gave too much warning and time to track and fire for the AA guns.
A-36 Apache performed well, no?
SBDs spent relatively little time conducting CAS.