now here I go lighting the "fire," I read that an SBD empty, with a good pilot could trun INSIDE a Zero using it's dive brakes in the turn....
Oh, aren't you an evil man
I wouldn't touch that line with a 10 foot pole.
But, let's talk about the SBD a little bit. The SBD first flew on August 1935 and entered service with VB-5 (Bombing Squadron 5) on April 11, 1938. The last SBD in US naval service was in the Pacific Fleet Pool and was stricken from service on September 30, 1945. The last of some 5,321 SBDs was delivered to the Navy in August 1944. SBDs were in combat from December 1941 into late July 1945. Pilots executing attacks from SBDs were solely responsible for sinking five aircraft carriers and were partially responsible for another carrier, a battleship, a cruiser and other smaller warships and numerous merchant vessels.
Over the course of the war SBDs flew some 52,687 combat sorties. Of those, 6,048 were in Navy squadrons off aircraft carriers, 5,283 were in Navy squadrons based ashore, 40,872 were in Marine Corps squadrons, also based ashore, and another 484 sorties were from land based SBDs for which, for whatever reason, the post war Navy statisticians could not identify as definitively Navy or Marine Corps. Roughly 22,942 tons of bombs were dropped on targets in these sorties; 2,524 from carrier-based aircraft, 2,185 from USN land-based aircraft, 18,147 from USMC land-based, and the balance, 86 tons, from the unknown service group.
In US service, SBD losses for the entire war in combat theaters were 654. These losses can be broken down several ways. USN carrier-based SBD losses in combat sorties were 40 to enemy AA fire and 43 to enemy aircraft for a total of 83 losses directly attributed to combat action. Also in the course of combat operations there were an additional 48 SBDs lost in operational accidents, giving us a total of 131 combat related losses, or 38.42% of all combat related losses with a loss per hundred combat sorties rate of 2.17. An additional 65 carrier-based SBDs were lost in non-combat flights. Another 35 were lost aboard ship, mostly in the losses of USS Lexington, USS Yorktown, USS Wasp, and USS Hornet.
USN land-based SBD losses in combat sorties were 17 to enemy AA fire and 12 to enemy aircraft for a total of 29 losses directly attributed to combat action. Also in the course of combat operations there were an additional 4 SBDs lost in operational accidents, giving us a total of 33 combat related losses, or 9.68% of all combat related losses with a loss per hundred combat sorties rate of 0.62. An additional 55 land-based SBDs were lost in non-combat flights. Another 19 were lost on the ground, most to Japanese naval and land gunfire and air raids on Guadalcanal and others to routine ground accidents.
USMC land-based SBD losses in combat sorties were 96 to enemy AA fire and 24 to enemy aircraft for a total of 120 losses directly attributed to combat action. Also in the course of combat operations there were an additional 56 SBDs lost in operational accidents, giving us a total of 176 combat related losses, or 51.61% of all combat related losses with a loss per hundred combat sorties rate of 0.43. An additional 104 land-based SBDs were lost in non-combat flights. Another 36 were lost on the ground, somewhat more than half of these to Japanese naval and land gunfire and air raids in the course of the Guadalcanal campaign and the balance to routine ground accidents.
Of the unknown service group, there was only one combat related operational loss, accounting for 0.29% of all combat related losses. This group had a loss per 100 combat sorties rate of 0.21.
In total, US naval service SBD losses in combat sorties were 153 to enemy AA fire and 79 to enemy aircraft for a total of 232 losses directly attributed to combat action. There were an additional 109 SBDs lost in combat related operational accidents, making a total of 340 combat related losses, or 52.06% of all SBD losses from all causes in combat theaters. Overall, the SBD had a loss per 100 combat sorties rate of 0.65. This rate was the second lowest for the major USN/USMC type aircraft, behind only the PBJ (0.36). Comparatively, though, 6.28 times more combat sorties than the PBJ.
As far as air to air results are concerned, we already know that some 79 SBDs were lost to enemy aircraft. The post war USN statistics report that aircraft carrier based, USN SBDs were credited with 106 enemy aircraft shot down, dividing these into 31 bombers and 75 fighters; this for 43 carrier-based air-to-air SBD losses. For USN land-based SBDs, credits were totaled at 10, all fighters versus 12 losses. I'll come back to these numbers later. Land-based USMC SBDs were credited with 22, all fighters, in trade for 24 SBD losses. In sum, for the 79 SBDs lost in aerial combat, the Navy credited 138 enemy aircraft shot down in return, 107 fighters and 31 bombers.
Of the 52,687 action sorties flown by SBDs only 464 actually involved engaging enemy aircraft in combat. Best estimates are that SBDs engaged a total of 78 bombers and 708 fighters. In those engagements we know that losses were 79, or 17% of those SBDs engaging in aerial combat. SBDs damaged, but not lost, in these encounters were 92 or 19.8%. These results can also be shown for USN carrier-based SBDs and in combination for land-based USN and USMC SBDs.
Of the 6,048 action sorties flown by SBDs from carriers, 301 including engaging enemy aircraft in combat. SBDs were estimated to have engaged a total of 76 bombers and 357 fighters. In those engagements we know that losses were 43, or 14.3% of those carrier SBDs engaging in aerial combat. Carrier SBDs damaged, but not lost, in these encounters were 66 or 21.9%.
Of the 46,639 action sorties flown by SBDs from land bases, 163 including engaging enemy aircraft in combat. Land-based SBDs were estimated to have engaged a total of 2 bombers and 351 fighters. In those engagements we know that losses were 36, or 22.1% of those land-based SBDs engaging in aerial combat. Land-based SBDs damaged, but not lost, in these encounters were 26 or 16.0%.
In terms of anti-aircraft fire, 4,316 action sorties flown by carrier-based SBDs faced enemy AA fire or about 71.36% of all action sorties. We already know that this cost 40 aircraft or 0.93% of those carrier SBDs encountering AA fire. Another 257 carrier SBD's were damaged, or 5.95%. On the average, about 13.47% of carrier SBDs hit by AA fire were lost. Land-based SBD action sorties facing enemy AA fire numbered 23,760 or about 51.48% of all sorties. We already know that this cost 113 aircraft or 0.48% of those land-based SBDs encountering AA fire. Another 918 land-based SBD's were damaged, or 3.86%. On the average, about 10.96% of land-based SBDs hit by AA fire were lost.
In total, 28,076 action sorties flown by SBDs encountered AA fire or about 53.29% of all action sorties. Enemy AA fire cost 153 SBDs or 0.54% of all SBDs encountering AA fire. A total of 1,175 SBD's were damaged, or 4.19%. On the average, then, about 11.52% of SBDs hit by AA fire were lost.
I can't particularly comment on USMC SBD aerial victory claims as I have no other ready data the USN statistical studies. I have, though, looked at USN SBD aerial victory claims and can add to our body of knowledge on the subject. First of all, a review of the action reports (in USN/USMC parlance the ACA Report) shows that there is a slight discrepancy between the USN post war analysis and what we can count today. I believe the differences can be attributed to several causes, probably in combination: incomplete data in the original compilation, keying errors (the original 1946 analysis was done on some of the early punch card systems), and either a quality control miscue or a philosophical difference in what constitutes a credit.
In any event, as we know from the post war statistical analysis, Navy SBDs, carrier-based and land-based, combined, were credited with 116 enemy aircraft shot down, 31 bombers and 85 fighters. Well, maybe not. Consider that if you count up the claims, this putting a squadron, name, date, time, enemy aircraft identification, and general location, you get a somewhat different answer. First of all, we need to divide the combat results in to three categories: actual credits, probable credits, and damaged; that is, shot down for sure, probably shot down, but can't say for sure, and put some holes in it, but it got away or was lost from sight.
When we make this analysis, we end up with something like 96 credits, 16 probables, and 17 damaged. If you were to add the 96 credits to the 16 probables you get 112, a difference of 4, or 3.45%, between the USN post war statistics and a modern look at the numbers. This is well within the average variance I've found of about 4.5%. This leads me to believe that in the post war statistics, at least for SBDs, probables were given credit as actuals. On the other hand, if you take all the shared credits (the .5 or .25 or .20 and so on where more that on aircraft was involved in a particular shoot down) and credit each as a full credit, lo and behold actual credits are suddenly up to 115 without considering the probables. In either case I suspect a lack of firm guidance in the original 1946 statistical compilation that allowed for either probables recorded as actuals or shared credits as whole, full credits.
Be that as it may, we can determine some interesting data in the combat results if we break them down further, for example, how many enemy aircraft were shot down by SBD pilots as opposed to radioman/rear gunners? Or exactly what were the enemy plane types shot down?
SBD credit breakdown:
Shooter -- Actual Credits -- Probables -- Damaged
Carrier Based Pilots: 41.0 -- 12.0 -- 16.0
Carrier Based Gunners: 52.0 -- 3.0 -- 1.0
Total Carrier Based: 93.0 -- 15.0 -- 17.0
Land Based Pilots: 0.0 -- 1.0 -- 0.0
Land Based Gunners: 3.0 -- 0.0 -- 0.0
Total Land Based: 3.0 -- 1.0 -- 0.0
All Pilots: 41.0 -- 13.0 -- 16.0
All Gunners: 55.0 -- 3.0 -- 1.0
Total: 96.0 -- 16.0 -- 17.0
This shows us that about 57.3% of actual credits for SBD shoot downs were given to the guys in the back seat.
Enemy types noted as shot down were:
Type -- Actual Credits -- Probables -- Damaged
Mitsubishi Type 00 VF, A6M (Zeke): 55 -- 5 -- 14
Aichi Type 99 VB, D3A (Val): 8 -- 5 -- 3
Nakajima Type 97 VTB, B5N (Kate): 8 -- 0 -- 0
Mitsubishi Type 96 VF, A5M (Claude): 5 -- 2 -- 0
Mitsubishi Type 01 VB/VR, G4M (Betty): 5 -- 1 -- 0
Aichi Type 00 Float VSO, E13A (Jake): 3 -- 0 -- 0
Kawanishi Type 94 Float VSO, E7K (Alf): 3 -- 0 -- 0
Kawanishi Type 97 VP, H6K (Mavis): 2 -- 0 -- 0
Kawanishi Type 2 VP, H8K (Emily): 1 -- 0 -- 0
Mitsubishi Type 0 Float VSO, F1M (Pete): 1 -- 0 -- 0
Mitsubishi Type 99 VB(M), Ki-51 (Sonia): 1 -- 0 -- 0
Nakajima Type 2 Float VF, A6M2-N (Rufe): 1 -- 0 -- 0
Nakajima Type 95 Float VSO, E8N (Dave): 1 -- 0 -- 0
Unidentified Japanese Transport Aircraft: 1 -- 0 -- 0
Martin Type VB(M) DB.7 (Vichy French): 1 -- 0 -- 0
Kawasaki Type 03 VF, Ki-61 (Tony): 0 -- 2 -- 0
Nakajima Type 2 VF, Ki-44 (Tojo): 0 -- 1 -- 0
So, if we look at this list, that breaks down as:
Fighters: 61 -- 10 -- 14
Bombers: 23 -- 6 -- 3
Float Scout/Observers: 8 -- 0 -- 0
Flying Boats: 3 -- 0 -- 0
Unidentified: 1 -- 0 -- 0
Kind of a funny oddity in the post war statistics is that they tend to include float planes in the fighter category and flying boats in the bomber category. So, if we roll those numbers into the fighter and bomber categories we get:
Fighters: 69 -- 10 -- 14
Bombers: 26 -- 3 -- 6
Unidentified: 1 -- 0 -- 0
And if we add credits and probables together, that leaves us with 79 fighters and 29 bombers as shot down which is not all that far off from what was reported in the post war statistics, short 6 fighters and 2 bombers. And if we go the other way and record shared credits as full credits we end up with 77 fighters and 37 bombers and the single unidentified.
Anyway, fun with numbers.
By USN squadrons, SBD aerial scores looked like:
Squadron -- Credits -- Probable -- Damaged
VB-16 -- 19 -- 2 -- 13
VS-10 -- 13 -- 0 -- 0
VS-2 -- 10.5 -- 1 -- 0
VB-2 -- 6 -- 3 -- 0
VS-5 -- 6 -- 0 -- 1
VS-71 -- 6 -- 0 -- 0
VB-8 -- 5 -- 0 -- 0
VS-6 -- 5 -- 0 -- 0
VS-3 -- 3 -- 3 -- 1
VB-12 -- 3 -- 1 -- 2
VB-11 -- 3 -- 1 -- 0
VB-10 -- 3 -- 0 -- 0
VB-9 -- 3 -- 0 -- 0
VB-3 -- 2 -- 2 -- 0
VB-5 -- 2 -- 0 -- 0
VB-6 -- 2 -- 0 -- 0
VS-72 -- 2 -- 0 -- 0
VGS-29 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0
VS-8 -- 1 -- 0 -- 0
VB-13 -- 0.5 -- 3 – 0
My eyes are getting crossed. I'll do some real work tomorrow to take my mind off all this and then maybe tomorrow night see if I can conjure up anything else interesting.
Regards,
Rich