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"Best knew that his fellow squadron commander, Lieutenant W. Earl Galaher of VS-6, had to equip his unit with 500-pound bombs because, being the first dive bombers to take off, they did not have the deck space necessary for a run long enough to launch with 1,000 pound bombs."
Miracle at Midway Prange, Gordon W. P. 261
Actually, 500 pound bombs are quite destructive. I believe that the bombs the Vals carried were just over 500 pounds and they did plenty of damage and If memory serves on of the IJN CVs at Midway was sunk only with 500 pounders. I believe also that any Navy dive bomber pilot who sees an enemy flattop during WW2, once he has reported by radio, is going to be hard pressed not to attack.
.......but that´s not what sank her and the others as Japanese CV had survived such punishment in the past and would in the future. What sealed the fate of the IJN´s carriers at Midway was violating ammo handling safety procedures and admittedly inferior damage control.
And as future events showed, the remaining Japanese CV's were just as vulnerable to heavy bombs and torpedo's as they were off of Midway.
There was a multitude of factors that sank them. All four carriers at Midway sank from unique factors, but there was a common theme around them.
Bad damage control philosophy.
Poorly trained damage control teams.
Lucky hits
Akagi and Kaga were converted battle cruisers and suffered design issues that effected survivability
Soryu and Hiryu were lightly armoured and suffered accordingly.
And as future events showed, the remaining Japanese CV's were just as vulnerable to heavy bombs and torpedo's as they were off of Midway.
Actually, 500 pound bombs are quite destructive. I believe that the bombs the Vals carried were just over 500 pounds and they did plenty of damage and If memory serves on of the IJN CVs at Midway was sunk only with 500 pounders. I believe also that any Navy dive bomber pilot who sees an enemy flattop during WW2, once he has reported by radio, is going to be hard pressed not to attack.
There was a multitude of factors that sank them. All four carriers at Midway sank from unique factors, but there was a common theme around them.
Bad damage control philosophy.
Poorly trained damage control teams.
Lucky hits
Akagi and Kaga were converted battle cruisers and suffered design issues that effected survivability
Soryu and Hiryu were lightly armoured and suffered accordingly.
And as future events showed, the remaining Japanese CV's were just as vulnerable to heavy bombs and torpedo's as they were off of Midway.
Tim, I was thinking that one size bomb carried by Vals, which was measured in kilograms, weighed slightly more than 500 pounds. However Eric Brown says the Val carried a bomb which weighed slightly more than 1000 pounds. Is that the 550 kilogram bomb?
The main bombs used were nominally 250kg, a few types within a few kg of that weight. 250kg*2.204lb/kg=551lb. They might carry a 60kg under each wing in addition or instead depending on target. There were IJN bombs in 500kg class but they don't seem to have been commonly used.Tim, I was thinking that one size bomb carried by Vals, which was measured in kilograms, weighed slightly more than 500 pounds. However Eric Brown says the Val carried a bomb which weighed slightly more than 1000 pounds. Is that the 550 kilogram bomb?
.......
I agree that poor damage control would also be an important factor though it should be noted that Shokaku/Zuikaku proved that IJN DC was not poor in every case.
Midway proved that IJN doctrine for damage control was uniformly poor.
Read "Shattered Sword" for all the ins and outs of the IJN philosophy.
The main bombs used were nominally 250kg, a few types within a few kg of that weight. 250kg*2.204lb/kg=551lb. They might carry a 60kg under each wing in addition or instead depending on target. There were IJN bombs in 500kg class but they don't seem to have been commonly used.
Joe
Japanese damage control was not great but it was not always uniformly poor. Citing the Midway disasters as a crucible example is not very fair. Lexington surcombed to a far less level of damage and Wasp died in similar fiery fashion after several torpedo hits while she was also at a most vulnerable state...prepping and refueling aircraft.
They carried only 250kg in the attack on Hermes according to the 'kodochosho' of the 5 carriers, and I also don't know of any case of them being used v US carriers, by divebombers, at least in 1942. But they were used against other targets fairly regularly. For example, the 2nd (later 582nd) Air Group's Type 99's in missions in New Guinea in 1942, usually v Allied airfields, usually dropped either250 plus pair of 60's, or just the pair of 60's, according to their mission reports.The 60kg bomblet armament recalls a fierce argument i participated in long ago regarding the "standard" anti ship armament for D3A. I was unable to find any instance of them being used in anti-ship strikes against the USN carriers though there were some claims that they were dropped on Hermes. A land based D3A unit used them during a one way mission early in the Guad campaign (in lieu of proper 250kg bombs) but that appeared to be a last min improvisation.