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- #121
The Basket
Senior Master Sergeant
- 3,712
- Jun 27, 2007
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Proven at Midway. The practically continuous air attacks on Kido Butai and resulting wild maneuvering disrupted cohesiveness and visual communication, interrupted CAP replenishment, and interfered with safe handling of ordnance and spotting of aircraft. So when the dive bombers appeared, the targets were at their most vulnerable, and damage control was handed a sh_t sandwich. Billy Mitchell wasn't all wrong.Even if all bombs miss, the fleet is busy with anything but its task. Perhaps important to a defense. Gaining time and creating oportunity.
You're right, but in 1921, it took a brevet Brigadier to awaken traditional mindsets to the inevitability of supersonic Tallboys at some future time. Otherwise, air warfare would have been irretrievably subjugated to five millennia of traditional infantrythink. Not unlike some folks here who seem to be wedded to battleshipthink.I wouldn't give that much credit to Mitchell. The Tirpitz was sank by a 12,000lb bomb and it don't take a Brigadier General to tell you that 3 supersonic Tallboys is bad news.
Rather than cancel the battleship, Mitchell and his idea rocked its pedestal as undisputed master of the seas. "There's a new kid on the block, and he's young yet, but growing faster than you can imagine, and he's lean, mean and strong. Guard well your crown, he's out to take it!" By WWII, he had. Battleships still had utility as floating artillery and AA batteries, as well as task force surface protection. "Adm, Halsey, this is Taffy 3. Can I borrow one or two of your BBs? Like RIGHT NOW, PLEASE!!"Question is did Mitchell and his idea cancel the battleship? Absolutely not!
From what I've read the B-17s carried 500lb and 600lb bombs and that is not going to trouble a battleship.
Certainly stories of battleships being hit and shrugging off such hits.
The XF4F-3 with the two stage two speed supercharger was the subject of contract negotiations between the USN and Grumman beginning in October 1938. The prototype first flew on 12 Feb 1939. By that time the USAAC had already compared the XP-41 with basically that same engine with the Republic AP-4 which had fitted a turbo to a single stage supercharged R-1830. The Air Corps decided that the turbo was the way to go, resulting in the P-43 order.