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Had been the other way round, and all the Zeros were at HA beating the hell out of the SBDs and thus not noticing the approaching TBDs at LA, the Devastators may have scored crippling hits. The AA on IJN was apparently rubbish.Wow...that's one of the bigger stretches I've seen. We're now considering getting decimated as being "operational success"? The primary issue had more to with the IJN's non-existent fighter control, coupled with serendipitous timing that the various USN formations arrived over the Japanese fleet, rather than any performance ability of the Devastators.
I agree.According to Wiki (dangerous) The TBD had a varied weapons load.
"The normal TBD offensive armament consisted of either a 1,935 lb (878 kg) Bliss-Leavitt Mark 13 aerial torpedo or a 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb carried semi-recessed in the fuselage undersides. Alternatively, three 500 lb (230 kg) general-purpose bombs (one under each wing root and one inside the bomb bay), or twelve 100 lb (45 kg) fragmentation bombs (six under each wing root), could be carried."
Part of the problem with the Devastator was that there was no MK II or -2 version. So the US was operating planes built in 1937-38 in 1942.
In 1939 the Navy was looking for a replacement and the production line was already closed down.
So no new electronics, no self sealing tanks, no armor, no upgraded armament (like twin guns out the back)
Granted the Swordfish didn't get much in the way of upgrades but the Devastator was out of production before the war in Poland started. With only 129 built there was never going to be an update/upgrade program unless the intended replacements ALL failed miserably.
According to wiki, the SBD-5 had enough payload capacity to take on the Mk.13 torpedo.Americans had a problem with their torpedo (aside from not working), it was the heaviest torpedo used by any major navy by around 300lbs.
The Devastator used a 422 sq ft wing. The Dauntless used a 325sq ft wing.
When the specification for the Avenger was put out to the manufacturers it called for a stalling speed of 70mph for landing while still carrying the torpedo (torpedoes are expensive).
Granted and Avenger used bigger engine and had a turret and used an enclosed bomb bay but the Avenger used a 490 sq ft wing.
It wasn't so much a matter of trust but they knew the Devastator was obsolete, being the first of it's kind tends to do that, and the SBD with about the same powered engine was not going to carry the big american torpedo and enough fuel to get very far.
True but the SPD-5 had 20% more power for take off than the SPD-1 through -4, SPD-5 wasn't trying to land on the carrier with that bomb load.According to wiki, the SBD-5 had enough payload capacity to take on the Mk.13 torpedo.
According to wiki, the SBD-5 had enough payload capacity to take on the Mk.13 torpedo.
How does the Devastator compare to the Albacore? Both were (in part) replaced in the Avenger.
???...Devastator wasn't taken out of front line service until 1942, so SBD-5 fits in nicely.
...and who cares about landing back on deck with the torpedo still attached.
The point was to deploy it when you reached the target.
...anyway, I only mentioned it as a STOP-GAP measure until the Avenger could be made operational, which was around the same time that year, so maybe the SBD/T wouldn't even need to be considered.
The TBD did have its one success at Coral Sea. Lexington's VT-2 scored 5 hits against Shoho and contributed to her sinking. The TBDs and the torpedos worked. Shoho's air group was a mix of 8 A6M2, 4 A5M2
https://www.militaryfactory.com/air...m&aircraft1=732&aircraft2=1390&Submit=COMPAREThe Albacore was generally superior in almost every category, except (on paper) top speed.
Warpaint has the Albacore at 161 mph at 4000 ft but doesn't show whether clean or loaded.
That seems wasteful. I imagine many a Swordfish or Albacore returned to its carrier with a torpedo attached after not finding a target....and who cares about landing back on deck with the torpedo still attached. The point was to deploy it when you reached the target.
I've not read a lot on the subject but I think some or even many missions were patrols or screens looking for a target. Obviously only one or two in a screen will find what is being looked for.That seems wasteful. I imagine many a Swordfish or Albacore returned to its carrier with a torpedo attached after not finding a target.