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Of course, but the only difference a P-51B had was that it could carry them further than others could, the difference between a Gladiator and a Spitfire was only that it could take a few more of the same guns a bit higher and faster. It is all true, but a strange argument because that ability was all that mattered.Plenty of .50 caliber and 20mm AA guns.
We were discussing its ability in ASW and closing the Atlantic gap.I think the ability to drop lots of big bombs played a role too.
You can't destroy enemy infrastructure (factories, bridges, dams, etc) with .50 cals and 20mm cannon.
While strafing may drive a surfaced boat under, it's the depth charges that finish the job.We were discussing its ability in ASW and closing the Atlantic gap.
If you want one aircraft type that dramatically changed the course of the war - there is only one that seems plausible.
B-29 on two missions - killed 500K and saved 5-10 Million that would have occurred with Invasion of Japan. That sounds like a 'major change'.
The initial death toll between the two atomic bombs is less than 200,000. The long term death tolls are significantly higher, but didn't contribute to the decision to surrender.Just the A-bombs.
No other plane could deliver them.
The initial death toll between the two atomic bombs is less than 200,000. The long term death tolls are significantly higher, but didn't contribute to the decision to surrender.
Do not underestimate the effect that the fire bombing campaign had on Japan. The Tokyo raid death toll was higher than either initial death toll from the atomic bombs. In less than 12 months the fire bombing campaign had burned out the cores of almost every Japanese city and the USAAF was running out of targets. Once the US was able to operate out of the Marianas and had switched to fire bombing and harbor mining the B-29 is probably the most important single weapons system that hastened the end of the war. Had the atomic bombs not been dropped and the allies had invaded Japan, the B-29 would have had a major role in neutralizing Japanese defenses by delivering the US version of the Tall Boy bomb.
I meant 200K short term, 500K long term. That said 500K is hyperbole when cosidering what the Japanese were thinking. The firebombing by LeMay killed more than the nuclear weapons 8-6 and 8-9. The Japaenese leaders had a lot to think about but most of all - they didn't know that another wouldn't be avaiable until October.[bolding added -- Thump]
Just from the A-bombs, or did you mean in total?
Thank you, EwenS.This subject came up in another thread, where I posted a USAAF report dated end June 1945 that detailed the result of tests at Eglin with a B-29 dropping Tallboy. Those tests had only begun in Feb 1945. The recommendation of that report was that a single Bomb Group should be equipped with B-29s to drop those weapons. And those aircraft needed extensive modifications to achieve that and the crews needed special training. Nothing had happened by VJ Day towards achieving that.
So the USAAF would not have been dropping Tallboys until some time in 1946. Certainly not in time for Olympic scheduled for 1 Nov 1945 and probably not even in time for Coronet scheduled for 1 March 1946.
The people that would have been dropping Tallboys in time for Olympic were the RAF. The first units of Tiger Force to deploy were to be 9 & 617 squadrons forming the Special Missions Wing equipped with Lancasters. They were scheduled to arrive on Okinawa from late Sept 1945.
I was just discussing the OP about airplanes and "which airplane"1943 saw the introduction of;
Rockets
Better radar
the MK 24 torpedo (Fido)
more wide spread use of Torpex
And that is just for aircraft. Ships got improved radar, Torpex depth charges, more widespread use of Hedgehog
There was a bunch of "stuff" that was introduced in 1942 but it took a while to get into widespread use. Often first kill trailed first installed unit/s by a number of months.
Squid showed up in mid-late 1943 but didn't get a kill until mid 1944. Went to record 17 kills for 50 attacks making it by far the most effective ship borne anti-sub weapon.
But like a lot of weapons, it took a while to figure out how to use it in service.
B-24 certainly helped. It was not solely responsible for solving the mid-Atlantic problem.
Britain had ordered Tallboy casings from the US from spring / summer 1944 which were then filled in Britain for dropping by 9 & 617 squadrons. The only difference was in the construction method used by each nation.Thank you, EwenS.
I've attached this AAF report on the Tallboy testing. Page 3 item 6a indicates that the AAF wanted Tallboy capable B-29's in service immediately in summer 1945. Somewhere I had a copy of the T-10 (American Tallboy) production order and they were expected to be produced quite rapidly. My understanding is that the experience at Okinawa stressed the need to have this capacity in anticipation of similar challenges with Japanese defenses.
There was post about the B-24 solving the mid-Atlantic gap and thus the battle of the Atlantic.I was just discussing the OP about airplanes and "which airplane"