Still my question to y'all is this, and this is as good as any thread to post this since the Stringbag is my 2nd fav torp bomber with the Avenger being no.1. (A previous post with pics of Swordfishes reminded me of this question) I was watching "Sink the Bismark" which I love. But I was watching the scenes where the RN sent in the Swordfish to attack the ship and came to these two observations/questions:
1. I have never got a satisfactory why the RN carriers had such a small air group on them. I know the RN carriers were smaller than USN ones but they were not that small.
2. With the awesome power of even a 1940 carrier, I am of the opinion, even with Devastators, a USN carrier, lets say the Enterprise, could have sent the Bismark, as unescorted as it was, to the bottom in record time.
When I say these two observation/questions let me say that my readings have always centered on the USN or the IJN's carrier power not the RN so I am a little ignorant on this particular subject. I mean even in 1940 the USN had a full complement Wildcats, Dauntlesses, and Devastators. I know that the RN has navalized versons of the Hurri and Spit on thier carriers but why did they not develop a good naval divebomber or a modern torp bomber. Was it just a different form of thinking or philosophy that drove the RN? I hope I am making sense.
:{)