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Midway

Discussion in 'Air War in the Pacific' started by GunSlinger86, Dec 30, 2016.

  1. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    The Army B-17s also put in a claim for bombing a "Japanese cruiser" which promptly sank. The "Japanese cruiser" was, in fact, the US submarine, USS Grayling. She "promptly sank", when she crash-dived to avoid the falling bombs.

    The Army B-17 pilots were also the first ones back to civilization at Honolulu, and covered themselves with glory in bars around the city, the Honolulu Advertiser picked up their stories, and then it went national via radio.
     
  2. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    "I know we sank it, I saw it go down!" Dan Akroyd, "1941".
     
    A-58 likes this.
  3. A-58

    A-58 Cool Dude

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    Maybe it would've been better if those B-17s were armed with torpedoes instead, maybe 3 or 4 of them. That would make a nice spread after dropping them. Of course, those big planes would make easy targets too.
     
  4. steverodgers801

    steverodgers801 Member

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    The US was still in its infancy regarding the use of radar for defense purposes.
     
  5. steverodgers801

    steverodgers801 Member

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    A-58 the B17 was not designed to carry torpedos and it would change drastically its capability to try
     
  6. lwd

    lwd Ace

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    US arial torpedoes were rather problematic at the time as well. Could the B-17 have flown slow enough to drop them? Early war mk 13's were suppose to be dropped at speeds of less than 110 knots. See:
    http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WTUS_WWII.php
    The stall speed of the B-17 was around 100 mph but the torpedoes may have required an external carry which would have increased the stall speed. Even without that not much of a safety margin.
     
  7. A-58

    A-58 Cool Dude

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    I kind of figured that, but I still think it would be neat if they could've. That would have been an impressive sight. A flight of big bombers dropping torpedoes on a line of enemy ships. Ah, if only. If they could've been adapted to do so, who knows. Maybe B-25s and 26s would probably been better at it. What, probably not you say. Fine, be like that.
     
  8. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    They were better skip-bombers, which would have been more reliable in both accuracy and detonation. But, that was still some months away.
    [​IMG]
    Practicing on the wreck of the SS Pruth.
     
  9. lwd

    lwd Ace

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    B-25's could drop them and of course PBY's though the latter tended to be used more at night.
     
  10. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Yeah, PBYs were flying LSTs.








    (Large Slow Targets)
     
  11. lwd

    lwd Ace

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    Still got the only torpedo hit by a US plane at Midway. I wouldn't have wanted to make a daylight torpedo attack on a warship with one though.
     

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