Smeulders
Posts: 1879
Joined: 8/9/2009 Status: offline
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quote:
If you check the "Location of Navy Aircraft" files for most of 1942 there are no SBDs of any model assigned to the Atlantic Fleet. In October 42 a few are assigned to CVEs participating in Torch (the USS Ranger soldiers on with Vindicators though). By June 1943 there are 115 SBD3/4s in the Atlantic AOR: 29 on the Ranger, 26 on CVEs serving with LANTFLT, 29 with 3rd MAW at Cherry Point and the remainder assigned to CVs/CVLs fitting out for service with PACFLT. Army A-24As (SBD-3) and A-24B (SBD-4) are not included at all in the 1364 total for SBD-3 and SBD-4 production nor are 60 A-24Bs that were given by the Army to the Marine Corps as (officially) SBD-5a's. Army A-24 production numbers should be added to Navy production numbers to arrive at totals for the SBD (all models). Thus it seems the discrepancy grows. Except the A-24 is in the game as a separate plane, so I see no reason to somehow add them to the 1364 used for SBD-3 and SBD-4. Now, from your own sources, there are 84 SBD assigned to the Atlantic at that point in time, so there is a maximum of 1280 SBD-3/4 for the pacific. A couple of assumptions for this. 1) No SBD-3/4 were lost in the Atlantic prior to this peak of 84, this seems like a very generous assumption, not having this assumption would lower the 1280 number. 2) After this peak, no SBD were shipped to the Atlantic to replace any losses. 2) None of the SBD used in the Atlantic were transferred there from the Pacific. 3) None of the SBD used in the Atlantic at the peak were transferred to the Pacific. (Except those on the CV/CVL working up, but these aren't included in the 84). Not a strong assumption, given that SBD-5 production had already started, and enough SBD-3 were retiring in the pacific to reinforce units that still flew the plane, without any need for transfers from the Atlantic. So using the 1280 number, we get 75% of SBD-3/4 production that went to the Pacific available in the game, note that this is in part based on the very generous assumptions 1 and 2. The bare minimum is still 70% and that is assuming every SBD ever used in the Atlantic was shipped there after prior use in the Pacific. With the numbers now provided, the only question is, do you believe it is realistic that 25% or less of planes produced never made it to active duty. That's a question that someone with more expertise than me should answer though.
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