Lecivius -> RE: What was the most succesful aerial torpedo attack? (1/22/2015 5:01:46 PM)
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ORIGINAL: Chickenboy quote:
ORIGINAL: Lecivius From looking through all of the more publicized attacks, most successful attacks were more luck than skill. The hit on the Bismark, the hit on the PoW, were both more due to luck than skill according to the parties attacking the targets. Taranto was due to some intense recon prior to the attack, as was Pearl Harbor & even the Gneisenau. Musashi was just mobbed. So far, the only truly skilled effective attack would be the Battle of Rennell Island, an attack in open water on undamaged ships with a 20% success rate. I need to look up Coral Sea, & see about the numbers against a capital ship by the best of the IJN. I respectfully disagree with your observations about 'the only skilled attack'. Hitting ANY moving ship with a torpedo is tough and requires skill. Hell, hitting a stationary target with a torpedo takes a skill that I can't even imagine. If you're looking at other examples, consider Hiryu's second counterattack against a repaired Yorktown. 10 B5N2s scoring 2 hits and crippling the carrier for a second time. IIRC, the flight leader, Tomonaga was killed during this attack (he missed). That's not only an awe-inspiring example of skill, but of heroism. [image]local://upfiles/6968/6324609D3CC549DBAE655528B7301994.jpg[/image] True, but York was damaged, and had at least one boiler out. She was only making at best 22 knots at the time the Kate's came in. What I think I am seeing is torpedo bombers, while deadly, were used to be the coup de grace on ships damaged by other means. They were never meant to be ship killers in and of themselves. BTW, here's a neat pic of the Akagi I have never seen before... [image]local://upfiles/26061/2CE35D2E458D46B5A3A2A17B7012F07F.jpg[/image]
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