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air group composition WW2 shipping attacks


donaldseadog

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With harpoon getting quite good for WW2 type actions (and a few good databases available for download) I often play in this era but wonder what were typical compositions of air groups attacking surface targets, shipping and land based Any one got info handy?

 

Antiship groups were normally composed of torpedo and dive bombers. With additional aircover by fighter planes....

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From Lundstrom's The First Team, regarding the Battle of the Coral Sea (which, of course, was the first carrier vs carrier battle) ...

 

On the morning of 7 May 1942, the carrier Lexington launched the following strike group:

 

3x SBD (command section)

10x F4F-3 fighters (escort)

15x SBD-2, SBD-3 dive bombers

10x SBD-3 dive bombers

12x TBD-1 torpedo bombers

 

For her part, Yorktown launched:

 

8x F4F-3

8x SBD-3

17x SBD-3

10x TBD-1

 

It is notable that the two carriers contributed half of their entire force of 36x operational F4F-3 fighters, to the strike.

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From Lundstrom's The First Team, regarding the Battle of the Coral Sea (which, of course, was the first carrier vs carrier battle) ...

 

On the morning of 7 May 1942, the carrier Lexington launched the following strike group:

 

3x SBD (command section)

10x F4F-3 fighters (escort)

15x SBD-2, SBD-3 dive bombers

10x SBD-3 dive bombers

12x TBD-1 torpedo bombers

 

For her part, Yorktown launched:

 

8x F4F-3

8x SBD-3

17x SBD-3

10x TBD-1

 

It is notable that the two carriers contributed half of their entire force of 36x operational F4F-3 fighters, to the strike.

HUmmmmmmm, I think I've been a bit conservative with my plane allocations.

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HUmmmmmmm, I think I've been a bit conservative with my plane allocations.

 

Yes, they did tend to go 'all out', leaving the carrier and task force relatively undefended while conducting their own strike.

 

They needed the fighter escort to survive the enemy CAP, so sending out around 50% of the fighters made sense and btw some Taskgroups had CVL or CVE attached with fighter onyl wings for CAP..... B) freeing even more Fighter from the CV for escort duty.

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They needed the fighter escort to survive the enemy CAP ...

 

Often true, though interestingly, the pre-WWII manual USF74 (Revised), circa April 1941, stated that escorts for torpedo bombers was "not normally desirable" except where (1) strong enemy fighter defenses were suspected; or (2) for 'set piece' attacks where the torpedo planes would remain outside the target area until needed.

 

The doctrine called for either "close escort" or "high escort".

 

In practice, it tended to be "close escort", where fighters provided direct protection to the strike aircraft, flying just above them or just behind or on the flanks. (High escort would fly well above the bombers).

 

(All this according to Lundstrom).

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They needed the fighter escort to survive the enemy CAP ...

 

Often true, though interestingly, the pre-WWII manual USF74 (Revised), circa April 1941, stated that escorts for torpedo bombers was "not normally desirable" except where (1) strong enemy fighter defenses were suspected; or (2) for 'set piece' attacks where the torpedo planes would remain outside the target area until needed.

 

The doctrine called for either "close escort" or "high escort".

 

In practice, it tended to be "close escort", where fighters provided direct protection to the strike aircraft, flying just above them or just behind or on the flanks. (High escort would fly well above the bombers).

 

(All this according to Lundstrom).

I searched Lundstrom in wikopedia and found a large amount of stuff that will be useful in altering my tactics and writing scenarios.

I also looked up the posted link to 'MIG alley', very interesting and a great base for some korea war scenarios. Just need more time in the day (well night)!

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To add flavour for what the other side did ...

 

On the evening of 7 May 1942, with night closing in, the Japanese launched a counter-strike against the American carriers.

 

It comprised:

 

12x Type 99 bombers

15x Type 97 attack aircraft

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  • 1 month later...
To add flavour for what the other side did ...

 

On the evening of 7 May 1942, with night closing in, the Japanese launched a counter-strike against the American carriers.

 

It comprised:

 

12x Type 99 bombers

15x Type 97 attack aircraft

 

Yeah, Japanese airgroups were not as big on a per-carrier basis as the US ones. The two carriers at Coral Sea were Shokaku and Zuikaku, counterparts in many ways to the US Yorktown class CVs, but still carried less aircraft.

 

The aircraft shot down by the US forces were sorely missed, along with their carriers (Shokaku took some bomb hits, iirc) at Midway a month later. Sho and Zui didn't come to Midway because of air group losses and repairs needed to Shokaku. I think Zuikaku remained mostly untouched till the Battle of Leyte Gulf, when she was finally sunk off Cape Engano, last of the Pearl Harbor strikers, iirc. Shokaku was already gone by that time, lost to a submarine at the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

 

So, has anyone yet made scenarios for any of the big surface battles around Guadalcanal? There's a bunch of candidates. Cape Esperance, First and Second Battles of Guadalcanal, Savo Island, Tassafaronga, etc. You could probably model some of the PT vs the Tokyo Express engagements. Also, there's the fleet/carrier actions like Santa Cruz and Eastern Solomons. And of course the Cactus Air Force. I'm not that good at scenario design, but, if I had the time, I might have to look into some of that. I guess we'll see if I make time for it or not. :D

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To add flavour for what the other side did ...

 

On the evening of 7 May 1942, with night closing in, the Japanese launched a counter-strike against the American carriers.

 

It comprised:

 

12x Type 99 bombers

15x Type 97 attack aircraft

 

Yeah, Japanese airgroups were not as big on a per-carrier basis as the US ones. The two carriers at Coral Sea were Shokaku and Zuikaku, counterparts in many ways to the US Yorktown class CVs, but still carried less aircraft.

 

The aircraft shot down by the US forces were sorely missed, along with their carriers (Shokaku took some bomb hits, iirc) at Midway a month later. Sho and Zui didn't come to Midway because of air group losses and repairs needed to Shokaku. I think Zuikaku remained mostly untouched till the Battle of Leyte Gulf, when she was finally sunk off Cape Engano, last of the Pearl Harbor strikers, iirc. Shokaku was already gone by that time, lost to a submarine at the Battle of the Philippine Sea.

 

So, has anyone yet made scenarios for any of the big surface battles around Guadalcanal? There's a bunch of candidates. Cape Esperance, First and Second Battles of Guadalcanal, Savo Island, Tassafaronga, etc. You could probably model some of the PT vs the Tokyo Express engagements. Also, there's the fleet/carrier actions like Santa Cruz and Eastern Solomons. And of course the Cactus Air Force. I'm not that good at scenario design, but, if I had the time, I might have to look into some of that. I guess we'll see if I make time for it or not. :D

Sounds like some great ideas in there, I hope you find that ellusive 'time'. Start with the simplest and see how you go I'd suggest, test in cheat mode (ctrl alt s) to see the oponents activities and if in island areas keep an eye on the AI driving ships aground.

I'm lousy with history and too lazy to look it all up so in a way I envy your knwoledge.

Don

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