Sub-busting Grizzly on its way to the Atlantic.

Cazzie

SOH-CM-2024
According to my email reply and all on the net, I just sent a repaint up of Milton's XA-38 using Damien's excellent paint kit using markings for a hypothetical U.S. Navy Atlantic Anti-Submarine Warfare PB-1. I used the AAF as a basis as ASW aircraft did not use torpedoes.

Caz

asw_13.jpg


asw_14.jpg


asw_15.jpg
 
Cool! Plinking subs with the 75mm can opener! Nice paint, Cazzie!
 
Nice paint Cazzie, especially like your #2 screen.
So...what's all the stuff under the wings for?? :sniper:
 
Nice paint Cazzie, especially like your #2 screen.
So...what's all the stuff under the wings for?? :sniper:

Anti-submarine warfare, Avengers were the first US Navy aircraft to use rockets in ASW operations in the mid-Atlantic; in addition they carried depth-bombs (depth charges with fins) imternally. Ergo I dispensed with torpedoes.

Caz
 
I started to do depth charges for the Navy version but didn't. I could be persuaded I guess. :kilroy:
 
OK I'll grant you the depth bombs might've chased up a sub or two...but rockets??
Were there any recorded hits with those? The Atlantic Ocean might've proved difficult to hit...

And, on this particular aircraft, there is the small matter of a 3 inch orifice on the sharp end, with 20 rounds available for use, and half a dozen .50 Brownings scattered about the airframe.
I'd be happy enough just carrying that around for most applications...

Do like your paint though.
 
OK I'll grant you the depth bombs might've chased up a sub or two...but rockets??
Were there any recorded hits with those? The Atlantic Ocean might've proved difficult to hit...

And, on this particular aircraft, there is the small matter of a 3 inch orifice on the sharp end, with 20 rounds available for use, and half a dozen .50 Brownings scattered about the airframe.
I'd be happy enough just carrying that around for most applications...

Do like your paint though.

The automatic firing cannon would fire a 20 round magazine, a round every 1.2 seconds, then automatically reload and continue firing ... the article is unclear as to how many rounds it would carry in total.
 
The drop tanks would be nice on that bird, allow for more time on station...:ernae:
 
OK I'll grant you the depth bombs might've chased up a sub or two...but rockets??
Were there any recorded hits with those? The Atlantic Ocean might've proved difficult to hit...

And, on this particular aircraft, there is the small matter of a 3 inch orifice on the sharp end, with 20 rounds available for use, and half a dozen .50 Brownings scattered about the airframe.
I'd be happy enough just carrying that around for most applications...

Do like your paint though.

Yes they were. As a matter of fact, they scored on their first outing when a TBM-1C of Composite Squadron 58 hit U-758 with two rockets after it had surfaced waiting for supplies. The attack did not sink U-758, but it was damaged so badly, it had to return to port and be scuttled.

Caz
 
OK I'll grant you the depth bombs might've chased up a sub or two...but rockets??
Were there any recorded hits with those? The Atlantic Ocean might've proved difficult to hit...

And, on this particular aircraft, there is the small matter of a 3 inch orifice on the sharp end, with 20 rounds available for use, and half a dozen .50 Brownings scattered about the airframe.
I'd be happy enough just carrying that around for most applications...

Do like your paint though.
Mosquitoe's did a lot of hits on subs
with rockets
H
 
OK I'll grant you the depth bombs might've chased up a sub or two...but rockets??
Were there any recorded hits with those? The Atlantic Ocean might've proved difficult to hit...

And, on this particular aircraft, there is the small matter of a 3 inch orifice on the sharp end, with 20 rounds available for use, and half a dozen .50 Brownings scattered about the airframe.
I'd be happy enough just carrying that around for most applications...

Do like your paint though.

I don't think aircraft were already equipped with sonobuoys during WWII to pinpoint a sub's location under water, so they had to hit them on the surface. Fortunately,the diesel subs spent a lot of their time on the surface, reloading batteries and oxygen. I would think rockets were very effective if the aircraft had the jump on the enemy sub. It still took more than half a minute for a submarine, and longer for the larger types, to crash dive.

I'm not even sure if ASW aircraft were even equipped with depthcharges for this reason. Fistly, they had no way of knowing where and how deep the sub was once under water. Secondly, I doubt they could change the detonation depth of the charges while flying. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable could clear this up?
 
Back
Top