Deck aircraft in World War II: from Taranto to Midway. Part III
In the strategic plans of the Japanese command in the Pacific theater of operations - the seizure of the Midway Atoll, was to help establish complete control over all Hawaiian islands, force the Americans to leave the largest base of their naval forces in Pearl Harbor, create an immediate threat to the US territory and force the American side to sit at the table negotiations to conclude peace agreements on favorable terms.
The final decision of the Japanese command of the Midway Atoll was taken at the beginning of May 1942, a couple of days before the battle in the Coral Sea. In addition, directly, the capture of Midway envisaged an auxiliary (distracting) operation to capture two islands of the Aleutian Ridge (Attu and Kysk) and an air strike on the American base of Dutch Harbor.
For the operation, the main forces of the Japanese United fleet. The grouping of warships and support vessels totaled more than 150 units (including 11 battleships, 4 heavy and 4 light aircraft carriers, 19 cruisers and 66 destroyers). Deck grouping aviation included more than 355 combat aircraft.
On the main line, near Midway Atoll, a strike carrier carrier (commander Vice Admiral Nagumo) was to operate as part of four heavy aircraft carriers (Akagi, Kaga, Soryu and Hiryu) and 17 escort warships (in including 2 battleships and 3 cruisers) with the task of delivering an initial air strike on the harbor, antiaircraft artillery positions and, most importantly, on an air base, in order to destroy the heterogeneous aviation.
Airguns foursomed On board the aircraft carrier “Soryu” there were two new deck dive bombers “Yokosuka” D248Y “Susi” (the union code name “Judy”).
High-speed reconnaissance bomber "Yokosuka" D4Y1-C "Susi" (picture of the site wardrawings.be)
Deck dive bomber "Yokosuka" D4Y "Susi" ("Judy") was developed on the basis of technical reserve licensed, not gone into the series, the German bomber "Heinkel" Non-118. The aircraft was developed to replace the outdated Aichi dive biker D3A1 Val and made its first flight in the 1940 year. The car turned out to be high-speed: the 4 horsepower engine mounted on the D1Y1200 was accelerated by a bomber to a speed of 552 km per hour, comparable to the speed of the fighters of that time. “Judy” had a ceiling in 9900 meters and a normal range of 2535 km (maximum - 3890 km).
D4Y1 “Susi” (“Judy”) in the museum exposition, our days (Photo by j-aircraftmodel.ru)
The D4Y1 double speed bomber could carry one 250-kg or 500-kg bombs in the bomb bay as the main armament. Under the wing could be suspended two bombs on 30 kg. Before the engine hood, two 7.7-mm machine guns were installed simultaneously. Another 7.7-mm machine gun was placed on the turret at the rear of the cab.
D4Y1 “Susi” (“Judy”) at the air show, 2013 (Photo by website www.warbird-photos.com)
The reconnaissance variant D4Y1-С, which received the baptism of the Midway atoll, had an additional fuel tank instead of bombs in the armament compartment. Protection of the crew and fuel tanks on the "Judy" were absent.
The Allied Command, thanks to radio interception and decryption of messages, was aware of the plans and intentions of the enemy. The commander of the US Pacific Fleet, Admiral Nimitz, planned to preempt the Japanese in deploying their main forces and deliver an unexpected air strike on the forces and airborne forces.
The composition of the US Navy air strike force (commander of Rear Admiral Fletcher) included three aircraft carriers (Enterprise, Hornet and Yorktown) and 25 escort warships (of which 8 cruisers). Their air groups included 233 combat aircraft (79 Fighter Grumman F4F-4 Wildcat, 112 Douglas SBD-3 Douglass Dive Bombers, Douglas Douglas-OAn-1T-1T-1T-10N-0NDX, Douglas XDUMX Fighter Jets, 42 Douglas Optlas XDUMX Douglas Deathtas, 1 Douglas XDUMX Fighter Aircraft
The fourth "unsinkable aircraft carrier" was Midway himself. At its airbase, a powerful heterogeneous aviation group of 109 combat aircraft and 30 flying boats (amphibians) Consolidated PBY-5 Catalina was deployed.
Flying boat PBY-5 "Catalina" (picture wardrawings.be site)
The multipurpose flying boat "Consolidated" PBY "Catalina" to this day is considered the most massive and most successful. Catalina made its first flight back in the distant 1935 year, and the last modifications were operated until the 1970s. The most massive belligerent models were PBY-5 and PBY-5А (equipped with a 3-wheel retractable landing gear).
Amphibian PBY-5А "Catalina" (Picture wardrawings.be site)
The PBY-5А twin-engine amphibian was equipped with 1200 horsepower engines and developed a maximum speed of 288 km per hour (cruising 188 km per hour). The Catalina had a ceiling of 4480 meters and a practical range of 4096 km.
Amphibian PBY-5А "Catalina" in flight, our days (Photo site www.flickr.com)
Amphibious crew depended on the tasks and included from seven to eleven people. Defense weapons were represented by two 12.7-mm and three 7.62-mm machine guns. Airborne torpedoes, conventional and depth charges could be suspended under the wings (the total weight of the combat load could not exceed 1814 kg).
Amphibian PBY-5А "Catalina" in the parking lot, our days (Photo site www.navalaviationfoundation.org)
Army Aviation (Air Force) was represented by 17 heavy bombers "Boeing" B-17 "Flying Fortress" and four medium "Martin" B-26. Marine fighter aircraft possessed 7 F4F-3 «Wildcat" 21 fighter "Brewster» F2A-3 «Buffalo" dive bomber SBD-2 «Dountless» (16 units) and SB2U-3 «Vindikeytor» (17 units). The six newest torpedo bombers, the Grumman TBF Avenger, belonging to the Hornet Air Group, did not get on their aircraft carrier and remained at the island airbase.
Brewster F2A-3 Buffalo (Picture by wardrawings.be)
Fighter F2A-3 "Buffalo" in flight, 1942 g. (Photo site aviawarworld.ru)
The overweight F2A-3 “Buffalo” was noticeably inferior to the “Zero” in terms of maneuverability and rate of climb.
Bout "Vout" SB2U-3 "Wyndhaytor" (picture wardrawings.be site)
Deck dive bomber reconnaissance "Vout" SB2U-3 "Vindikadetor" made its first flight in the year 1936. At the beginning of World War II, SB2U, remaining on aircraft carriers, performed reconnaissance missions, and as shock from US airborne USMC.
SB2U-3 “Vindikaytor” in flight, 1940 g. (Photo site wikimedia.org)
A double bomber with an 825 engine horsepower with a maximum take-off weight of 4273 kg could reach a maximum speed of 391 km per hour. The aircraft has a ceiling 7200 meters and a range with a maximum bomb load of 1800 km.
Link SB2U-3 in flight (Photo site axis-and-allies-paintworks.com)
The SB2U-3 armament consisted of two 12.7-mm machine guns (one in the wing and one on the gunner’s gun turret) and aerial bombs suspended under the center section (one on 454 kg) or wings (two in 113 kg). Maximum combat load weight 454 kg.
SB2U-3 "Vindikaytor" drops a bomb (Picture site www.fiddlersgreen.net)
Deck torpedo bomber "Grumman" TBF "Avenger" was developed to replace the outdated "Douglas" TBD-1 "Devastateor." The first flight of the Avenger made in 1941 year, from the beginning of 1942 -th mass production of the model TBF-1 began, which took its first battle with the Midway Atoll in June.
TBF-1 Avenger (Picture by wardrawings.be)
The Avenger was a three-seater mid-plane with hydraulically folding wings. According to the already established firm grummannovskoy tradition, the TBF torpedo bomber turned out to be a fairly solid and sturdy machine that can withstand numerous hits.
“Grumman” TVM-3E “Avenger” (Photo site www.aviarmor.net)
Powerful 1700-strong engine accelerated heavy car (take-off maximum 7221 kg) up to a maximum speed of 436 km per hour. The flight range of the Avenger with a torpedo was 1955 km, and the ceiling was 6790 meters.
TVM-3E Avenger torpedo bomber at the air show, our days (Photo site www.warbirddepot.com)
The main armament of the torpedo carrier model TBF-1 was located in a spacious bomb bay and could consist of one X. NUMX X-mm torpedoes or two 569-kg bombs (or smaller bombs weighing up to 13 kg). The small arms consisted of one 454-mm machine gun in a special turret at the gunner-radio operator and two 907-mm machine guns (one synchronous, the other in the back of the fuselage, firing down).
TBF-1 Avenger at the time of the torpedo discharge, 1942. (Photo by midnike.livejournal.com)
3 June 1942 of the six aircraft gunners from the Japanese aircraft carrier "Ryujo" and "Dzunyo" of six torpedo bombers B5N2 "Kate" with the support of six fighters "Zero" attacked the harbor of Dutch Harbor (Aleutian Islands). At this time, the Japanese ships had already reached 700 miles to the Midway Atoll. The Japanese could not remain unnoticed.
The scheme of the battle of the Midway Atoll 4-5 June 1942. (Photo site ww2history.ru)
This morning, at about nine o'clock, the ships heading for Midway were found by one of the PBY Catalina flying boats making regular reconnaissance flights.
Flying boat PBY-5 "Catalina" in reconnaissance flight (Photo site www.aviarmor.net.aww2)
The air attacks that occurred the night before and at night did not change the plans of the Japanese command, and early in the morning of 4 June 1942 from the decks of heavy aircraft carriers, at a distance of midway, in 240 miles, the first planes began to take off. Strike an air group with four aircraft carriers (“Akagi”, “K”)
At a distance of about 150 miles from Midway Atoll on 5.45 in the morning, Japanese aircraft were found flying the PBY Catalina. Another "Catalina" a little later, with a difference of several minutes, noticed already two aircraft carriers and enemy escort ships at a distance from the 180 base miles to the north-west.
Having received from the reconnaissance "Katalin" and the base radar information about the approach of the Japanese air attack group, the base command lifted almost all aircraft into the air. Attack aircraft barrage waited for orders, and the marines fighters (20 F2A-3 "Buffalo" and the six F4F-3 "Wildcat") rushed to intercept the enemy.
An air battle occurred when there was no more than 30 miles to the atoll. The morally obsolete, slow-moving Buffalo and less maneuverable Wildcats, at the controls of which were young inexperienced pilots, lost this air fight to a more speedy and maneuverable Zero with well-trained pilots. The Japanese, having lost only two planes, shot down 15 American fighters and heavily damaged the rest.
Airfield on Midway Atoll during a Japanese air raid (Photo from A. Patients' book, Aircraft Carriers. Illustrated Encyclopedia, 2013)
Fire at the fuel depot, Sand Island, Midway (Photo site fototelegraf.ru)
SB2U-3 “Vindikaytor” after the attack of the Japanese cruiser (Fig. Site www.super-hobby.co.uk)
“Khiryu” maneuvers during the bombing with B-17 “Flying Fortress”, Midway, 4 June 1942 of the year (Photo site fototelegraf.ru)
TBD-1 “Devastate” torpedo bombers on the deck of Inerterprise before departure, June 4 1942 (Photo by fototelegraf.ru)
SBD-2 “Downless” on the deck of the “Hornet”, 4 June 1942 (Photo by wikimedia.org)
TBD-1 “Devastate” torpedo attack (Image by korabley.net)
Attack of Japanese aircraft carriers (drawing site www.howarddavidjohnson.com)
Attack by diving bomber SBD-2 "Akagi" (Fig. Steeljawscribe.com site)
A pair of Dountless after a bomb attack on "Litter" (Fig. Site steeljawscribe.com)
The loss by the Japanese fleet of three heavy aircraft carriers cost the Americans in 67 aircraft (55 of them were shot down, the rest were lost due to lack of fuel).
The fourth Japanese aircraft carrier "Hiryu", located at a distance from the others, was not attacked. His air group of 18 dive bombers D3A1 "Val" and 8 fighter cover A6М2 "Zero" headed for "Yorktown". Downed over the deck of the aircraft carrier "Val" in 12.00 managed to drop all three of their bombs that hit the target. There were fires on the ship, all the boilers got up and the course was lost. During the attack, the Japanese lost 16 aircraft from 26 (including the "Val" 13).
"Yorktown" is burning after the attack of the D3A1 dive bombers "Val" (Photo from A. Patients' book "Aircraft Carriers. Illustrated Encyclopedia", 2013)
The crew of the aircraft carrier "Yorktown" leaves the damaged ship (Photo site fototelegraf.ru)
However, the "Yorktown" was not going to sink. Attempts to reanimate the ship were interrupted by a Japanese submarine I-168. Of the four torpedoes fired at 16.30 on the sixth of June, two were hit by an aircraft carrier, and one by a destroyer squadron of an emergency batch. The destroyer broke in half and sank. “Yorktown” sank only the next day at six in the morning.
"Yorktown" and the destroyer "Gammann" at the time of the explosion of torpedoes released by a Japanese submarine (Photo site pacificparatrooper.files.wordpress.com)
The fourth Japanese heavy aircraft carrier "Hiryu" was found 4 June 14.45, 17.03 and was attacked by the shock of the air group 24 dive bombers SBD-2 «Dountless" with the aircraft carrier "Enterprise" and "Yorktown" without fighter cover. The Dountlessa managed to overcome the barrier of the six remaining Zero fighters and achieved four hits at Hiryu. The nose of the flight deck was torn apart by the aircraft carrier, numerous fires arose. Two SBD-2s were shot down by fighter fires, the third dive bomber ran out of fuel, and it fell into the sea.
The aircraft carrier "Hiryu" is on fire; the destroyed nose of the deck is clearly visible, morning 5 June 1942. (Photo from fototelegraf.ru)
The second assault air group from the Hornet from the 16 Downtless arrived half an hour late. None of the bombs dropped by them hit the burning Hiryu and escort ships. The aircraft carrier itself, from which most of the crew was removed (except for the engine room), kept afloat until the morning of the next day. After two torpedoes fired from their destroyer, the heavy aircraft carrier Hiryu in 8.20 disappeared into the ocean depths.
The point in the battle at Midway was put 6 June, when two air groups from the remaining two US aircraft carriers (Enterprise and Hornet) on 80 (first wave) and 32 aircraft (second wave) were heavily damaged by the Japanese cruiser "Mogami" and Mikuma. On the night of June 7, the heavy cruiser “Mikuma” sank. The main strike force of the air groups was the SBD-2 downtless dive bomber (81 dive-bomber of the total number of aircraft in 112 units participated in the attacks). TBD-1 “Devastate” torpedo bombers (3 vehicles took part in the raid), which later lost their place on the decks of American aircraft carriers to more modern aircraft - the Grumman TBF Avenger.
With their victory in the battle of Midway Atoll, the Americans finally took away the strategic initiative from the Japanese. The Japanese fleet suffered a crushing defeat. Four heavy aircraft carriers with their own air groups and one heavy cruiser were lost. Particularly sensitive loss was the death of well-trained and experienced pilots, and not filled to the very end of the war.
For their victory, the Americans paid with the death of one aircraft carrier and one destroyer, the loss of about a hundred and fifty combat aircraft (taking into account the losses of coastal aircraft).
Carriers and carrier-based aircraft finally established themselves as the main striking force in the war at sea.
References:
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Internet resources:
http://www.airwar.ru;
http://pro-samolet.ru;
http://wp.scn.ru;
http://www.aviastar.org;
http://www.avionslegendaires.net;
http://wardrawings.be/WW2;
http://www.airpages.ru;
http://fototelegraf.ru.
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