The most important plane of the war - U.S.

[Chalenge]

The PBY Catalina fought from beginning to end. It had the longest history of service of any WWII aircraft because it still serves today as an aerial firefighter. It destroyed more submarines then all ships and other airplanes or vehicles combined. It saved the lives of downed airmen and sailors lost at sea and was the single most succesful search and rescue vehicle. It conducted covert operations on all fronts transporting VIPs commandos and spies alike. It escorted convoys across literally all seas.

Please! Find a way to include the PBY in AHII! Especially if it means more realistic water and submarines... depth charges... etc.

Dont forget the PBY! 

(Yes I know its been asked for before.)

[Ghosth]

Amen!

Could not possibly agree more. Even if we can't land on water, bring it please.

[Rich46yo]

It would be awfully cool. Landing the thing in the water near a Naval base and letting troops out. Or ferrying supplies.

I'd love to see Iron Annie included as well.

Even cooler, especially for Historical acts, would be skins for the para drunks representing every country that had airborne regiments.

[Denholm]

I'd definitely enjoy seeing it. Especially if it opens a new water environment of this game.

However I think this type of an aircraft will be held in reserve until the release of CT, where the game will undergo an update to support more features.

[Furball]

It destroyed more submarines then all ships and other airplanes or vehicles combined.

I agree with the cat... but i really doubt this statement can possibly be true?  I think the Royal Navy may beg to differ?!

[waystin2]

Two enthusiastic thumbs up!

[SmokinLoon]

Yeap.  The PBY and other flying boats could open up an whole new realm in this game.  Legit recon (give it tank sight zoom).  Deliver field supps from a port.  Repair CV's.  Etc.  It would be a nice supplimentary plane.

[glock89]

PBY and the He-115

[Yossarian]

The PBY would be a great plane to have     +1
<S>

Yossarian

[Bino]

 

[Sikboy]

It would be great for MARPAT in events, though the player with the fortitude to fly one would be few and far between.

-Sik

[Chalenge]

I agree with the cat... but i really doubt this statement can possibly be true?  I think the Royal Navy may beg to differ?!

Lets just ask Widewing to research it and you will be surprised what the answer is. 

[1Boner]

Would be a cool plane to have.

Would really like to see rivers in the game also, could run PT boat raids up-river and re-supply them with PBYs.

[Yossarian]

Would be a cool plane to have.

Would really like to see rivers in the game also, could run PT boat raids up-river and re-supply them with PBYs.

Now that would be uber-cool!!!

<S>

Yossarian

[Furball]

Lets just ask Widewing to research it and you will be surprised what the answer is. 

http://www.uboat.net/fates/losses/cause.htm

Ships 264 Includes a few losses to merchant ships
Aircraft 250 Includes all ship-based aircraft
Aircraft & Ships * 37 
Missing 52 See U-boats missing in Action
Air raids on ports 43 Check out this page.
Mines 35 
Captured 3 U-110, U-505 and U-570
     
Scuttled 242 Read about Operation Regenbogen
Surrendered 155 Most scuttled in Operation Deadlight
Paid Off 37 Usually battered or "tired" boats
Accidents 25 Losses to accidents or "friendly fire"
Other (+) 7 
 
Total  1154 (1149 individual boats)

http://www.uboat.net/allies/aircraft/catalina.htm

The first RAF Catalinas entered service in the spring of 1941. This was just in time to play a role in the hunt for the Bismarck, that was observed on 26 May by a crew that included an American -- a fact that was kept secret at the time, because of the official neutrality of the USA.

In the Pacific the Catalina was the backbone of long-distance reconnaissance units, at the time of Pearl Harbour and thereafter. Mostly their task was to observe, not to attack, but there were units, such as VP-12 Black Cats that specialized in anti-ship strikes.

The situation in the Atlantic was different, U-boats being the largest threat there. The Catalinas were very suitable for the long U-boat patrols, often flown over the Arctic seas to protect convoys to Murmansk. A weakness of the type was its low speed, which gave an U-boat time to dive before it could be attacked. This changed when U-boats were ordered to stay on the surface and fight it out, but that made the Catalina's task more dangerous. John A. Cruickshank received the Victoria Cross for an action in 1944, in which U-361 was sunk --- and Catalina DA-Y limped home with 72 holes in it and a badly wounded pilot. David Hornell also earned a VC in a Catalina, his was awarded posthumously.

A special tool for anti-submarine warfare was a Magnetic Anomaly Detection (MAD) system in a tail boom. This reported the presence of a submerged submarine, assuming that it was not too deep and the aircraft flew low. These aircraft were fitted with special retarding bomb racks, to make the bombs fall vertical, instead of travelling horizontal with the speed of the aircraft. In January 1944 MAD-equipped Catalinas began to patrol the Straits of Gibraltar.

U-boats sunk by this aircraft

1941
U-452 +,
1942
U-74 +, U-464, U-94 +, U-582, U-408,

1943
U-164, U-507, U-620, U-156, U-209, U-640, U-467,
U-388, U-194, U-590, U-135 +, U-662, U-199 +, U-197,

1944
U-601, UIT-22, U-392 +, U-342, U-731 +, U-241, U-476,
U-477, U-980, U-715, U-423, U-1225, U-478 +, U-361, U-742,

1945
U-1107, U-320,

37 U-boats lost to Catalina aircraft. + means that the Catalina shared the credit for the sinking.

Unless you are talking specifically about US ships and aircraft?

Unless they sunk thousands of Japanese subs? (My knowledge of the Pacific war is limited)