Bombers sinking cv's in game are doing it at a pretty low altitude. The "historical" attacks were made at 20-25k feet against maneuvering ships.
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This is it, percisely. The Norden bombsight was said to be able to put a bomb "in the pickle barrel," and that was no idle boast. The reason Allied daylight bombing was so inaccurate was that they were doing it from 25,000 feet to avoid murderous ground fire, (and they still got hammered, as was.) At least at that altitude only the 88s could reach you; at 7,000, even the 37 and 40mm is going to have a go. Consider the spectacular success and horrendous casualties of the low-level raid on Polesti.
From 25,000 feet, the bombs have to fall through more then a few wind layers, and that is what destroys their accuracy. Now, when a bomber has an oppertunity to fly lower, watch out. They'll put those bombs where they bloody well please. Historically, B-24s could- and did- nail more then a few Japanese ships (and warships,) but they were generally lone vessels, unable to put up significant AAA defense. That's percisely why the B-24s were able to get low enough to make those accurate strikes.
I saw people on these boards elsewhere saying that the five-inch ack was downright murderous. Why doesn't it have that effect on low-level bombers? Perhaps the bomber damage models simply need to be tweaked. And perhaps the better question is, how are big lumbering bombers able to mosey on up to the CV without getting pounced upon by a CAP, or even an opportunistic pilot? It's not like fast-climbing, cannon-armed, carrier launchable interceptors arent' availiable. Isn't the carrier version of the Spitfire in this game? Eh?
EDIT:
The amount of times I've come in at 8k on a CV with enemy planes all over the airfield and not one protecting the CV beggars belief! But oh yeah plenty will chase you once you've sunk it.
WELL THAT EXPLAINS THAT.