Dive bombing in a B-17

[Ack-Ack]

Maybe dive bombing heavy bombers in game are based on reality after all.

The first year of WWII in the Pacific was a disaster for America.  The Navy was devastated by the cowardly sneak attack at Pearl Harbor, the Army suffered the crushing surrender at Bataan and the war crime murders in the Brutal Bataan death march.  The Army Air Corp. was also decimated, chased by the Japanese from the Philippines and across the south pacific, all the way to Australia.

America wanted revenge, but we were outnumbered and out-gunned by a brutal enemy who would behead American prisoners.  This is the story of how a small group of airmen in the 19th Bomb Group made a daring raid over Rabaul Harbor, using a B-17 as a dive bomber to sink an enemy ship.

The B-17 is a large heavy 4-engine bomber, not designed to work as a dive bomber, but we were desperate for a victory over the Japanese, and desperate times called for desperate measures.

Rabaul harbor was a major Japanese port, heavy guarded by Flack cannons and machine guns, impenetrable in daylight.  The only hope of a victory was to attack at night when the Japanese gunners could not see the B-17, but the cover of darkness worked both ways.  Even with the top-secret Norden bombsights, they needed light to see the targets. And even if we could see the ships, a freighter is a mighty small target at 20,000 feet.

Read the rest of the story, "Dive Bombing a B-17" here.

ack-ack

[lyric1]

Great story & bugger now the arguments are this will be historically correct for AHII. 

[Ack-Ack]

bugger now the arguments are this will be historically correct for AHII. 

 

ack-ack

[MK-84]

Oh boy....good going AKAK

     I bet few will read past the part where they "planned to use a B17 as a dive bomber" and the picture of a diving B17, to the part further down where they dove to a lower altitude to bomb their target.

and even fewer will understand that important distance...

...and even fewer will read my post : /

[SmokinLoon]

Im curious the angle in which they dived, theirr air speed, and the alt they dropped ords.  That would say a lot. 

[Rob52240]

I think it's funny that when it happens to your own country it's a cowardly sneak attack.  When it's a person's own country we call it as preemptive strike.

Either way, they can be very effective.

[Ack-Ack]

I think it's funny that when it happens to your own country it's a cowardly sneak attack.  When it's a person's own country we call it as preemptive strike.

Either way, they can be very effective.

There is a difference in attacking a country that you haven't declared war on and attacking a country after you've declared are on them.

ack-ack

[Rob52240]

This is true.  I believe it is good strategy but also has drawbacks when it comes to being trusted after the war.

[Guppy35]

Any other references to this event AKAK?  Can't find mention in any of the 5th AF stuff or in "Fortress against the Sun"  about the 17s fighting Japan.

[Ack-Ack]

Any other references to this event AKAK?  Can't find mention in any of the 5th AF stuff or in "Fortress against the Sun"  about the 17s fighting Japan.

I haven't really searched, I just stumbled on this site and saw that it was a son telling the story of his father's military career.

Lt. Col. Louis Francis Burleson, USAF

In the story it mentions that there is a book that describes the event (“A Fiery Peace in a Cold War”) of 9/23/42 and I'm sure it has to be possible verify his DFC.  This is the supposed citation.

"For meritorious achievement as gunner while participating in an aerial flight over ****, New Britain, on 23 September 1942.

This officer and these enlisted men were crew members of a B-17 dispatched to drop flares and bombs in a night raid on a concentration of shipping at this enemy stronghold. After the flares were released, at least thirty vessels were observed in the harbor.

The crew made eight bombing runs at 8,000 feet, but during each attempt, vision was obscured by a thin strata cloud. Despite a barrage of anti-aircraft fire from numerous ships and shore batteries, the B-17 dived to 1,500 feet and released three bombs over a group of four vessels.

A direct hit was scored on a large cargo ship and a near miss on a 12,000 ton transport. Although the plane sustained six damaging hits by shell fragments, it managed to escape from the hail of fire. The courage and devotion to duty displayed by these crew members is worthy of commendation."

[USCH]

There is a difference in attacking a country that you haven't declared war on and attacking a country after you've declared are on them. ack-ack [/quote Declare war? when, who? last time the U.S. did it was WWII, last i checked they have been fighting ever since as well.

[Rino]

      I'd have to think that anyone who compares the way the Japanese did business to what the US does now isn't
much of a historian.  They screwed the pooch when they failed to deliver their diplomatic message before the attack
commenced.  You can't say that Saddam didn't get a fair warning.  You might be able to claim that Panama and
Grenada didn't though.

[Rino]

     As to the story, I'm a bit skeptical of a story where they installed 1000 lbs of steel armor around the cockpit to avoid
"flack" cannon damage in a night dive bombing attack.  Or the part where bullets sounded like rain on a tin roof during the
attack.  It sounds like someone doing a little embellishing to his son in a war story.

     Btw, Japanese anti-aircraft was called ack-ack, the Germans used Flak...short for Flugabwehrkannone...among others.

[Ack-Ack]

Declare war? when, who? last time the U.S. did it was WWII, last i checked they have been fighting ever since as well.

You're not very bright are you?

ack-ack

[fullmetalbullet]

There is a difference in attacking a country that you haven't declared war on and attacking a country after you've declared are on them.

ack-ack

i don't believe Israel ever declared war on her Arab neighbors in the 60s when she attacked them. hmm. then again they wont admit they were attacked either.

it does not matter if you declare war on a nation. a sneak attack is just a preemptive strike.

I don't know who said this but "it is better to catch your opponent off guard and open, then to attack while he is aware and prepared."