What was the first torpedo bomber?
The first torpedo bomber designed for operation from aircraft carriers was the Sopwith Cuckoo.
What torpedo did the Swordfish carry?
aerial torpedo
The primary weapon of the Swordfish was the aerial torpedo, but the low speed of the biplane and the need for a long straight approach made it difficult to deliver against well-defended targets.
Which airplane was the main torpedo bomber used in WWII that flew for 15 years in the Navy?
The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) is an American World War II-era torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval aviation services around the world.
What aircraft sank the Bismarck?
On the morning of May 27 HMS King George V and HMS Rodney, in an hour-long engagement, incapacitated the Bismarck, and an hour and a half later it was allegedly sunk by three torpedoes from the cruiser HMS Dorsetshire.
What plane did Richard Best fly?
Grumman F2F
In 1934 he was transferred to the Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, as a naval aviation student. He completed his flight training in December 1935 and was assigned to Fighting Squadron Two (VF-2B) aboard the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-2), flying the Grumman F2F.
How many Swordfish did Bismarck shoot down?
six Swordfish
But it was his duty. His face was tense and white.” Faced by a storm of anti-aircraft fire from the German warships, as well as large numbers of enemy fighters, all six Swordfish were shot down. Just five aircrew survived.
How many men survived from the first torpedo squadron?
Of the 41 torpedo planes that participated in the attacks, only six survived. Like Waldron, squadron commanders Lindsey and Massey were killed in action. At about 10:20 am, Bombing Squadron 6 and Scouting Squadron 6 arrived from the Enterprise and dove toward the carriers Kaga and Soryu.
Which British bomber was one of the most effective heavy bombers of the war?
Avro Lancaster
Lancaster, also called Avro Lancaster, the most successful British heavy bomber of World War II. The Lancaster emerged from the response by A.V. Roe & Company, Ltd., to a 1936 Royal Air Force specification calling for a bomber powered by two 24-cylinder Rolls-Royce Vulture engines.
Who was the Best ww2 pilot?
Luftwaffe fighter pilot Erich Hartmann was exceedingly good at aerial combat. While serving in Germany’s Luftwaffe in World War II, Erich Hartmann flew more than 1,400 missions in the Messerschmitt Bf 109, enabling him to score an astonishing 352 kills.
What are some of the aircraft with aerial torpedoes?
This is a list of aircraft designed or equipped to attack ships with aerial torpedoes . The list is ordered by originating country. Dates are of first flight of basic type. Friedrichshafen FF.41 A (1917) – 9 built Fiat G.55S torpedo fighter (1944) – 1 built Savoia-Marchetti SM.93 (1944) – 1 built
Why were torpedoes so difficult to use in WWII?
Torpedoes were very complicated weapons and were prone to damage when landing on water, especially on a wave; they were ideally aimed at the bottom of a wave, but this was difficult to achieve in practice. During a torpedo run, the attacking aircraft were easy targets for defending combat air patrol fighters.
What was the first plane to sink a ship with a torpedo?
Many early torpedo bombers were floatplanes, such as the Short 184 (the first aircraft to sink a ship with a torpedo), and the undercarriage had to be redesigned so that the torpedo could be dropped from the aircraft’s centerline.
How many planes did it take to attack Pearl Harbor?
At Pearl Harbor, the ships were lined up and basically stationary, so the first attack wave of 40 torpedo bombers armed with Type 91 torpedoes, out of 183 planes, were able to hit the ships broadside, as the defenders were caught by surprise. Torpedo bombers were best used as part of a coordinated attack with other types of aircraft.