Re: [FT] Yet Another Fighters Suggestion

Another WWII example is the battle of Midway. While the Japanese were
using their air defense fighter and AA against the low flying torp
bombers from the Yorktown, Hornet and Enterprise, the Japanese carriers
were attacked by the dive bombers from these carriers. There was no
massive coordination to this attack, in fact the Americans were not even
sure where the Japanese were when they launched. I think part of 
fighter combat is that the ships are small and swift so they can switch
target if an opportunity is seen. Will a multi carrier uncoordinated
attack be as effective as a coordinated one probable not but if a flight
can see that its target is spilling air and is no longer combat
effective it will not just return to base but will look for a new target
even if that target is under attack by another group.
 
Bruce Gelinas

Alan and Carmel Brain <aebrain@webone.com.au> wrote: 
> If you take WW2 as an analogy, then the most massive airstrike
> AFAIK on a single target was that on the Japanese Battleship
> Musashi, the last attack involving 33 aircraft, attacking
> over 45 minutes. (Source : Dive Bomber by Peter C Smith)
> 
> Wave 1 : 12 (from Intrepid and Cabot)
> Wave 2 : 12 (from Intrepid and Cabot, starting after 1st wave)
> Wave 3 : 20 (from Essex and Lexington)
> Wave 4 : 33 ( from Enterprise, Cabot, Franklin, Intrepid)

The one on Tirpitz was in some ways more impressive:
2 waves of 21 aircraft each, the first attack all dropping their
bombs in the space of 1 minute (!)

Of course the second wave then attacked half an hour later,
it took them that long to get organised and have the first
wave clear the area.

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