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Made in us
Krazed Killa Kan






State of Jefferson

Hey commanders,

Two questions:

1.) At what attitude would a dive bomber approach a ship for an attack run? I was thinking enfilade (either bow-to-stern or stern-to-bow) rather than defilade (amidships) to increase the chance of a hit.

2.) Any resources you guys use other than Google for appropriate decals, paint schemes etc that you can pass on?


Sorry this may stray slightly from FoW topic but I wanted to get more eyes on it. The reason that I'm asking is that I'm going to step away from wargaming with the hobby this Christmas to do something special for my Dad. His dad, my grandfather, was a USS Intrepid Divebomber gunner in the SBD-Dauntless. He participated in several Pacific battles ('41-'44) including the battle of the Leyte Gulf, in which the Musashi (Japanese battleship) was sunk. So I'm putting together a diorama for a Christmas present for him. Just ordered a Yamato class battleship 1/1200 scale and two Dauntlesses (1/72 and 1/48th) to put in dives above the Yamato. So any help or pointers for a 40k ork player to make it appropriate would be helpful.

Thanks again,
DrG
   
Made in us
Bounding Ultramarine Assault Trooper






1.) At what attitude would a dive bomber approach a ship for an attack run? I was thinking enfilade (either bow-to-stern or stern-to-bow) rather than defilade (amidships) to increase the chance of a hit.

Correct. That maximized the target profile, so Dive Bombers would try to align with the ship as you described, whilst Torpedo Bombers wanted to approach broadsides. It didn't always work out that way, but that was the general plan.

2.) Any resources you guys use other than Google for appropriate decals, paint schemes etc that you can pass on?

Honestly, I don't even bother with most books anymore as there is so much online now. Even when I did use books, I went by this guidance: Use actual combat photos for references. Even museums get color schemes wrong (French museums are especially notorious for getting German armor very wrong for some reason). Don't trust artist's impressions, paintings, or non-technical drawings. The appearance of units in peacetime, in port or parade ground formation may vary greatly from their wartime appearance, doubly so if it was a propaganda photo.

Do your research on the Musashi vs her sister the Yamato. Many people take the easy way and assume since they were sister ships that they are identical in every aspect, but that is very wrong especially when it comes to capital ships. IIRC the most evident difference between the two would be that the Musashi had a slightly different AA configuration, so the smaller guns may be placed differently and in different numbers than on a model for the Yamato. Also be sure you are modeling the Musashi as it would have appeared at the time of Leyete Gulf. Many ships had retrofits and changes made during the war, but the offerings of most model kit builders are of pre-war configurations as these were often the most photographed. Placement of AA guns, torpedo tubes, boats and paint schemes can vary a lot even throughout the same class of ship.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2013/11/23 00:51:18


You can't fix stupid. 
   
Made in us
Krazed Killa Kan






State of Jefferson

Swordbreaker,
Thanks bro. I was just reading about a retrofit of the Musashi prior to Leyte. Also I was reading that by that time it was the SB2C Helldiver at that point... DAGNABBIT!!!!! So I'll either buy two MORE planes or choose a new target for the Dauntlesses. This is new world for me. He was also at Truk and Formosa, but I thought those would be late war so the Helldiver would definately be plane he'd be in by then.

Musashi on Wikipedia FYI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_battleship_Musashi
   
Made in gb
Oberstleutnant





Back in the English morass

I don't know about the Dauntless but Stukas would begin their dive at around 15,000 feet and release their bombs at 3,000.

RegalPhantom wrote:
If your fluff doesn't fit, change your fluff until it does
The prefect example of someone missing the point.
Do not underestimate the Squats. They survived for millenia cut off from the Imperium and assailed on all sides. Their determination and resilience is an example to us all.
-Leman Russ, Meditations on Imperial Command book XVI (AKA the RT era White Dwarf Commpendium).
Its just a shame that they couldn't fight off Andy Chambers.
Warzone Plog 
   
Made in us
Regular Dakkanaut



Maryland

Here's an interesting training film on USN aerial torpedo attacks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R552QfbD8AU

Here's a film on Divebombers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOz_i_2USkY

   
Made in us
Krazed Killa Kan






State of Jefferson

Andras,
That's so cool. I could just imagine Papaw (my grandfather) in a cigarette smoke filled room with a flickering reel to reel watching this thing. He's thinking about girls and doodling and everyone else is studiously watching and taking notes. Like grandfather like grandson!

He started in a torpedo plane, but his pilot told him they needed to get out of that duty and get into the bombers. Next sortie of his torpedo squadron was wiped out after the transfer. Owe that pilot my life and my Dad's!
   
Made in gb
Wolf Guard Bodyguard in Terminator Armor





Do you still have your grandfathers log books?

My great uncle was a Flt.Lt in the 61 squadron piloting Lancaster bombers.

Sadly he sold his log book as he was strapped for cash never told the family and we only found out when he passed away. Hell we would have given him the money to keep in within the family. Its only now that I am older I start to realise what he must have seen and gone through plus after reading about it some of the missions must have weighed heavily on the soul.

Thankfully he lived to a good age and was still flying to the day he died (no he didnt have a crash).

Can't help with the historic front but that is a real nice idea for a christmas present and I am sure your old man will be chuffed.

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2013/11/26 21:33:34



 
   
 
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