ORIGINAL: 21pzr
I don't know, with 160 bombs dropped randomly over the entire 5 sq km port, that's one bomb every 30,000 sq mtrs (300 x 100 rectangle). A CV or BB would fill a minimum 200 x 30 mtr area, this gives about a 1 in 4 chance of hitting the ship for every rectangle. Not bad odds, and the bombers would not be randomly dropping over the whole area. Ships at anchor will all be facing the same direction, so that the bomb leader could choose his run direction and aim point to drop the bomb string along the axis of the anchorage. Why were only the big ships hit? They're big. Would the bomb leader concentrate on the capital ships? Of course. Ships at anchor are not maneuvering, they are like a warehouse. Who says that all of the bomb squadrons released on one bomb leaders cue? Delays, weather, etc, etc, could have caused squadrons to arrive from different directions and times, so each squadron leader could target a vessel.
If you did this attack 100 times, you would probably not get the same result, or you may lose all 4 carriers, its random.
And really, a 500lb bomb hitting a CV is nearly lethal every time, while the same bomb hitting port facilities would cause partial damage, not complete destruction of the port.
I am a relative noob to AE, but I know my strategy and air warfare. I don't see anything wrong with this result. If you had 39 dive bombers doing this, you would have lost ALL the carriers for sure, the BB, and probably 39 ships in total.
Bill
I waiting for post like it.
Seriously guys if you start to calculate you must be more accurate with it.
So you divide area on 160 bombs? Probably, you never seen how B-17 attack area target. They never disperse in sky over all area and drop all bombs spread out it equally by each 20 feet.
Bomb-dropping from single LB it stroke of bombs (4 in our cause) with distance between each (delay in bombing release * air speed +/- distortions).
40 LB= 40 strokes.
If we for second imagine these LB flying side-by-side to each other (long front of them) and drop bombs. Well then they can cover front = distance between * number.
Our example - 40 LB and 20 m (we need to hit CV).
So 800m front.
Port in Noumea have 5 sq.km. Let make it 1600 x 3000 m
So our long front of LB cover half of lowest port side length. So theoretically we devastate half of ships here.
BUT. Stroke of bombs can only cover few hundred meters (delay between drops * speed*number dropped). IF we agree with cruise speed of B-17 and 0.5sec delay then we have length of stroke 110m/s * 0.5 * 4 =220m.
Oooooops. We only cover 1/15 of other size.
But it not all what wrong.
Let see again delay in stroke. In meters it 55m. For hitting carrier it too much. We need 20m for guarantied hit.
How we can fix it? Divide bombers. Make them run on target not in line of front (with half-coverage of lowest side) but in 2 lines at least. One by one with half of 55m distance between tails. It give to us 27m or almost beam of Soryu CV. Perfect.
Someone said CAP was low. Well but they fight well and one even rammed B-17. Alot of them damaged and they inflict damage too. All it because they going in BOX FORMATION.
This formation mean planes going not in line of front (with best coverage of lowest side) or in line of 2 fronts (with best chance to hit target in half lesser coverage) but in next order
http://www.303rdbg.com/formation.jpg
As you see we have much lesser coverage. Price of defense.
Now 5000000 sq meters and our 160 bombs laying in....mmm... may be 220m x 220m=48400 sq.m. or 100 times lesser. Despite how many bombs - they cover 1% of port area.
And we coming to happy-end.
So our bombers cover 1% of port area and they will hit ships in this spot and guarantied have 1 hit (with box formation even 2) to target like CV. But we have 100 ships in port so probably we must see 1-2 hits in 1 ship, 2 if we not lucky. Remember it LB. They cannot change course like DB or TB when they see ship and even start read name of it. All that they can - it mantain course and speed and look for leader signal - release bombs. Leader cannot identify target in port (it why pathfinders and squaleaders was invented on much lesser planes like Mosquito or Mustang or Thunderbolt), he only target dot in cross of 2 visible orientiers or blink of radar). Limes make few massive operations against one battleship stayed in Norge fjord and only in 1944 got few hits from special trained elite pilots.
No more romanthic songs now.
1% of area hitted, 100 ships inside, 1-2 hits in 1-2 ships and it can be CV with 1% chance.
But it was 3!!!! CVs and 1 BB.
What difference between area bombing (or 160 bombs hurt someone parked here) and in-game result?
Game count port attack of LB like attack of DB. LB choose BEST targets, release all their bombs to THESE FAT TARGETS and count 25% (game limitation 1 hit per plane or they can make more) hits like very good DB (initial accuracy for bomb 25% i think).
And dont need to calculate how many CAP here, how much LB flying, and what parked. Wrong principe of level-bombing strike.
P.S. I remember chronic with mast-bombing B-17 test. Wonder why USA tried it? If they can make 8 wonderful hits in 3 CV+BB in port?
