Helldivers and Avengers as level bombers.

[Chris21wen]

I recently read a book on the FAA's use of the Avenger. When loaded with bombs they used low level glide bombing. From 1945 they rarely used torps, almost entirely glide bombing especially in support of the USN in the later stages of the war. The three major operations (minor compared to the USN) of the Br Pacific Fleet was against Palembang (same time a Leyte gulf), Sakishima Is and Formosa airfields during the Okinawa inv and afterwards against various points off the main Japanese Is, never using torps once. By all accounts it was a much loved plane.

[Buckrock]

Yamato's one way trip aside, in 1945 there were few major Japanese naval targets to be attacked outside protected anchorages or ports. The USN found rockets and bombs were now the most suitable weapon for use against these targets as well as dealing with the merchants and smaller warships that might still to be encountered in open waters.

Understandably during this period, the USN TBMs were being used less and less for anti-shipping work, the bulk of their missions now being made up of glide bomb attacks against land targets.