Best ASW aircraft?

[jackyo123]

which aircraft perform 'best' in the ASW role? And generally at what altitude?

I've found that B17's *spot* submarines from 5000 ft an awful lot - but rarely ever actually ATTACK one.

Catalinas and float planes, otoh, seem to attack more frequently (from 6000 ft and 1000ft, respectively).

I dont think I've ever seen a dauntless actually attack a sub even with 50% asw patrols on small 4 hex patrols.

Is there any way to tell this from aircraft data?

[Nomad]

The pilots ASW rating will be the important factor. Then aircraft that carry a lot of bombs seem to do better. B-24s will do a good job.

[rogueusmc]

Can you imagine being in a sub and a B-24 drops his whole stick around ya?...damn.

[Mike Scholl]

ORIGINAL: rogueusmc
Can you imagine being in a sub and a B-24 drops his whole stick around ya?...damn.

For quite a few U and I-Boats it was the last thing their crews ever remembered... The B-24 proved pretty much the best ASW A/C of the war..., which is why the US Navy ordered it's own version.

[Sardaukar]

Also, drop the altitude to 1000 or 2000 ft when flying ASW. 5k works well with Naval Search, but you get more attacks with lower altitude with ASW mission. 

[Sardaukar]

ORIGINAL: Mike Scholl

For quite a few U and I-Boats it was the last thing their crews ever remembered... The B-24 proved pretty much the best ASW A/C of the war..., which is why the US Navy ordered it's own version.

Actually, to nitpick, it was one of the rare occasions of inter-service co-operation.

US Navy had production plant they really didn't need and Army AF was in dire need of one for heavy bombers. So Navy did lend theirs to Army, getting B-24s from army as part of bargain. Of course, they did designate them differently..and IIRC, Navy version had single tail instead of double in B-24.

[Zacktar]

The original Navy version, the PB4Y Liberator, was pretty much exactly the same as the Army's Liberator. The later PB4Y-2 switched to the single tail (it also changed the name to "Privateer").

[John Lansford]

The PB4Y also had a heavy gun armament and could sweep a U-boat's deck that was foolish enough to try and stay on the surface when the plane approached. 

I doubt the PB4Y dumped a full stick on a sub though; that's a waste of bombs.  They'd probably drop no more than 3 in one pass.

[mariandavid]

The most effective B-24 variant was probably the VLR versions (essentially a B-24D stripped of most guns) flown by RAF 120 Squadron out of Iceland. The main factors were range (hence attack where not expected) and an effective centimetric radar.

[spence]

Check out the link below for a bunch of photos regarding the sinking of U-848

www.uboatarchive.net/U-848.htm

What is interesting is that the attacks on the Uboat were made by both USN a/c and USAAC aircraft. Take note of the altitudes from which the photos were taken by the different a/c.

At the bottom of the page is a link to photos taken by the attackers in lots of Uboat sinkings. A picture is worth a thousand words and there are lots of pictures.

Incidentally there are analysis of the USS England's attacks on 6 IJN subs but no photos (unfortunately).

[Braedonnal]

ORIGINAL: spence

Check out the link below for a bunch of photos regarding the sinking of U-848

www.uboatarchive.net/U-848.htm

What is interesting is that the attacks on the Uboat were made by both USN a/c and USAAC aircraft. Take note of the altitudes from which the photos were taken by the different a/c.

At the bottom of the page is a link to photos taken by the attackers in lots of Uboat sinkings. A picture is worth a thousand words and there are lots of pictures.

Incidentally there are analysis of the USS England's attacks on 6 IJN subs but no photos (unfortunately).

Pretty fascinating stuff there, thanks for sharing!

[xj900uk]

Best ASW aircraft of WWII was the venerable Swordfish,  at least according to the FAA.  Statistics for the number of U-boats killed or damaged in the Atlantic show the Swordfish (particularly flying scarecrow patrols,  one plane having the asdic or anti-sub radar and the other the bombs or depth-charges) standing head & shoulders above anything else,  either in the air or floating.

[crsutton]

If it is early in the game then none of your ASW patrol craft have radar. They should all be about the same depending on skill and leadership. Note that all the Navy patrol aircraft and some carrier aircraft (avengers) have empty slots for radar that will be filled later in the game when aircraft radar comes on line. I would think that these are the squadrons that you want to be training up in ASW and patrol skills.