Difference between revisions of "Aichi D3A"

Revision as of 02:23, March 8, 2010

loldongs

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-The '''Aichi D3A''' (Allied codename: “Val”) was a two-seat dive [[bomber]] flown by the Japanese Navy in [[World War II]], and for the first half of the war, [[Japan]]’s main carrier-borne dive bomber.  It could carry a 550 lb [[bomb]] under the centerline and two 110 lb bombs under the wings.  Defensive armament consisted of two forward-firing [[machine gun]]s in the wings and one flexible machine gun operated by the back seat gunner.  Vals were active in every major naval battle of the first year of the war, including [[Attack on Pearl Harbor|Pearl Harbor]], the [[Battle of the Coral Sea|Coral Sea]], [[Battle of Midway|Midway]], and the carrier actions at [[Guadalcanal]].  In addition, in April 1942, carrier-borne Vals sank the [[British]] aircraft carrier ''Hermes'' and two British heavy [[cruisers]] during a foray into the [[Indian Ocean]].  The Val was a rugged and maneuverable aircraft, and in the first year of the war, had a bombing accuracy of 80%.  Like most Japanese aircraft, however, it lacked armor and self-sealing fuel tanks, leading to heavy pilot losses.  Like its [[German]] counterpart, the [[Junkers Ju 87|Stuka]], the Val had fixed landing gear, greatly aiding recognition by Allied pilots.
+loldongs
-==Sources==
-*''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Combat Aircraft of World War II'', by Bill Gunston, Salamander Military Press, 1990
-==Links==
-*[http://www.combinedfleet.com/ijna/d3a.htm Aichi D3A]
-*[http://www.airtoaircombat.com/detail.asp?id=267 Aichi D3A Val] at AirToAirCombat.com
-==Further Reading==
-''Fist from the Sky, Japan's Dive-bomber Ace of WWII'', by Peter C. Smith, Stackpole Books, 2005 (biography of Japan's greatest Val pilot, with a focus on the first six months of the war)
-[[Category:Japanese History]]
-[[Category:World War II aircraft]]

Difference between revisions of "Aichi D3A"

Revision as of 02:23, March 8, 2010

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