ww2 aircraft tactics, pacific theatre

[Nyyperi]

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-7913829081927984083

watching this reminded me of this thing I´ve been thinking of before, in ww2, the aircrafts on carriers were used to (also) to fight off enemy planes, right? But what were they´re tactics, I mean when watching these sort of clips of ww2 where japanese fighters are attacking the ships the fine soldiers on board these ships try to shoot the planes down and the skies seem to be with more lead than air. In mids of all that ammo there's friendly planes too trying to shoot down enemy planes? How on earth would you know whom to shoot if you're on a ship?
Where there friendly interceptor fighters in all that friendly fire?

[Lokos]

How on earth would you know whom to shoot if you're on a ship?

Wing markings? IFF?


the aircrafts on carriers were used to (also) to fight off enemy planes, right? But what were they´re tactics, I mean when watching these sort of clips of ww2 where japanese fighters are attacking the ships the fine soldiers on board these ships try to shoot the planes down and the skies seem to be with more lead than air.

What do you mean by 'what were their tactics'? Pretty standard, as far as air tactics go. There would be a fighter patrol keeping look out (as well as the rest of the battle group), and additional fighters would be scrambled ASAP upon contact with enemy aerial forces.

I'm not that familiar with the Pacific War's tactical outlay, though. Someone with greater knowledge chime in, please.

Lokos

[Nyyperi]

I mean, were the friendly fightres really in amongst this when the enemy was close to the ships or were the fighters ment to stop as many as possible before the range of the AA on board ships and to stay clear of their AA? I'm just thinking, when you see these clips where you cant fit a needle in amongst the fire.

[Mark Sman]

From the US perspective, friendly fighters would sometimes try to intercept inside of friendly ant-aircraft artillery range.

Sometimes the situations were desperate.

Like when a Japanese force is attacking your last operational carrier in the Pacific. (Enterprise ‘42) Then, it is either save that carrier or ditch. Ditch and then hope that you can be rescued before a Japanese surface fleet pounds your remaining ships into the ocean.


Also their is "Target Fixation." That is when a pilot gets fixed on his target, and loses situational awareness. Sometimes leaving a wingman behind, flying in front of an enemy aircraft, or into his own AAA.




There were incidents when friendly aircraft were shot down. Fog of war is universal. Primitive radar advanced to more advanced fire control radar as the war progressed. So gun crews would often know that aircraft were approaching before they could see them.

As the war progressed, the quantity and quality of anti-air fire increased along with the tactics of the Navy. By the end it was extremely dangerous for the Japanese to try to penetrate the anti-aircraft fire.

Basically until late ‘43 the whole naval theater was touch and go.

[sp2c]

I mean, were the friendly fightres really in amongst this when the enemy was close to the ships or were the fighters ment to stop as many as possible before the range of the AA on board ships and to stay clear of their AA? I'm just thinking, when you see these clips where you cant fit a needle in amongst the fire.
afaik the ships AAA crews were assigned kill boxes in which they kill everything they see (or lay down surpressive fire if they don't see anything?) and they aircraft just had to stay out of it ... but that was easier said then done though

[socom6]

Many Royal Navy exchange officers commented with some surprise about the amount of steel the USN AAA batteries threw up against Japanese aircraft during the war. The US Navy had lots of ammunition to use and were well supplied, they didnt worry about "economy" like the RN.

[Limeyfellow]

My father in law had to patch many of the Corsairs and hellcats and wildcats up just because of this problem. Sometimes they did get stuck in allied AAA and machine gun fire and a number were lost. There was a reason it was such a dangerous job but sometimes they had take a gamble to save the ships.