A-20: Why Don't You Read Much about it?

I guess you've got to know where to read. There's plenty of stuff on the DB-7 series. There are lots of widely-used combat aircraft that didn't get spotlighted--try the SB2C, Baltimore, Maryland, Beaufort, etc. I just wish someone would issue a new Havoc or Boston or A-20 or P-70 in

1/72--the Airfix and Revell iterations are old and tired.

Mark Schynert

Hi Mark,

Did'nt Matchbox do the A-20 in 1/72?

Not sure if its been re-boxed and it may be hard to find these days as I did a quick google search and only found reference to accessory sets for it.

Also, Craig if the Italeri kit is the re-boxed AMT then be sure to get the life-raft detail set to go in behind the cockpit. There are also lots of other details sets around for engines and flaps, bomb-bay and so on.

I've got a couple to build (A/C & G), but yet to start. Current project is

1/48 Sabre from Academy.

Yes, and while it's still a bit crude it's far superior to the Airfix, Revell, and Frog kits. High Planes also does some versions of the Boston/Havoc:

. Good accurate models but not easy builds since they're limited-run kits.

Probably the same reason why you don't see much on the Ventura/Harpoon series and any number of other aircraft which did their job mostly out of the spotlight.

"Craig" ???????/???????? ? ???????? ?????????: news: snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net...

cuz it was the export thing. Most widely used in Russia. Had been the backbone of the torpedo-bomber units. There are a few russian books dedicated for the service in russian Navy but mostly the stuff can be found only in magazines.

Damir Islamov

With all due respect to the Matrchbox (now that you mention it, I do remember that one) and High Planes offerings, we deserve better. Maybe one of the Czech companies will do one soon.

Mark Schynert

I agree that the A-20 Boston/Havoc has been under-publicized for its role in WW2. Besides its extensive Russian service, it was used by the Commonwealth units as a night intruder and, as the P-70, was a successful USAAF night fighter. Also much used by the USAAF both in Europe and the Pacific as a light/medium bomber.

There is a lot of published material about its service and it is all favourable in terms of crew appreciation of the aircraft.

Cheers,

Doc H

I wouldn't tout it as a 'successful night fighter' in US service....

The Matchbox kit had/has too flat engine cowls. Otherwise it's not a bad A-20/Boston/Havoc and I've built most of the 1/72 ones out there.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

I've never heard of them being used as torpedo bombers before. Do you know whether they ever hit anything with a 'fish'?

Bill Banaszak, MFE

You left out the lovely Frog kit with retractable gear! The Matchbox kit is the only one in that scale (1/72) of the G version. AMT did a nice job of giving us all the important versions in 1/48. It would be nice if someone would do the same in 1/72. Cheers,

The Keeper (of too much crap!)

By the 'fish' - nothing outstanding. Just an usual stuff - schnellboats, barges, transports. The navy Bostons scored a hit at the Niobe cruiser at Kotka in July 44. There were four A-20G's with a pair of FAB-1000 apiece. The battleship Schlesien was destroyed by them too. That's all I have scraped as yet.

Damir Islamov

In the Pacific, at least, skip-bombing was found to be far more effective against unarmored vessels than torpedoes for A-20s and B-25s, so there was little reason to mess with the considerably more complex and less reliable torpedos.

Mark Schynert

That word "reliable" is the crux of why you don't hear much about U.S. torpedo bombing. The story of U.S. torpedoes in W.W.II is one those "issues" that everyone involved with would just rather forget. Submarine, destroyer or aircraft, U.S. torpedo failures were one of the scandals of W.W. II.

Bill Shuey

clay blair wrote some good stuff about that.

Yes, kind of like throwing rocks underwater at Japanese shipping. :(

Thanks, Damir. That's more than I knew.

Bill Banaszak, MFE

The second picture shows the airframe's tally. Same aircraft, reproduced with the AMT kit, is on:

Pictures of torpedo A-20s are in Red Stars, vol.4.

HTH Bonehammer

Hello!

Niobe WAS skip bombed. FAB-1000 is a 1000 kg Soviet aerial bomb. BTW Soviets thought during the war that they had nailed the Finnish Navy flagship "Vainamoinen"*. IIRC the first A-20 pair succeeded in surprise but the second pair was shot down by AAA.

Sinking of Niobe was the largest operation of VVS KBF (Baltic Fleet Air Force) if I remember correctly. Fighter cover and diversionary groups of Il-2s and Pe-2s amounted some over 120 planes or so.

Cheers, Kari

*(the two "a"s and the "o" should have two dots above them in the name Vainamoinen)

I don't know about everyone else but I'm curious how that changes the pronunciation. I've never gotten a handle on how to pronounce all those vowels in groups.

Bill Banaszak, MFE