Bombers versus Battleships
Bombers versus Battleships: the Struggle Between Ships and Aircraft for the Control of the Surface of the Sea, David Hamer, 1998, ISBN 1-55750-043-6, 399 pp.
Bombers versus Battleships is about the historic paradigm shift where aircraft carriers came into their own as the primary capital ships of the fleet—or guns versus attack aircraft. For centuries naval actions were gun fights relying on line-of-sight as well as the sciences of ballistics and range finding. That all very much changed, as we know, but how? Hamer pleasingly details this aspect of aviation’s history.
This was an era when aircraft carriers and battleships were vying for funding as well preeminence. It is was also a highly saltative history. Aircraft carriers, in the beginning were assigned roles to lead the battle fleet and disable the opposing capital ships—bringing them to bay or slowed enough to allow the main battle fleet to overtake and engage. For this tactical employment carriers were often armed, aside from aircraft, with canon batteries. Armed with the same potential as heavy cruisers with eight 8-inch guns. The thinking being that aircraft carriers needed self-protection in case they found themselves in a duel with cruisers or battleships—being absent of armor like cruisers and battleships notwithstanding!
As is known, aircraft rapidly became more capable of speed, range and ordinance load after World War I, when aircraft carriers first came on scene. Torpedoes and bombs greatly increased in their destructive potential, as well. Torpedo attack aircraft delivered destroyer like raids with little advanced warning. Bombers delivered bombs. Horizontal bombers delivered the equivalent of plunging fire with gravity falls from 10,000 feet or more giving bombs the capability of penetrating the thickest of deck armor. Dive bombers could drop bombs accurately which was akin to cannon fire from over-the-horizon. Ships were no longer required to be seen by one another directly. The paradigm had forever shifted.
Bombers versus Battleships, details the history of bomb design as well as their end effects both physically and literally. Hamer provides many detective-like descriptions of exactly how a particular bomb hit, where it penetrated and what exactly it destroyed in many strategic battles. Knowledge about naval guns, and their employment, are also welcome such as an 8″ round weighing twice as much as a 6″ round. Another awareness is that naval captains generally consider themselves low on fuel at half capacity. How many times has it been written ships broke away when low on fuel without mentioning an actual fuel state though capital ships have ranges in the thousands of miles? Finally, an answer!
Hamer also dives deeply into anti-aircraft defense concerns up through the end of World War II. His knowledge and ability to easily explain complex matters of radar evolution as well as gun aiming is revelatory. Incredibly, his experience includes acting as fighter-director during three significant aerial attacks by the Imperial Japanese forces during World War II.
David Hamer has a unique dual perspective for the subject matter of Bombers versus Battleships. He was both gunnery officer trained and fighter-director qualified as well as a fighter pilot. Readers will learn much from his research, training and experience in this well written book.
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