Look at the first American torpedo bomber attack at Midway. The guys at the back saw the American planes in front going down in flames. They still kept coming. Every damn torpedo bomber in that first attack was shot down. What everybody fails to realize is that those first American torpedo bombers were coming in low. The Japanese fighter planes had to drop down low to fire on them. Those were old piston engine planes. It would take the Japanese fighters a while to climb back up to altitude to engage the American dive bombers. It was enough time to decide a battle. The Japanese fighters weren’t high enough to engage the rest of the American aircraft. We’re Americans and by God, we keep coming! It may be that all of us will get shot down, but we’re still coming and now we have your carriers! We don’t just go to bed and then go campaigning.
Great story.
Also, in similar vain the British attacked the most powerful battleship in the world, Bismark, with bi-plane, cloth covered torpedo planes. They hit the rudder disabling the steering of the Bismark and kept her from making port and protective bomber cover off the coast of France, less than day’s sail away.
You never know unless you TRY. No one even tried!
And the assets available were far better than cloth covered bi-planes or outdated torpedo bombers!