OK, I haven’t found the break out for the SBD or SB2C, but here is the Pacific totals of the Dauntless and the Helldiver Navy and Marine aircraft operating off of aircraft carriers (These are from the NAval History and Heritage Command, Department of the Navy):
Japanese Naval Vessels sunk - 161 (711,235 tons)
Japanese Merchant Vessels sunk - 359 (1,390,241) tons
That’s over 500 vessels and over 2 million tons sunk by those two aircraft types. I believe both would account for many more numbers and tonnage than the Stukas.
This does not include Marine aircraft operating from shore (Particularly the Dauntless was operated from shore) or any sinkings (and there were quite a fwew) in the Eurpean theter off NOrway or in the med or Atlantic).
So the actualt totals are higher.
I will try and find some numbers for the VAL.
Hi Jeff, my response of “I didn’t know that” was directed towards the “no-bomb” edict for the Mikasa, not the shipping losses attributed to the Stuka.
When I read that post, I had the same incredulous reaction of “That can’t be right!”
Now, I always did think the Stuka was a iconic aircraft, but I would definitely not have pegged it as having sunk more shipping than US Naval aircraft in WWII.