The DB-3 and Il-4 accumulated fewer clear direct torpedo attacks than their designation might suggest. The naval forces and geography of the Baltic and Black Sea, together with dense land-based fighter coverage, made long-range torpedo approaches difficult and dangerous. Aerial minelaying used the same reach without requiring the bomber to find and attack a moving ship under ideal conditions. Maritime aircraft are better judged by the missions a theater demanded than by the role named in their specifications.
Notable Point · 35:45-36:22
Aerial minelaying fit Soviet maritime theaters
The Baltic and Black Sea offered few favorable direct torpedo targets, but long-range aircraft could lay mines where hostile ships and land-based fighters constrained attacks.