One Avenger pilot claimed to have shot down a Nakajima Ki-44 during the Sumatran operations. The circumstances are uncertain, but one account places the fighter in cloud preparing to dive on aircraft below, unaware of the Avenger coming up behind it. That would have given the bomber an exceptional chance to fire first. A related Swordfish example concerns fighters overshooting a much slower opponent and passing into its gunfire. Slowing down and changing the approach could reverse that advantage, so these encounters depended on positioning and tactics.
Notable Point · 1:34:22-1:36:01
An Avenger's unexpected fighter victory
An Avenger pilot's claimed victory during the Sumatra raids shows how surprise and relative position could give a bomber a fleeting advantage over a fighter.