Dive bombing promised growth but still produced mixed evidence about whether hits would reliably sink maneuvering warships. European combat offered examples both of ships sunk by dive bombers and of vessels surviving their bombs. Torpedo aircraft had demonstrated anti-ship value since the First World War, and a functioning weapon could open a hull below the waterline. Navies therefore treated the torpedo bomber as the carrier's proven source of decisive anti-ship power while developing dive bombing as a promising complement. That doctrinal weight should have made replacement of an aging torpedo aircraft a high procurement priority.
Notable Point · 40:31-42:46
Torpedo bombers remained the proven carrier ship-killers
Before combat evidence settled the issue, navies trusted torpedoes to deliver decisive underwater damage more than dive bombs against moving ships.