Richard
Final Approach
Q: What American general had operational control of Tupolev aircraft?
A: Lt Gen Claire Chennault, in his effort to stop the heavily armored advancing Japanese 56th Division, used the Tu-40, aka SB-2, to attack where the Burma Road crossed the Salween River.
The P-40 was not a dive bomber. If used as a dive bomber the bomb would strike the propeller. Strafing would have been ineffective for knocking out the bridge at Salween. Also, the Japanese were advancing among long lines of fleeing Chinese civilians so the casualties would have been very high.
A: Lt Gen Claire Chennault, in his effort to stop the heavily armored advancing Japanese 56th Division, used the Tu-40, aka SB-2, to attack where the Burma Road crossed the Salween River.
The P-40 was not a dive bomber. If used as a dive bomber the bomb would strike the propeller. Strafing would have been ineffective for knocking out the bridge at Salween. Also, the Japanese were advancing among long lines of fleeing Chinese civilians so the casualties would have been very high.
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