Vultee A-31 "Vengeance"

     Initially designed for the French as the V-72, this aircraft was dveloped as a dive bomber. With the fall of France in 1940, the program was brought to a halt, but later revived by the British, who had been impressed by the performance of the German Junkers Ju-87 "Stuka" during the brief war against France. The initial order for 700 aircraft was augmented by an order for a further 200 from the U.S. for "lend lease" to Britain, under the designation A-31. When the U.S. entered the war in December, 1941 it commandeered 243 air craft meant for Britain, and manufactured even more Vengeances under the designation A-35.

     In combat the promise of the Vengeance was never fully realized, not because of any short comings in the air craft itself, but rather, because it was found that in the face of adequate fighter opposition and well organized anti-aircraft fire, the long dive on a steady course which was required for accuracy, made any dive bomber, regardless of its perforance capabilities, extremely vulnerable. Still, when conditions were such as they often were in CBI, the Vengeance proved itself to be extremely effective at its intended mission, as well as its relegated role of armed reconaissance.

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