Originally Posted by
megan
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Also, was the A-36 developed, as some say, because the USAAC had no funds for fighter development, but did for attack aircraft, and saw this as a subterfuge means of gaining the aircraft..
I've a later book on dive bombing by Peter C Smith where A-36 procurement is mentioned as follows -
"The US Army half-heartedly toyed with their version of the Dauntless, the A-24 Banshee, using a few in the Dutch East Indies..before turning to the 500 made over P-51 Mustang fighters which, fitted with slatted dive brakes from the V-72 Vengance, became the A-36 Apache dive bomber and operated with great success in the Mediterranean in 1943-44"
A-36 never used in Europe - reason unknown...