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That's right, we're looking at everyone's favorite subject... WWII aviation! ... Wait, don't go, please! Ok, so I have to admit I'm not a historian outside of a few books and an avid Wikipedia spelunker. However, something I found odd was how discussing the Aichi D3A "Val" carrier dive bomber, its article proclaims this aircraft "sank the most Allied warships out of any Axis aircraft". [edited] also touts this on one of their loading screen fun facts... or used to, I don't know anymore. A lovely lady for a date. But when I look at the ships that are recorded as being sunk solely by Vals, I can't help but wonder how it got this reputation, when surely the amount of action in Europe would put another contender, a dive bomber at that, up first. The one, the only, the screaming meanie, the Junkers Ju 87 Stuka Yes I know it's not a picture but I couldn't find any color pictures of one in flight so shush. Anyways, looking at the kills, below is what the D3A Val is credited for sinking, entirely due to damage they alone created: USS Peary, American destroyer, 19 February 1942 – Australia (Darwin)[20] USS Pope, American destroyer, 1 March 1942 – Java Sea USS Edsall, American destroyer, 1 March 1942- Indian Ocean USS Pecos, American oiler, 1 March 1942- Indian Ocean HMS Cornwall, British heavy cruiser, 5 April 1942 – Indian Ocean HMS Dorsetshire, British heavy cruiser, 5 April 1942 – Indian Ocean HMS Hector, British armed merchant cruiser, 5 April 1942 – Indian Ocean HMS Tenedos, British destroyer, 5 April 1942 – Indian Ocean HMS Hermes, British aircraft carrier, 9 April 1942 – Indian Ocean HMAS Vampire, Australian destroyer, 9 April 1942 – Indian Ocean USS Sims, American destroyer, 7 May 1942 – Pacific Ocean USS De Haven, American destroyer, 1 February 1943 – Pacific Ocean (Ironbottom Sound) USS Aaron Ward, American destroyer, 7 April 1943 – Pacific Ocean (Ironbottom Sound) USS Brownson, American destroyer, 26 December 1943 – Pacific Ocean[21] USS Abner Read, American destroyer, sunk by kamikaze 1 November 1944 – Pacific Ocean[22] USS William D. Porter, American destroyer, sunk by kamikaze 10 June 1945 – Japan (Okinawa) This included kamikaze attacks, which, I mean, should count. I'll also give them the credit for USS Porcupine, USS Pigeon (her article doesn't list the type of dive bomber but the Val was the only one in service at the time), and USS Kanawha (an oiler, but she had armament). I did not give credit if a ship was so damaged that she was scuttled, as technically the aircraft did not sink it. Now to the Stuka. Let's start in Poland (as most nations accept WWII began), where in short order they sank "the 1540-ton destroyer Wicher and the minelayer Gryf of the Polish Navy (both moored in a harbour).[97] The torpedo boat Mazur (412 tons) was sunk at Oksywie; the gunboat General Haller (441 tons) was sunk in Hel Harbour on 6 September—during the Battle of Hel—along with the minesweeper Mewa (183 tons) and its sister ships Czapla and Jaskolka with several auxiliaries." Fast forward to 1940 and the Norwegian campaign, where " HMS Bittern was sunk on 30 April. The French large destroyer Bison was sunk along with HMS Afridi by Sturzkampfgeschwader 1 on 3 May 1940". It feels kind of cheap to add the naval trawlers to the list, but they were technically warships, so we'll include "the Jardine (452 tons) and Warwickshire (466 tons)". The Dutch lost Jan Van Galen (1,316 tons) and Johan Maurits Van Nassau (1,520 tons) when the Netherlands was invaded. The Dunkirk evacuation technically takes us above the number of the Val sinkings listed by its article with the destroyers L' Adroit, HMS Grenade, HMS Keith, Foudroyant... not to mention minesweepers or naval trawlers. So what the heck? Granted, some of the Polish units were likely training ships, and many were at port, but still. I haven't even gotten to the Meditteranean or the Eastern Front. Why does the Val get the credit? If I'm missing something obvious (aside from "WW2 didn't start until December 7, 1941"), let me know. Otherwise, feel free to give theories about this.