Grumman Avenger as nightfighters?

According to several scources the Grumman Avenger was used as an
improvised nightfighter on the USS Enterprise since radars at that
time were too big to fit onto Hellcats or Corsairs . Now does this
seem pointless or what?
Surely the Curtiss Helldiver would have been a far better
nightfighting platform especially since it was more faster and carried
a bigger striking punch (20mm cannon) than the Avenger?

Prowlus wrote:

According to several scources the Grumman Avenger was used as an
improvised nightfighter on the USS Enterprise since radars at that
time were too big to fit onto Hellcats or Corsairs . Now does this
seem pointless or what?
Surely the Curtiss Helldiver would have been a far better
nightfighting platform especially since it was more faster and carried
a bigger striking punch (20mm cannon) than the Avenger?

IIRC, the SB2C was not in service at the time.
Also there was more room in the
Avenger for the radar and its operator. And the
key word is improvised.
The plan being to fly the TBF/M off with two F6F
and allow the Avenger
to guide the fighters to the target where the
fighter would perform the actual
killing. I don't recall if it ever actually
worked the way it was supposed to. I do know that
the Navy lost on if its finest in these
experiments. Edward H O'Hare.
Even though we lost Butch that night, the
experiment was a success as no US warships were
struck that night.

--
Lynn in StLou
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