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On June 5, 1942, during the "mopping up" phase of the Battle of Midway, both sides believed that the Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu, damaged the day before by an American air raid and subsequently abandoned, was still afloat. In response, the Americans sent out dozens and dozens of planes to finish the job, while the Japanese dispatched the destroyer Tanikaze to ascertain the Hiryu's status. What neither side knew was that the Hiryu had already gone down, and thus both sides were looking for something that wasn't there. What the Americans did find, after hours of fruitless searching, was the Tanikaze. Lacking anything else to attack, they swarmed down on her. During the span of a couple of hours, several different squadrons lobbed more than 100 bombs at the hard-pressed little ship. And yet, they failed to score a single hit.
This has always struck me as an extreme example of a large number of attackers singling out a solitary target, yet ending up unable to hit it. Can anyone else think of any similar examples from warfare, ancient or modern?
Weren't some of the German fortifications in Italy pounded relentlessly with little effect on the occupants? That might be a little different in that the shots did hit their targets... just didn't do any good.
Many of the big WWI battle also seem to be exercises in expending as much ammunition as possible whether it hit anything or not. Forty million shells at Verdun is a number that still shocks me.
If you add up all the conspiracy theories, then hundreds of gunmen were firing at JFK in Dealey Plaza. and only two bullets found their mark.
I find it remarkable that George Washington managed to go through seven years of Revolutionary War without a scratch. By all accounts he never shirked from placing himself in danger, he led from the front, riding as close to 30 yards from the enemy lines, and had numerous horses shot out from under him. This followed his years in active service in the French and Indian War, including being part of General Edward Braddock's column which at the battle of the Monongahela, suffered more than 900 casualties among the 1300 troops. At that fight Washington had two horses shot from under him and four bullet holes in his uniform jacket, but again, no wounds of any sort for George.
There isn't anyway to produce a number for how many shots were fired at Washington without result, but it must have been hundreds.
The only thing that might remotely be similar was the bombing accuracy of the US Eight Air Force in Europe. Based on my recollection of the results of the post war Strategic Bombing Survey it was pretty dismal. There were also some B 17's used during Midway with zero results.
My Dad did time on the carriers for Vietnam. There was always a mission to go bomb the Ho Chi Minh Trail. No targets. He recalled to top being particularly upset one day when the after action report consisted of dropping just tons of bombs on the trail...as for casualties, they got 1 truck and a guy on a bicycle.
Old Ironsides might be an example. Shells bouncing off the hull.
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