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65-524: The Misawa Air Group was established on 10 February 1942 in Misawa , Japan and operated Mitsubishi G4M medium bombers. After the Allied landing on Guadalcanal and Tulagi on 7 August, the unit was dispatched to Rabaul on New Britain and was assigned to 26th Air Flotilla . First, Lieutenant Hiromi Ikeda (group's Buntaichō ) brought nine G4M medium bombers in late afternoon on 7 August. The next day,

130-587: A humid continental climate characterized by hot summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall ( Köppen climate classification Dfa ). The average annual temperature in Misawa is 9.9 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1172 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 22.6 °C, and lowest in January, at around -1.9 °C. Per Japanese census data,

195-560: A population density of 330 persons per km . The total area of the city is 119.87 square kilometers (46.28 sq mi). Misawa is the location of a large military base, Misawa Air Base , which is under joint operation of the United States Air Force 's 35th Fighter Wing , Naval Air Facility, and Japan Air Self-Defense Force 's 3rd Fighter Wing. It is also an important US base for signals intelligence and related activities. The city population figures do not include

260-752: A 1,200 hp (890 kW) engine and an increased ammunition supply. Over 2,400 of these were built. A few of them were shipped to the Royal Navy for evaluation. In addition to American service, the SBD saw combat against the Japanese Army and Navy with No. 25 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force —but the RNZAF soon replaced them with the larger, faster, heavier and land-based Vought F4U Corsairs . Some SBDs were also flown by

325-491: A few A-24Bs for coastal patrol. The most combat-experienced of the Banshee units was GC 1/18 Vendee , which flew A-24Bs in support of Allied forces in southern France and also experienced how deadly German flak was, losing several aircraft in 1944. This squadron flew from North Africa to recently liberated Toulouse to support Allied and French resistance troops. Later, the unit was assigned to support attacks on cities occupied by

390-466: A large fire destroyed most of the center of the city. On 19 August 1969, the 51st annual Japanese High School Baseball Championship was held in Misawa. Misawa Airport reopened on 10 May 1975. In the year 2000, Misawa hosted the winter events for the 55th annual National Sports Festival of Japan . Misawa has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 18 members. Misawa contributes one member to

455-566: A raid against Milne Bay . The unit continued to be involved in the Solomon Islands campaign until 5 September, when it was withdrawn to Tinian . Reborn as the preparatory flight training unit (Yokaren). Misawa, Aomori Misawa ( 三沢市 , Misawa-shi ) is a city located in Aomori Prefecture , Japan . As of 31 January 2023 , the city had an estimated population of 38,198 in 19493 households, and

520-571: Is now on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum and is the last surviving aircraft to have flown in the battle. The carrier-borne squadrons were effective, especially when they were escorted by Grumman F4F Wildcats . The success of dive bombing resulted from one important circumstance: Unlike American squadrons that attacked shortly before one at a time, allowing defending Japanese Zero fighters to concentrate on each squadron to shoot them down or drive them away from

585-495: Is strengthened through the festive environment of food vendors and a large parade. Douglas SBD Dauntless The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas") was the United States Navy 's main carrier-based scout/dive bomber from mid-1940 through mid-1944. The SBD

650-545: The Battle of Midway in early June 1942. Four squadrons of Navy SBD dive bombers attacked and sank or fatally damaged all four Japanese fleet carriers present, disabling three of them in the span of just six minutes ( Akagi , Kaga , Sōryū ) and, later in the day, Hiryū . They also caught two straggling heavy cruisers of the Midway bombardment group of four, heavily damaging them, with Mikuma eventually sinking. At

715-617: The Heian period , and became part of the holdings granted to the Nanbu clan after the defeat of the North Fujiwara by Minamoto no Yoritomo in the early Kamakura period . The Nanbu established numerous horse ranches, accompanied by a series of numbered fortified settlements in the region. During the Edo period , the area was part of Morioka Domain and was later transferred to the holdings of

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780-679: The Japanese submarine I-70 . In February–March 1942, SBDs from the carriers USS  Lexington , USS  Yorktown , and USS  Enterprise , took part in various raids on Japanese installations in the Gilbert Islands , the Marshall Islands , New Guinea , Rabaul , Wake Island , and Marcus Island . The first major use of the SBD in combat was at the Battle of the Coral Sea where SBDs and TBD Devastators sank

845-521: The Marshall Islands . The A-24Bs were then withdrawn from combat. The A-24B (equivalent to the U.S. Navy SBD-5, with the omission of the arrestor hook) arrived in 1943 with the more powerful 1,200-hp Wright R-1820-60 Cyclone engine, a more powerful engine than either the A-24 or A-24A. As a result, the A-24B could fly slightly faster and higher than the earlier models. The A-24B lacked the small air intake on

910-617: The SBD-3 , which began manufacture in early 1941. It had increased armor , self-sealing fuel tanks , and four machine guns . The SBD-4 provided a 12-volt (up from 6-volt) electrical system, and a few were converted into SBD-4P reconnaissance aircraft . The next (and most produced) version, the SBD-5 , was produced mostly in the Douglas plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma . This version was equipped with

975-456: The 27th Bombardment Group (Light) at Hunter Field , Georgia, A-24s flew in the Louisiana maneuvers of September 1941. There were three versions of the Banshee (A-24, A-24A and A-24B) flown by the army to a very minor degree in the early stages of the war. The USAAF used 948 of the 5,937 Dauntlesses built. U.S. Navy and Marine Corps SBDs saw their first action at Pearl Harbor , when most of

1040-564: The 91st received orders to evacuate Java in early March 1942. The A-24s remaining in Australia were assigned to the 8th Bombardment Squadron of 3d Bombardment Group , to defend New Guinea . On 29 July 1942, seven A-24s attacked a convoy off Buna , but only one survived: the Japanese shot down five of them and damaged the sixth so badly that it did not make it back to base. Regarded by many pilots as too slow, short ranged and poorly armed,

1105-590: The A-24s were diverted to the 91st Bombardment Squadron and designated for assignment to Java instead. Referring to themselves as "Blue Rock Clay Pigeons" (after a brand of trap shooting targets), the 91st BS based at Malang attacked the enemy-held harbor and airbase at Bali and damaged or sank numerous ships around Java during the Dutch East Indies campaign . After the Japanese downed two A-24s and damaged three so badly that they could no longer fly,

1170-471: The American air base. Tokyo is an hour away by air, about 3 and a half hours by train, and about 10–12 hours by car. Misawa has well-defined seasons. Though short, autumn is beautiful with pleasant temperatures, late-blooming flowers, and the changing colors of the trees. Winter gets serious in early December, peaks in January and February, and starts fading near the end of March. Strong winds often intensify

1235-615: The Aomori Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of Aomori 2nd district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan . Misawa serves as a regional industrial and commercial center, with agriculture and commercial fishing playing secondary roles in the local economy. The large foreign presence at Misawa Air Base also makes a large impact on the local economy. Misawa has seven public elementary schools and five public middle schools operated by

1300-580: The Army in September 1947. The USAF established a new designation system for its aircraft, eliminating the "A-" (for attack) category (through 1962) ; all of the single-engined "A-" aircraft were given "F-" (for fighter) nomenclature (or were determined to be obsolete and scrapped); thus the few remaining A-24 Banshees became known as F-24 Banshees, soldiering on in a reserve role until 1950 when they were scrapped. The first production Dauntless sent into action

1365-600: The Battle of Midway, Marine Corps SBDs were not as effective. One squadron, VMSB-241, flying from Midway Atoll , was not trained in the techniques of dive-bombing with their new Dauntlesses (having just partially converted from the SB2U Vindicator ). Its pilots resorted to the slower but easier glide bombing technique. This led to many of the SBDs being shot down during their glide, although one survivor from these attacks

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1430-671: The Douglas Aircraft plant in El Segundo, California, on 21 July 1944. The Navy placed emphasis on the heavier, faster and longer-ranged SB2C. From Pearl Harbor through April 1944, SBDs had flown 1,189,473 operational hours, with 25% of all operational hours flown off aircraft carriers being in SBDs. Its battle record shows that in addition to six Japanese carriers, 14 enemy cruisers had been sunk, along with six destroyers , 15 transports or cargo ships and scores of various lesser craft. The USAAF sent 52 A-24 Banshees in crates to

1495-664: The Free French Air Force against the German Heer and Luftwaffe . SBDs were also sold to Mexico. The final version, the SBD-6 , had more improvements, but its production ended during the summer of 1944. The U.S. Army Air Forces had its own version of the SBD, called the A-24 Banshee. It lacked the tail hook used for carrier landings, and a pneumatic tire replaced the solid tail wheel. First assigned to

1560-883: The Germans on the French Atlantic coast. In April 1945 each SBD-5 averaged three missions a day in the European theater. In 1946 the French Air Force based its A-24Bs in Morocco as trainers. French Navy Dauntlesses were based in Cognac at the end of 1944. The French Navy Dauntlesses were the last ones to see combat, during the Indochina War , flying from the carrier Arromanches (the former Royal Navy carrier Colossus ). In late 1947 during one operation in

1625-655: The Indochina War, Flotille 4F flew 200 missions and dropped 65 tons of bombs. By 1949, the French Navy removed the Dauntless from combat status although the type was still flown as a trainer through 1953. The Royal New Zealand Air Force received 18 SBD-3s and 23 SBD-4s and No. 25 Squadron RNZAF used them in combat over the South Pacific . Under the original plan, four Squadrons (25, 26, 27 and 28) of

1690-482: The Japanese light aircraft carrier (CVL) Shōhō and damaged the Japanese fleet carrier Shōkaku . SBDs were also used for anti-torpedo combat air patrols (CAP) and these scored several victories against Japanese aircraft trying to attack Lexington and Yorktown . Their relatively heavy gun armament with two forward-firing .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns and either one or two rear flexible-mount .30 in (7.62 mm) AN/M2 machine guns

1755-486: The Marine Corps SBDs of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 232 (VMSB-232) were destroyed on the ground at Ewa Mooring Mast Field . Most U.S. Navy SBDs flew from their aircraft carriers , which did not operate in close cooperation with the rest of the fleet. Most Navy SBDs at Pearl Harbor, like their Marine Corps counterparts, were destroyed on the ground. On 10 December 1941, SBDs from USS  Enterprise sank

1820-615: The Northrop Corporation was taken over by Douglas, and the active Northrop projects continued under Douglas Aircraft Corporation. The Northrop BT-2 was developed from the BT-1 by modifications ordered in November 1937, and provided the basis of the SBD, which first entered service in mid-1939. Ed Heinemann led a team of designers who considered a development with a 1,000  hp (750 kW) Wright Cyclone engine. The plane

1885-457: The Pacific than any other Allied bomber. Barrett Tillman, in his book on the Dauntless, claims that it has a "plus" score against enemy aircraft, meaning it was credited with more victories over enemy planes than losses from enemy action. This is considered to be a rare event for a nominal "bomber". A total of 5,936 SBDs were produced during the war. The last SBD rolled off the assembly lines at

1950-608: The Philippines in the fall of 1941 to equip the 27th Bombardment Group , whose personnel were sent separately. However, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, these bombers were diverted to Australia and the 27th BG fought on the Bataan Peninsula as infantry. While in Australia the aircraft were reassembled for flight to the Philippines, but their missing parts, including solenoids, trigger motors and gun mounts delayed their shipment. Plagued with mechanical problems,

2015-564: The SBD-2 to the Navy in early 1941, replacing the SBU Corsair and Curtiss SBC Helldiver squadrons on US carriers. Distinctive perforated split flaps or "dive-brakes" had been incorporated into the BT-1 to eliminate tail buffeting during diving maneuvers. Unusual for carrier aircraft, folding wings were not chosen for the design, opting instead for structural strength. The next version was

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2080-601: The SBDs saw their European debut when aircraft from Ranger attacked Nazi German shipping around Bodø , Norway . By 1944 the U.S. Navy began replacing the SBD with the more powerful SB2C Helldiver . During the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944, a long range twilight strike was made against the retreating Japanese fleet, at (or beyond) the limit of the combat radius of the aircraft. The force had about twenty minutes of daylight over their targets before attempting

2145-513: The TBDs, leaving the SBDs unhindered by fighter opposition in their approach and attack (although most of the TBDs were shot down). SBDs played a major role in the Guadalcanal campaign , operating off both American carriers and from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal . SBDs proved lethal to Japanese shipping that failed to clear New Georgia Sound (The Slot) by daylight. Losses inflicted included

2210-536: The attention was again shifted to New Guinea, when Misawa bombers participated in an attack on Port Moresby on 21 September. The weather improved at the end of the month and operations against Guadalcanal resumed. On 28 September, Lieutenant Morita led a combined strike of 27 bombers from Misawa, Takao Air Group , Kanoya Air Group against Guadalcanal. Even though they were escorted by 14 Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighters from Tainan Air Group and additional 27 from 6th Air Group led by Lieutenant Mitsugi Kofukuda , most of

2275-647: The carrier Ryūjō , sunk near the Solomon Islands on 24 August. Three other Japanese carriers were damaged during the six-month campaign. SBDs sank a cruiser and nine transports during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal . In the Atlantic Ocean the SBD saw action during Operation Torch , the Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942. The SBDs flew from USS  Ranger and two escort carriers . Eleven months later, during Operation Leader ,

2340-463: The carriers, three squadrons totaling 47 SBDs (VS-6, VB-6, and VB-3), one squadron of 12 TBD torpedo aircraft (VT-3), and six F4F fighters (from VF-3) all arrived simultaneously, with two of the SBD squadrons (VS-6 and VB-6) arriving from a different direction from the other squadrons. Without central fighter direction, the approximately 40 Zeros concentrated on the TBDs, with some fighting the F4Fs covering

2405-721: The city government and two public high schools operated by the Aomori Prefectural Board of Education. [REDACTED] Aoimori Railway Company - Aoimori Railway Line The city of Misawa boasts many festivals throughout the year, such as the cherry blossom festival, located at "Train Park", the Tanabata festival, and the most local, the Kosuimatsuri , or Lake Ogawara Festival. At the Kosuimatsuri [2] ,

2470-412: The cold temperatures. Snowfall is frequent, and in January and February, snow does not melt completely. Icy roads are also a concern as the sunshine will often melt the snow and then as afternoon temperatures cool down, the water from the melted snow and ice refreezes. As the ice and snow clear and the ground dries, dust storms become a hazard near farm fields. In early spring, the winds switch and come from

2535-446: The defending enemy fighters. In accordance with this new tactic, nine Misawa bombers acted as a decoy on 2 October, while in the resulting air combat Lieutenant Kofukuda's Zero fighters shot down six Wildcat fighters and two Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers for the loss of only one Zero. The strikes by medium bombers resumed on 11 October, when Misawa under Reserve Lieutenant (jg) Nobuyoshi Takamura contributed nine medium bombers to

2600-447: The destroyer Jarvis , in addition to damaging one transport when one damaged bomber rammed it. The following day, 9 August, Lieutenant Nakamura led 17 torpedo-armed bombers from Misawa Air Group to search for the enemy carriers. He could not locate the carriers and settled on attacking and sinking the damaged Jarvis that was leaving the area. The air group conducted frequent missions against Guadalcanal throughout August. On occasions,

2665-424: The east off the ocean. Thick sea fog is common in the morning or early evening. May is usually quite pleasant with warm temperatures. The onset of summer usually brings the rainy season. This normally begins in mid-June and continues for an unpredictable period of time. However, it normally clears out around mid to late July. The end of July through August can get quite hot and humid. Aomori Prefecture The city has

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2730-546: The end of the war. Although the Curtiss Helldiver had a more powerful engine, a higher maximum speed and could carry nearly a thousand pounds more in bomb load, many of the dive bomber pilots preferred the SBD, which was lighter and had better low-speed handling characteristics, critical for carrier landings. The Dauntless was one of the most important aircraft in the Pacific War , sinking more enemy shipping in

2795-492: The estimated 10,000 American military personnel and their dependents stationed at Misawa Air Base. Misawa is located in the flatlands on the southern shore of Lake Ogawara on the east coast of Aomori Prefecture, facing the Pacific Ocean . The nearest large city is Hachinohe which is 30 to 40 minutes away by car. The surrounding area is mostly rural and scenic. There is some limited nightlife, mostly concentrated around

2860-418: The fighters failed to engage the intercepting 35 US Marine and Navy Wildcat fighters, which resulted in the loss of Morita command bomber and four more Takao bombers. After these significant losses of medium bombers, the command at Rabaul decided to temporarily change the tactics, where the bombers only served as a decoy and turned around before reaching Guadalcanal, while the fighters went ahead alone to surprise

2925-459: The focus was shifted to New Guinea . For example, on 17 August, Lieutenant Nakamura led 25 bombers to attack Port Moresby . The attack was relatively successful since they managed to destroy several aircraft on the ground. On 26 August, Lieutenant Nakamura led 17 bombers from Misawa and Kisarazu Air Group to attack recently finished Henderson Field on Guadalcanal. They managed to destroy 2,000 gallons of aviation fuel and damage several aircraft on

2990-439: The ground. Almost daily raids against Guadalcanal were carried out by the bombers of Misawa Air Group in the first half of September, where Lieutenants Nakamura, Rinji Morita and Yūsaburō Nonaka exchanged in leading the unit's formations within the larger strikes composed of Misawa, Kisarazu and Chitose Air Group . The second half of September brought frequent bad weather and attacks against Guadalcanal were temporarily suspended and

3055-538: The largest single strike in the Guadalcanal campaign , which was composed of 45 bombers in total. Nevertheless, due to bad weather, the result was disappointing since most of the bombers could not find the target. From 11 to 14 October Rabaul was sending two bomber raids per day, where Misawa contributed bombers (either led by Nonaka or Takamura) to at least one of the raid per day. From 15 October onward, they shifted back to one raid against Guadalcanal per day and Misawa continued to contribute bombers to these raids throughout

3120-416: The long return in the dark. Of the 215 aircraft, only 115 made it back. Twenty were lost to enemy action in the attack, and 80 were lost as one by one they expended their fuel and had to ditch into the sea. In the attack were 26 SBDs, all of which made it back to the carriers. The Battle of the Philippine Sea was the last major engagement of the carrier-borne SBDs. Marine squadrons continued to fly SBDs until

3185-483: The new Lake Ogawara Queen is crowned; synonymous to "Miss Misawa", which consists of two women from Misawa between the age of 15–25, and one American citizen from Misawa Air Base, of the same age range. Misawa also hosts "Japan Day" within Misawa Air Base, at the base's Collocated Club. There is also "American Day", occurring generally a week or so after Memorial Day, at which time Japanese and American friendship

3250-528: The perforated dive brakes . By the middle months of 1943 the bomber was considered by pilots to be too vulnerable for service owing to its armament and slow speed, and was relegated to non-combat roles. One land-based variant of the SBD – omitting the arrestor hook — was purpose-built for the U.S. Army Air Forces , as the A-24 Banshee . Design work on the Northrop BT-1 began in 1935. In 1937,

3315-606: The population of Misawa has remained relatively stable in recent decades. The area around Misawa has been occupied since the Japanese Paleolithic period, and was a major population center for the Emishi people. Numerous Jōmon period remains have been discovered within the borders of Misawa, including within the borders of Misawa Air Base. The area was nominally under control of the Northern Fujiwara in

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3380-443: The remaining 18 G4M medium bombers were brought by Lieutenant Tomoo Nakamura (group's Hikōtaichō ). With them came also Vice Admiral Nishizō Tsukahara , the commander of the 11th Air Fleet . The unit first saw action on 8 August, when Lieutenant Ikeda's nine medium bombers joined 17 from 4th Air Group led by Lieutenant Shigeru Kotani, in order to make a torpedo attack on Allied shipping around Guadalcanal and Tulagi. The attack

3445-543: The remaining A-24s were relegated to non-combat missions. In the U.S., the A-24s became training aircraft or towed targets for aerial gunnery training. The more powerful A-24B was used later against the Japanese forces in the Gilbert Islands . From December 1943 until March 1944, the 531st Fighter Squadron of the 7th Air Force flew A-24Bs from Makin Island in the Gilbert Islands against Japanese controlled islands in

3510-536: The rest of October. On 1 November, Misawa Air Group was redesignated to 705th Air Group. On 11 November, newly promoted Lieutenant Commander Nakamura led 16 torpedo-armed bombers against the enemy ships around Guadalcanal. They were intercepted by 16 Wildcat and eight Bell P-39 Airacobra fighters and in combination with AA fire from the ships, they shot down 11 medium bombers, while the rest returned severely damaged. This put an end to further raids by medium bombers against Guadalcanal. On 29 January 1943, 705th Air Group

3575-533: The subsidiary Shichinohe Domain during the mid-Edo period.. After the Meiji Restoration , the area was settled by many dispossessed ex- samurai from former Aizu Domain . Per the post- Meiji restoration establishment of the modern municipalities system on 1 April 1889, the village of Misawa was created within Kamikita District through the merger of Misawa and Tengamori hamlets. The area

3640-522: The top of the engine cowling present on the earlier models and that is an easy way to distinguish the B model. The 407th Bomb Group, assigned to the 11th Air Force, flew A-24Bs against the Japanese held island of Kiska , Alaska, during July and August 1943. A handful of A-24s survived in the inventory of the USAAF long enough to be taken over by the Air Force (USAF) when that service became independent of

3705-401: Was a disaster since only five bombers made it back to Rabaul, while the rest were shot down by a combination of intense AA fire from Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner 's ships and intercepting Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters from Rear Admiral Frank J. Fletcher 's carriers. Among those killed in action were also the leaders Kotani and Ikeda. In return, they only managed to put one torpedo in

3770-555: Was also flown by the United States Marine Corps , both from land air bases and aircraft carriers . The SBD is best remembered as the bomber that delivered the fatal blows to the Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. The type earned its nickname "Slow But Deadly" (from its SBD initials) during this period. During its combat service, the SBD proved to be an effective naval scout plane and dive bomber. It possessed long range, good handling characteristics, maneuverability, potent bomb load, great diving characteristics from

3835-413: Was devastated by a tsunami in March 1896. In 1931, in the first successful nonstop transpacific flight, Clyde Pangborn and Hugh Herndon , in the airplane Miss Veedol , took off from Misawa's Sabishiro Beach and landed in present-day East Wenatchee, Washington in the United States. Coastal areas of Misawa were again devastated by a tsunami in March 1933. An Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service base

3900-411: Was developed at the Douglas El Segundo, California, plant, and that facility, along with the company's Oklahoma City plant, built almost all the SBDs produced. One year earlier, both the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps had placed orders for the new dive bomber, designated the SBD-1 and SBD-2 (the latter had increased fuel capacity and different armament). The SBD-1 went to the Marine Corps in late 1940, and

3965-407: Was effective against the lightly built Japanese fighters, and many pilots and gunners took aggressive attitudes to the fighters that attacked them. SBD pilot Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa was attacked by three A6M2 Zero fighters; he shot down two of them and cut off the wing of the third in a head-on pass with his wingtip . The SBD's most important contribution to the American war effort came during

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4030-410: Was established in 1941, and nearby Lake Ogawara was reportedly one of the lakes used by the Imperial Japanese Navy to practice for the attack on Pearl Harbor , due to its shallow depth. The base was heavily bombed by the United States Navy in 1945, and subsequently occupied by the United States after the surrender of Japan at the end of World War II . On 11 February 1948, the town of Omisawa

4095-418: Was founded through the merger of Misawa village with portions of Rokunohe , Shimoda and Uranodate villages. Misawa Airport was opened on 11 January 1952, with Japan Airlines providing scheduled services to Haneda Airport in Tokyo and Chitose Airport in Hokkaidō . The town was renamed Misawa, and elevated to city status on 1 September 1958. Misawa Airport was closed on 31 March 1965. On 11 January 1966,

4160-470: Was involved in the Battle of Rennell Island . Lieutenant Commander Nakamura led 16 torpedo-armed bombers against the enemy ships spotted near Rennell Island. They scored no hits and in return lost one bomber, however, subsequent attacks by other air groups managed to sink the cruiser Chicago . On 12 April, the unit participated in Operation I-Go , where Lieutenant Commander Nakamura led 27 bombers against Port Moresby. Two days later, they also participated in

4225-432: Was the "SBD-3", which was produced for the French Naval Aviation . A total of 174 Dauntlesses were ordered by the French Navy , but with the fall of France in the spring of 1940 that production batch was diverted to the U.S. Navy, which ordered 410 more. The Free French received about 80 SBD-5s and A-24Bs from the United States in 1944. They were used as trainers and close-support aircraft. Squadron I/17 Picardie used

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