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68-649: The Vought SB2U Vindicator is an American carrier-based dive bomber developed for the United States Navy in the 1930s, the first monoplane in this role. Vindicators still remained in service at the time of the Battle of Midway , but by 1943, all had been withdrawn to training units. It was known as the Chesapeake in Royal Navy service. In 1934, the United States Navy issued a requirement for

136-694: 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

204-586: A conventional wheeled undercarriage, for operations from aircraft carriers or land airbases, or with floats. To give the required increased range, the fuselage fuel tank fitted to the SB2U-1 and -2 was supplemented by integral wing tanks, while the aircraft's tail had an increased span. The prototype XSB2U-3, converted from the last SB2U-1, flew in February 1939, and after testing as both a landplane and floatplane, 57 SB2U-3s were ordered on 25 September 1939, mainly for

272-491: 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

340-567: A larger payload as compared to during VTOL use, while avoiding the complexity of a catapult. The best known example is the Hawker Siddeley Harrier Jump Jet, despite being capable of VTOL take-offs, is usually operated as a STOVL aircraft to increase its fuel and weapons load. STOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier , combining elements of both STOVL and CATOBAR. Aircraft launch under their own power using

408-491: A new Scout Bomber for carrier use, and received proposals from six manufacturers. The specification was issued in two parts, one for a monoplane , and one for a biplane . Vought submitted designs in both categories, which would become the XSB2U-1 and XSB3U-1 respectively. The biplane was considered alongside the monoplane design as a "hedge" against the U.S. Navy's reluctance to pursue the modern configuration. The XSB2U-1

476-617: A ski-jump to assist take-off (rather than using a catapult). These are conventional aircraft however and require arresting wires to land on the ship. The Kuznetsov-class aircraft carriers of the Russian Navy and People's Liberation Army Navy operate the Su-33 (Russia) and J-15 (China) as STOBAR aircraft. Others include the Indian Vikramaditya and Vikrant ; both will operate MiG-29Ks . Prior to World War II,

544-399: A two-blade constant-speed propeller , which was intended to act as a dive brake during a dive bombing attack. The use of propeller braking was not entirely successful, and in practice US Navy Vindicators lowered the aircraft's undercarriage to act as a speed brake and dived at shallower angles. A single 1,000 lb (450 kg) bomb could be carried on a swinging trapeze to allow it to clear

612-413: Is generally applied only to fixed-wing aircraft , as naval helicopters are able to operate from a wider variety of ships , including helicopter carriers , destroyers , frigates and container ships. The 1903 advent of fixed-wing aircraft was followed in 1910 by the first flight of an aircraft from the deck of an anchored warship (the United States Navy 's USS  Birmingham ), and in 1912, by

680-571: 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

748-493: 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

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816-478: The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk , Republic P-47 Thunderbolt , Supermarine Spitfire , and Hawker Hurricane , were often delivered to overseas air bases by aircraft carrier. They would be loaded onto an aircraft carrier in port by cranes, flown off the carrier at sea near their destination under their own power, and land on a friendly airfield ashore. These were not usually combat missions but in some cases

884-679: 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

952-521: 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

1020-617: 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

1088-597: The defeat of France , this order was taken over by the British government for use by the Royal Navy 's Fleet Air Arm , who named the aircraft the Chesapeake. The British required several modifications to the Chesapeake, including the additional fuel tank fitted to the SB2U-3, additional armor and heavier forward firing armament, with four rifle caliber machine guns replacing the single forward-firing Darne machine gun of

1156-639: The sinking of Prince of Wales and Repulse , the Battle of Taranto , the Attack on Pearl Harbor and numerous other incidents. Following the war, carrier operations continued to increase in size and importance. The vital importance of aircraft carriers, and therefore carrier-capable aircraft, quickly became apparent at the onset of the war in the Pacific where the US's island hopping campaign meant that being able to conduct air operations at sea far from an airbase

1224-456: 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

1292-564: 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,

1360-590: 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,

1428-580: 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

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1496-600: 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

1564-671: 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

1632-664: 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

1700-541: The French aircraft. Fourteen Chesapeakes were used to equip a reformed 811 Naval Air Squadron on 14 July 1941 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent . The squadron, whose crews referred to the aircraft as the "cheesecake", intended to use them for anti-submarine patrols, and they were earmarked for the escort carrier HMS  Archer . By the end of October that year, it had been decided that the Chesapeakes were underpowered for

1768-883: 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

1836-655: 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

1904-482: 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

1972-486: 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

2040-598: The Marine-specific SB2U-3 between March 1941 and September 1943. VMSB-241's Vindicators saw combat at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Airmen with experience in more modern aircraft spoke disparagingly of SB2Us as "vibrators" or "wind indicators" in their later combat assignments. Captain Richard E. Fleming piloted a SB2U-3 Vindicator in an attack on the Japanese cruiser Mikuma on 5 June 1942, for which he

2108-615: 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

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2176-402: 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

2244-608: 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,

2312-564: 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

2380-550: 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

2448-513: 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

2516-431: The U.S. Nimitz class , the U.S. Gerald R. Ford -class , and France's Charles de Gaulle . The use of catapults allows an aircraft carrier to launch large fixed-wing aircraft. For example, the U.S. Navy launches its E-2 Hawkeye AEW aircraft and C-2A Greyhound cargo aircraft with catapults. STOVL take-offs are accomplished with " ski-jumps ", instead of a catapult. STOVL use usually allows aircraft to carry

2584-480: The U.S. Navy as follows: CATOBAR is a system used for the launch and recovery of aircraft from the deck of an aircraft carrier . Under this technique, aircraft are launched using a catapult-assisted take-off and landing on the ship using arresting wires . Although this system is more costly than alternative methods, it provides greater flexibility in carrier operations, since it allows the aircraft to operate with higher payloads. Ships with CATOBAR currently include

2652-639: The US Marine Corps. The SB2U is prominently featured in the 1941 film Dive Bomber . There were 260 examples of all Vindicator variants produced, and a single example is preserved at the National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola , Florida. Deliveries to the US Navy began in December 1937, when four aircraft joined VB-3 aboard the aircraft carrier Saratoga , replacing Curtiss BFC -2 biplanes. As well as Saratoga , Vindicators served on

2720-580: The aircraft were fitted with dive brakes, as tested and rejected by the US Navy. The aircraft were delivered to France in crates and reassembled at Orly , with the first example flying in France on 6 August 1939. On the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939, the French Navy decided that its only aircraft carrier, Béarn was too slow for operational service, and the ship's squadrons disembarked for land-based service. By mid-October 1939,

2788-764: 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 ,

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2856-567: The carriers Lexington , Ranger , and Wasp . Air Group Nine, destined for Essex , trained in Vindicators aboard the escort carrier Charger , but they transitioned to the Douglas SBD Dauntless before Essex joined the war. During the attack on Pearl Harbor , seven Vindicators from the U.S. squadron VMSB-231 were destroyed at Ewa Field . VMSB-131 and VMSB-241 were the only two USMC squadrons that fielded

2924-463: 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

2992-784: The decks of carriers. Carrier aircraft were used extensively during the Korean and Vietnam wars. Douglas A-4 Skyhawks participated in the first strikes of the Vietnam War in response to attacks against American destroyers in the Tonkin Gulf in August 1964. The A-4's small size and light weight meant a high number could be loaded onto carriers, making them an important resource during the Vietnam war. There are three main types of modern carrier-based aircraft, which are categorised by

3060-546: 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

3128-533: The first escadrille , AB 1, had reequipped with the V-156-F, while a second escadrille , AB 3, was formed in November 1939. In March–April 1940, AB 1's pilots carried out successful deck-landing training aboard Béarn , and were declared carrier qualified. On 10 May 1940, on the opening day of the German invasion of France , all 12 of AB 3's aircraft were destroyed in a German air raid on Boulogne airfield. AB 1

3196-402: The first flight of an aircraft from the deck of a warship underway (the Royal Navy 's HMS  Hibernia ). Seaplanes and seaplane tender support ships, such as HMS  Engadine , followed. This evolution was well underway by the early 1920s, resulting in ships such as HMS  Argus (1918), Hōshō (1922), USS  Langley (1922), and Béarn (1927). With these developments,

3264-464: The launched aircraft provided air cover for the ship, and the aircraft could not be recovered by the carrier. Some STOL aircraft, such as the North American Rockwell OV-10 Bronco , have been operated from aircraft carriers and amphibious assault ships in this manner more recently, but this is not common practice. Even very large aircraft such as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules have been successfully landed and launched from large aircraft carriers, but

3332-416: 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

3400-414: The need for specialized aircraft adapted for take-offs and landings from the flight decks of those ships became recognized. The significance of air power grew between the wars, driven by the increased range, carrying power, and effectiveness of carrier-launched aircraft, until it became impossible to disregard its importance during World War II, following the loss of many warships to aircraft, including

3468-406: 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,

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3536-812: The planned duties and would not be able to lift a useful payload from the small escort carriers. Accordingly, they were withdrawn from 811 Squadron in November 1941 for use as training aircraft and the unit was re-equipped with the biplane Fairey Swordfish . Only one known survivor exists today: Data from The Annals of Sugar Baker Two Uncle General characteristics Performance Armament Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Carrier-based aircraft Such aircraft are designed for many purposes including air-to-air combat , surface attack , anti-submarine warfare (ASW) , search and rescue (SAR) , transport (COD) , weather observation , reconnaissance and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) duties. The term

3604-428: The propeller in a steep dive, while further bombs could be carried under the wings to give a maximum bombload of 1,500 lb (680 kg). The SB2U was evaluated against the Brewster XSBA-1 , Curtiss XSBC-3 , Great Lakes XB2G -1, Grumman XSBF -1 and Northrop XBT-1 . All but the Great Lakes and Grumman submissions were ordered into production. Designated XSB2U-1, one prototype was ordered on 15 October 1934 and

3672-425: 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

3740-455: The ship's speed with even the lightest prevailing winds, combined with a low take-off speed allowed early aircraft to gain flying speed in a very short distance. The most extreme version of this was the battleship platforms used during the 1920s when small, World War I-era biplane fighters such as the Sopwith Camel were launched from only a few dozen feet long mounted atop of a battleship 's forward gun turret . Conventional aircraft, such as

3808-414: 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

3876-409: The weight of most aircraft allowed them to be launched from aircraft carriers under their own power, but required assistance in stopping. Catapults were installed but were used only when the ship was stationary or adequate wind over the deck could not be arranged by sailing into the wind. Even aircraft as large as the North American B-25 Mitchell were launched in this manner. This was possible because

3944-555: 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

4012-459: Was crucially important. At the onset Japan used 125 Mitsubishi A6M Zeros launched from 6 aircraft carriers to attack the Naval base at Pearl Harbor , with the result of sinking or damaging 21 warships, and destroying 188 aircraft. The war saw the creation of new carrier capable aircraft such as the Vought F4U Corsair , and further variants of the Zero . Often carrier aircraft would have folding wings or wingtips to maximise space conservation on

4080-447: Was delivered on 15 April 1936. Accepted for operational evaluation on 2 July 1936, the prototype XSB2U-1, BuNo 9725 , crashed on 20 August 1936. Its successful completion of trials led to further orders, with 56 SB2U-1s ordered on 26 October 1936, and a further 58 of a slightly modified version, the SB2U-2, on 6 October 1938. The SB2U-3 was a more heavily modified version, intended as a long-range scout bomber, capable of being fitted with

4148-438: Was deployed against the Italians following the Italian invasion of France on 10 June and on 14 June, four V-156s attacked the Italian submarine  Gondar , which was unharmed. By the time of the Armistice , there were only a handful of remaining Voughts in French hands, and the type was phased out of service. France had placed an order for a further 50 V-156-Fs in March 1940, with delivery planned from March 1941. Following

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4216-411: 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

4284-487: Was done with no cargo and little fuel on board the aircraft. [REDACTED] Media related to Carrier-based aircraft at Wikimedia Commons 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

4352-407: 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

4420-481: Was of conventional low-wing monoplane configuration with a retractable conventional tailwheel landing gear , the pilot and tail gunner being seated in tandem under a long greenhouse-style canopy. The fuselage was of steel tube construction, covered with aluminum panels from the nose to the rear cockpit with a fabric-covered rear fuselage, while the folding cantilever wing was of all-metal construction. A Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin-Wasp Junior radial engine drove

4488-442: Was ordered up to Northern France from Hyères as a replacement, sustaining heavy losses while attacking bridges and German ground targets in Northern France, including seven aircraft shot down by Messerschmitt Bf 109s during an attack on a bridge over the Sambre–Oise Canal on 20 May 1940, and later that month provided air cover for the Evacuation of Dunkirk . AB 3, which had had its losses replaced by V-156-Fs taken out of storage,

4556-409: Was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor . On 22 February 1939, France placed an order for 20 V-156-Fs for the carrier-based squadrons of the Aéronautique Navale (French Naval Aviation), with an order for 20 more V-156-Fs following in May 1939. Based on the SB2U-2, the V-156-F incorporated specific French equipment, included 7.5 mm (0.30 in) Darne machine guns and French radios, while

4624-432: 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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