Douglas SBD Dauntless

The Douglas SBD Dauntless was a naval dive bomber made by Douglas during World War II. The SBD was the United States Navy's main dive bomber from mid-1940 until late 1943, when it was largely replaced by the SB2C Helldiver. The aircraft was also operated by the United States Army as the A-24 Banshee.

Although relatively slow and outmoded when it began its combat career, it was rugged and dependable and sank more Japanese shipping than any other aircraft during World War II.

Design and development

The next version, designated SBD-3, began manufacture in early 1941. It provided increased armor, self-sealing fuel tanks, and four machine guns. The SBD-4 provided a 12 volt (from 6) electrical system, and a few were converted into SBD-4P reconnaissance platforms.

The next (and most produced) variant, the SBD-5, was primarily produced at the Douglas plant at Tulsa, Oklahoma. It was equipped with a engine and increased ammunition. Over 2,400 were built, and a few were shipped to the Royal Navy for evaluation. In addition to American service, the type saw combat against the Japanese with No. 25 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, which soon replaced them with F4U Corsairs, and against the Germans with the Free French Air Force. A few were also sent to Mexico. The final version, the SBD-6, provided more improvements but production ended in summer 1944.

The U.S. Army had its own version of the SBD, known as the A-24 Banshee, which lacked the tail hook used for carrier landings, and a pneumatic tire replaced the solid tail wheel. First assigned to the 27th Bombardment Group (Light) at Hunter Field, Ga., A-24s participated in the Louisiana maneuvers during September 1941. There were three versions of the Banshee (A-24, the A-24A and A-24B) used by the Army in the early stages of the war. The USAAF used 948 of the 5,937 Dauntlesses built.

Operational history

The United States Army Air Forces sent 52 A-24 Banshees in crates to the Philippine Islands in fall 1941 to equip the 27th Bombardment Group, whose personnel arrived separately. However with the attack on Pearl Harbor, these aircraft were diverted to Australia and the 27th BG fought on Bataan as infantry. While in Australia, these aircraft were reassembled for flight to the Philippines, but missing parts including solenoids, trigger motors, and gun mounts delayed shipment. Plagued with mechanical problems the A-24s were diverted to the 91st Bombardment Squadron and designated for assignment to Java instead. The A-24s had worn-out engines and no armor or self sealing fuel tanks. Referring to themselves as "Blue Rock Clay Pigeons", the 91st attacked the enemy harbor and airbase at Bali and damaged or sank numerous ships around Java. After the Japanese shot down two A-24s and damaged three so badly they could no longer fly, the 91st received orders to evacuate Java in early March, ending a brief but valiant effort.

The Banshees left in Australia were assigned to the 8th Bombardment Squadron, 3rd Bombardment Group, to defend New Guinea. On 26 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, too short-ranged and too poorly armed, 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.

However, the SBD's most important contribution to the American war effort probably came during the Battle of Midway in early June 1942, when SBD dive bomber attacks sank or fatally damaged all four of the Japanese aircraft carriers, three of them in the space of just six minutes (, , , and later in the day ) as well as heavily damaging two Japanese cruisers (including ).

At Midway, Marine SBDs were not as effective. One squadron, VMSB-241, operating from Midway Island, was not trained in the "Helldiving" technique; instead, the new pilots resorted to the slower but easier glide bombing technique, which led to heavy losses. The carrier-borne squadrons, on the other hand, were much more effective, combined with their F4F Wildcat fighter escorts. It should also be mentioned the success of dive bombing was due to two important circumstances: Firstly, and most importantly, the Japanese carriers were at their most vulnerable, readying bombers for battle, with full fuel hoses and armed ordnance strewn across their hangar decks. Secondly, the valiant but doomed assault of the TBD squadrons from the American carriers had drawn the Japanese fighter cover away from the dive bombers, thereby allowing the SBDs to attack unhindered. , early October 1943.]]

Next, SBDs participated in the Guadalcanal campaign, both from American carriers and Henderson Field on Guadalcanal Island. Dauntlesses contributed to the heavy loss of Japanese shipping during the campaign, including the carrier near the Solomon Islands on 24 August, damaging three others during the six-month campaign. SBDs proceeded to sink one cruiser and nine transports during the decisive Naval Battle of Guadalcanal.

During the decisive period of the Pacific Campaign, the SBD's strengths and weaknesses became evident. Interestingly, while the American strength was dive bombing, the Japanese stressed their Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" torpedo bombers, which had caused the bulk of the damage at Pearl Harbor.

In the Atlantic Ocean, the SBD saw action during Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa, in November 1942. The Dauntlesses operated from and two escort carriers. Eleven months later, SBDs again from Ranger attacked German shipping around Bodø, Norway.

Although it was becoming obsolete by 1941, the SBD was used until 1944, when the Dauntless undertook its last major action during the Battle of the Philippine Sea. , Norway, 4 October 1943.]]

However, some Marine squadrons in the Pacific used Dauntlesses until the end of the war. It had already been replaced by the SB2C Helldiver in the U.S. Navy, much to the dismay of the pilots, many of whom believed the "Slow But Deadly" Dauntless was a better aircraft than the Helldiver, which gained the nicknames "Son of a Bitch 2nd Class" and "The Beast". The Dauntless was one of the most important aircraft in the Pacific Theatre of World War II, sinking more enemy shipping in the Pacific war than any other Allied aircraft. In addition, Barrett Tillman, in his book on the Dauntless, claims that the Dauntless has a "plus" score against enemy aircraft, considered a rare event for a nominal "bomber".

A total of 5,936 SBDs were produced in World War II. When the last SBD rolled off the assembly lines at Douglas Aircraft Company's El Segundo plant on 21 July 1944, it marked the final dive bomber which the Navy was to buy. The Navy placed emphasis on the heavier, faster and longer-range SB2C. From Pearl Harbor until April 1944, SBDs had flown 1,189,473 operational hours, with 25 percent of all operational hours flown off aircraft carriers being in Dauntless aircraft. Its battle record shows that in addition to six Japanese carriers, 14 enemy cruisers had been sunk, along with six destroyers, fifteen transports or cargo ships and scores of various lesser craft.

A handful of A-24 Banshees survived in the USAAF's inventory long enough to be taken over by the United States Air Force when that service became independent of the U.S. Army in 1947. The USAF instituted a new designation system for its aircraft, eliminating the "A-for-Attack" category. Twin-engined "A" types were redesignated as bombers (another Douglas product, the A-26 Invader becoming the B-26) while single-engined "A" aircraft were identified as fighters. As a result, the Banshee became known as the F-24, although the type was retired shortly thereafter in 1950.

Variants

;XBT-2: prototype, airframe was a production Northrop BT-1 heavily modified and redesignated as the XBT-2. Further modified by Douglas as the XSBD-1. ;SBD-1: Marine Corps version without self-sealing fuel tanks; 57 built. ;SBD-1P: reconnaissance platforms, converted from SBD-1s. ;SBD-2: Navy version with increased fuel capacity and different armament but without self-sealing fuel tanks, starting in early 1941; 87 built. ;SBD-2P: reconnaissance platforms, converted from SBD-2s. ;SBD-3: began manufacture in early 1941. It provided increased protection, self-sealing fuel tanks, and four machine guns; 584 built. ;SBD-4: provided a 12-volt (from 6) electrical system; 780 built. ;SBD-4P: reconnaissance platforms, converted from SBD-4s. ;SBD-5: The most produced variant, primarily produced at the Douglas plant at Tulsa, Oklahoma. Equipped with a 1,200 hp engine and increased ammunition. 2,965 were built, and a few were shipped to the Royal Navy for evaluation. In addition to American service, the type saw combat against the Japanese with No. 25 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force which soon replaced them with F4U Corsairs, and against the Germans with the Free French Air Force. A few were also sent to Mexico. ;SBD-5A: :as A-24B, for USAAF but delivered to USMC; 60 built. ;SBD-6: The final version, providing more improvements, including a engine, but production ended in summer 1944; 450 built. ;A-24 Banshee (SBD-3A): USAAF equivalent of the SBD-3 without arrester hook; 168 built. ;A-24A Banshee (SBD-4A): USAAF equivalent of the SBD-4; 170 built. ;A-24B Banshee (SBD-5A): USAAF equivalent of the SBD-5; 615 built.

Operators

; Chilean Air Force operated A-24B Banshees. ; French Air Force French Navy ; Moroccan Desert Police ; Royal New Zealand Air Force

On display

;United States A-24B Banshee (s/n 42-54582) is on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, Ohio. It is on loan from the National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, VA. SBD-2 Dauntless, BuNo. 02106 is on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. SBD-3 Dauntless, BuNo. 06508 is on display at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. SBD-3 Dauntless, BuNo. 06624 is on display at the Air Zoo in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is on loan from National Museum of Naval Aviation in Naval Air Station Pensacola. SBD-4 Dauntless, BuNo. 06833 is on display in its recovered condition in underwater exhibit at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. SBD-4 Dauntless, BuNo. 06900 is on display at the San Diego Aerospace Museum in San Diego, California. It is on loan from National Museum of Naval Aviation, Naval Air Station Pensacola. SBD-4 Dauntless, BuNo. 10575 is on display at Midway Airport in Chicago, Illinois. SBD-4 Dauntless, BuNo. 10518 is on display at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California. SBD-5 Dauntless, BuNo. 36173 is on display at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. SBD-5 Dauntless, BuNo. 36175 is on display at Palm Springs Air Museum in Palm Springs, California. SBD-6 Dauntless, BuNo. 54605 is on display at National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC.

Under restoration

Specifications (SBD-5)

See also

References

;Citations

;Bibliography

External links

Category:World War II dive bombers Category:Carrier-based aircraft Category:United States attack aircraft 1930-1939 Category:World War II ground attack aircraft of the United States Category:Douglas aircraft