SBD-5 DAUNTLESS MODEL

The Douglas SBD Dauntless, nicknamed Barge, Clunk or Slow but Deadly and was the standard carrier-borne dive-bomber of the US Navy from mid-1940 until November 1943, when the Curtiss Helldiver replaced it. The SBD was gradually phased out during 1944, and the 20 June 1944 strike against the Japanese Mobile Fleet in the Battle of the Philippine Sea was its last major action as a carrier-borne aircraft. Total of nine Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless Mk 1 were received by the Fleet Air Arm under contract No. The first Dauntless, JS997, was delivered from Speke to the IAD Flight of the Royal Aircraft Establishment (RAE) in November 1943, where it carried out handling and dive bombsight tests (JS997). The Dauntless was subsequently equipped at Wittering by 787 and 700 squadrons from July 1944 till February 1946.

The SBD-5 model was the standard aircraft carrier based dive-bomber of the US Navy from mid-1940 until November 1943, when it was replaced by the Curtis SB2C Helldiver. This model of SBD Dauntless was considered obsolete even before the Pacific War started, and was supposed to be retired before Pearl Harbor occurred. Needless to say this did not happen. The SBD went on to be one of the most famous dive bombers in existence (next to the Stuka), and this was mostly due to extreme luck during the Battle of Midway.