The US Navy attached great importance to the dive bomber in World War II. Undoubtedly, the most famous was the Douglas SBD Dauntless, considered the workhorse of the Navy in the Pacific. The Dauntless divebomber was the only plane to fight in every major Pacific engagement.
The single engine Dauntless played a major role in the Battle of Midway, a turning point in the WWII struggle for the Pacific. Three squadrons of SBDs almost simultaneously dove on three Japanese carriers - Akagi, Kaga, Soryu - whose decks were crowded with fully armed and fueled planes that were just starting to take off. When the SBDs finished, the three carriers were burning hulks, and by the end of the day, the fourth carrier, Hiryu, had been located and bombed out of action as well.
In one 24-hour period, the once-overwhelming Japanese Imperial Navy lost four carriers at the hands of US Navy dive bombers. Every confirmed hit on the enemy fleet in the Battle of Midway was credited to the Dauntless.
The SBD Dauntless displayed on Lexington was resurrected from the depths of Lake Michigan where it crashed on 24 July 1943 during aircraft carrier qualifications. The pilot, Major Edward Harold, USMC, survived the accident with only multiple contusions to the head and face.
SPECIFICATIONS
- Wingspan - 41' 6"
- Length - 32' 8"
- Gross Weight - 10,400 lbs
- Armament - Two .50-cal machine guns, two .30-cal machine guns,
1,200 lbs of bombs
- Power Plant - Wright Cyclone R-1820-52 9-cylinder,
radial air cooled, 1,000 HP
- Max Speed - 250 mph
- Range - 1,345 miles
- Service Ceiling - 27,500 ft
- Crew - 2
This A-4 is on loan from the National Museum of Naval Aviation at Pensacola, Florida.
Click on a plane to view it's description.
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