Dauntless Illustrated Kindle Edition

The Douglas SBD Dauntless could be considered the most important aircraft of the Pacific War due to its performance in a single Naval battle….the Battle of Midway. In that single battle, the Dauntless was largely responsible for the sinking of four Japanese aircraft carriers and one battleship, rendering the Japanese incapable of meaningful offensive operations. The IJN would be reduced to fighting a delaying action as American Naval power was built into the unstoppable juggernaut that eventually overpowered and decimated the Naval forces that had swept across the vast reaches of the Pacific at the beginning of the 1940s.The Dauntless was not just an effective ship killer, it was also an extremely effective ground support airplane, proving its worth over and over in the early campaigns to take and hold islands in the Pacific War. The Marines operated several squadrons of SBDs in support of their grunts, refining the close air support mission so vital to infantry success in defeating the well-entrenched Japanese forces.The Scout Bomber Douglas (SBD), aka; “Slow But Deadly” would serve throughout most of the war and reinforce its reputation as a very accurate dive bomber, though it would ultimately be replaced by the heavier SB2C Helldiver. Just shy of 6,000 SBDs were built during the war and their operational career was relatively short. Short may that career have been, but nevertheless so effective that the Dauntless remains among the most storied WWII airplanes. Read more