Navy experience with dive bombing went back to the early years of naval aviation. war effort in the Pacific, almost single-handedly sinking six enemy carriers. During 1942, SBDs were the primary weapon in the U.S. Serving throughout the war, Dauntlesses would sink more than 300,000 tons of enemy shipping, including at least 18 warships, ranging from submarines to battleships. Although considered obsolete and scheduled for replacement before the war began, the SBD would live up to the nickname given to it by its crews - Slow But Deadly (a play on its official designation). The Douglas SBD Dauntless played one of the most significant roles in the course of World War II. This SBD-6 carries the markings of VS-51 (Navy scout squadron), which operated in the Pacific during World War II. The SBD-6 was the last production model, with 450 built. England, New Zealand, and France also used SBDs.
Subsequent models were sent to Navy squadrons, with each succeeding model carrying such improvements as increased fuel capacity, illuminated gunsights, and armor plates for the crew. Production orders were placed in April 1939, with all SBD-1s going to U.S. The SBD's design was based on the Northrop BT-1, but with engine and structural changes. On June 4, 1942, during the Battle of Midway, SBDs destroyed four Japanese carriers, dramatically altering the course of the war. It played a major role throughout the Pacific. The Douglas SBD Dauntless was one of the truly great aircraft of World War II. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page. You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. View Manifest View in Mirador Viewer CCO - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0) This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and image viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. CCO - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0) This media is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions).