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Should cover the USS Ward and her actions at Pearl firing and sinking the first ship at Pearl Harbor before the attack when she sunk a IJN mini sub.... Odds are the sub talked about in this video launched some of the mini subs.
My father was a Dauntless pilot. was on the Yorktown. Was involved in Battle of Philipine Sea. Sank a Heavy Cruiser. Then ran out of fuel. He then received The Navy Cross.
This video is excellent. I'm lucky to have my dad's flight logs. With 338.2 flight hours he carrier qualified on May 5th 1944 on the USS Sable in Lake Michigan flying SBD 10378. Duration of flight that day was 1.9 hours. June 1st he instrument qualified with "total hood time" of 18.5 hours. He later saw combat flying the Helldiver from CV 18 USS Wasp. Then Skyraiders from CV 21 USS Boxer in Korea. He is now resting in peace.
Sounds like your dad and mine were briefly shipmates. My dad was a plane captin on the F4U-4B with VMF-214 in Korea, and they briefly flew off the Boxer during that war. Here's to the memory of both of our fathers. Interesting fact - the USS Sable was a side-wheel paddle steamer, to my knowledge one of only two paddle drivern carriers to ever exist (the other was the USS Wolverine, which also operated on the Great Lakes as a training ship).
Both the Kate and the Stuka had fixed landing gear ! The Dauntless had fully retractable gear and one more reason not to have folding wings ! But the most important reason was so they could land smoothly on the water if needed . Both the Stuka and the Kate would crash badly in the water almost always flipping on their heads and not being able to get out of their cockpits before the plane sank ! As they also added more weight . The gunners seat could rotate to facing forward which he would often do during the dive so the pilot could concentrate on aiming the bomb he would focus on the altimeter and shout out the altitudes to the pilot during the dive including the target altitude to pull OUT of the dive !
My father, when he was aboard USS ENTERPRISE in 1942, flew missions as an SBD gunner and told of taking the controls to give the pilot a break. Once, when I got to climb into the CAF's SBD, I thought about him...and the chill was real.
@@oceanhome2023 The Stuka could Jettison its fixed gear via explosive bolts. Possible so it could run away faster or to improve belly landings in rough Terraine.
My dad was a prewar naval aviator and was at Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomon’s and Guadalcanal. he didn’t fly during those battles as he was assigned as an SOC pilot on the USS New Orleans. I have his diary and it had interesting notes about these battles, in real time. Sadly he passed in 2016 at age 99, he was lucid until his last days. He was a participant member of the battle of midway association. He did log time in the SBD in early 1943 with VS-55 Noumea.
I was born 2 weeks before Pearle Harbor. I don't have too much of a recollection of the early parts of the war, but I do remember my Dad and uncles re-acting to the stories. Anyway, I love the WWII airplanes. I have lots of models of them scattered over all of my house. In 1960 I joined the AF and worked on B-52Ds and KC-135s. Then I later went work on DC-6Bs and Convair 340s for United Airlines. Of course I worked on the jets too, but my favorites have always been the "recips". I REALLY like seeing videos like this of the planes of that era. Thanks for showing.
My father was an SBD pilot. He flew off the USS Hornet (CV8) and the USS Lexington (CV16) He saw combat at the battles of Midway, Santa Cruz, the Philippine Sea as well as may other raids at Truk, Kwajalein, Palau, the Gilberts, the Solomons, and the Marianas. Pilots would refer to the SBD as "Slow But Deadly". He shot down two zeros in his SBD. The first was after he hit the Shokaku with his 1000 lb. during the battle of Santa Cruz and was on his return to the Hornet. The second was during an attack at Kwajalein. But his most his notable zero kill came during a raid at Truk. He was carrying one 500 lb. bomb and two 250 lb. bombs. After diving to drop his 500 lb bomb on a warehouse on Moen, he was pulling out of his dive and found himself over an airstrip where he saw a lone zero starting to taxi for takeoff. Acting quickly he knew he better try to get the zero first or it would be on his tail after taking off. He lined up on the zero but was too low to fire his 50 calibers. Almost over the zero, he pulled up slightly and released both of this 250 lb. bombs. His SBD lurched as he flew over the blast and immediately his rear gunner started screaming "You got him!"
Hornet CV-8 was sunk in OCT 42 at Santa Cruz so your dad was involved in one of the biggest carrier battles of the war. Japanese flight leaders who returned to their carriers after the battle were in such shock that they were incomprehensible when they tried to describe what happened to their squadrons. It's very rare to find someone who participated in so many fights. Undoubtedly he was a very highly skilled pilot.
@@danielebrparish4271 At Midway he received the first of his DFCs for hitting a IJN Mogami class cruiser.. At Santa Cruz he was awarded the Silver Star and later received the Navy Cross for hitting a carrier which later sank at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. He is one of pilots from Bombing 16 (USS Lexington CV16) that was featured in the book "Mission Beyond Darkness" by Lt. Comdr. J. Bryan.
Another fact, the SBD usually flew without fighter escort. Its range was longer and its cruse speed slower which complicated things. And when we were down to just one carrier we needed every fighter to cover the Big E. Yeah, usually they were on their own.
My Grandfather Second Lieutenant Orvin Ramlo was a SBD pilot at Midway with MVSB-241. Instead of making the bombing run he dropped his load, turning to fight the Japanese air cover and shot down 5 planes earning The Navy Cross. He was shot down that same day.
How about a video on the Catalina? From finding the Bismark to the Black cats in the Pacific to antisubmarine patrols the obsolete cat served in every theater until the end of the war.
At the end, Peter Hague's comments on the honor he felt being able to fly a former WWII Dauntless pilot with a current day flyable SBD... brought tears to my eyes- priceless!
My father was a tail gunner in the SBD. When I was 11 years old, my father was being sued (he was in business for himself and sometimes 'things' happened)...anyway, I asked him if he was "scared." He looked me straight in the eye and said, "Son, when you are 18 years old, sitting in the rear of a slow moving dive bomber, and a Japanese Zero is barreling down on you, and he is shooting, not at the plane, but directly at you and you can hear the bullets going by your ears, THAT is scary. If I go to court and lose, I will lose some money, that's all...they won't kill me." I never saw my father fear anything in all his years. (BTW, he didn't lose the court case, in fact, he won in a counter-suit.) I grew up around a lot of WWII Vets and can attest without any reservations whatsoever those that fought in WWII were truly the Greatest Generation, bar none. Remember: If you can read this, thank a teacher, if you can read this in English, thank a WWII Veteran.
Thank You for a Great Video on the SBD. Most people today are not aware of the role played by the SBD in the Pacific.My Dad Glen M Lunsford was a Marine Radio/Gunner in SBD's. With Final Training in Hawaii summer of 1943.The Pilots and Gunners made their choices of who to fly with. I remember my Dad telling Me how He made his Choice.He didn't want the best pilot But a "Good Pilot" with the "Mindset" of doing a good bombing run and coming back in one piece. 25 pairs of Pilot/Gunners of VMSB-236 arrived Henderson Field , Guadalcanal , Solomon Islands September 1943( my just turned 20yrs old (Sept 7th 1943) through fall of 1944.I remember my Dad telling the Raids they went on to Bomb shipping in Rabaul Harbor were bad , scary and usually lost planes and men. One Rabaul raid diving in "Pairs" there was this "Huge Explosion" that almost knocked them out of control. And then my Dad saw that the SBD next to them was gone - it had taken a direct hit from anti - aircraft fire. Paz my Dad's pilot later said "I was barely able to keep the SBD under control. Paz( Dad's Pilot) taught my Dad basic flying from the Gunners position just in case my Dad ever needed to do it. And one time my Dad had to from the back. They had taken hits from Zero Fighters after leaving Rabaul one time. Paz told Dad some of his pedal controls were damaged and Dad needed to help him Fly Home. Well He "Lied" he was wounded in the right leg. After successfully landing back at Base my Dad was upset Paz didn't tell him he was wounded - Paz said " I needed You to focus on "Flying" and not worry about me wounded and it worked. They had 2 emergency/crash landings. The other one was about halfway home from Rabaul again with heavy damage they had belly landed on a beach successfully and get picked up by a PBY. After 1 year the original 25 pairs that left Hawaii in Sept 1943 were rotated home - of the 25 pairs , 5 pairs came home Whole( Dad & Paz being one of the 5) - the 20 other Pairs one or both were KIA. I believe I'm here today because of the Atomic Bomb. In the spring of 1945 My dad was at El Toro Marine Base where they were waiting orders for attack on the Japan Homeland - My Dad did not think He would have not made back from that. My Dad then Married the Blind Date He meet in San Diego before going to Hawaii ( wrote letters back and forth) while overseas.
Thanks TJ! I wish my Grandfather would have been willing to talk to me more about his experiences as an SBD Tailgunner. To painful I guess, but unfortunately most of his stories died with him in 2004.
I was a kid when asked my dad about his combat experience. I didn't know any better. He was on watch in the north Atlantic convoy. He looked up and saw two German torpedoes coming for his. Nothing he could do except sound the alarm. They passed underneath and blew up a tanker on the inside. He remembered the screams of the doomed crew. I remember him often waking up at night screaming in terror. The families pay a price too.
@@daleupthegrove6396 I saw a video similar to that too I cannot remember the pilots name , sometime after that flight he transfered to fighters. (“Swede” Vejtasa shot down two Zeros and destroyed another by cutting off its wing with his wingtip while flying an SBD. He later went on to fly Hellcat fighters with some success.)
That is so cool for the honor to fly that hero from WW2 . I wasn’t aware there were still alive and lucid enough to fly again. To hop aboard that aircraft 79 years later WOW. Glad some of them are still with us.
Here is a bonus fact. At the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola there is an SBD-2, #2106, on display. It was flown at Midway by Marine Lieutenant Iverson on that mission, and he returned with over 200 flak, machine gun and cannon holes in the airframe. The aircraft was returned to the US for repairs. It was then assigned to Glenview Naval Air Station, Illinois, for use in training. She was used for carrier training where pilots flew from Glenview out over Lake Michigan to the training carriers Sable and Wolverine. On one such flight, the pilot crashed into the lake, and the aircraft remained until 1996, when it was salvaged off the lake floor (along with about 30 other Navy planes). Many of the planes were sent to other museums and flying teams, but #2106 went to Pensacola because she had not only at Midway, but had survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, and had flown off USS Lexington for the raid on Lae and Salamaua , New Guinea, in March of 1942.
Wanna know why Clarence Dickinson had a new gunner that day? He lost his original gunner at Pearl Harbor. Yes Dickinson was AT Pearl Harbor on December 7th. He was one of 18 SBDs that were launched that day on a routine recon patrol. During the attack, his gunner actually shot down a Japanese plane before their SBD was mortally wounded. Dickinson bailed but his gunner did not.
It’s sad my father passed away in 2009 he was a Marine who fought on Saipan, I am a retired Navy veteran as well we both loved aviation, I was a carrier sailor and loved it. My disability has kept me from finishing my career and I’m blessed that many of brothers I still keep in contact with. When you have been through bled together there’s always a bond.
@@erichvonmanstein6876 all you need to know is that I am 100% disabled from my time in service I have no need to verify anything to you. I served with honor and just like any other veteran all I ask is you respect those who served, why you ask is beyond the pale.
I'm excited for that veterans day episode! We are losing our WW2 vets at such a quick rate they're going to be all gone soon. It is important we preserve and thank them for they have done for us. It's still my personal goal of thanking at least one WW2 vet from every branch, but I don't know where to look or how to find one sadly.
My friend's step father flew Hellcats in WWII. He must have had it tough because he never talked about it. I must have gotten through to him once, though, because he opened up to me. He told me whenever he fired the guns, the rifling from the six fifty caliber machine guns would cause the aircraft to yaw and he would have to correct for it. Can you imagine dog fighting and keeping your aircraft in control while it's fighting you along with everything else in the sky?
Must be tough to keep pushing those yaw pedals back to stabilized positions after every burst and that also includes avoiding or chasing enemy fighters
@@guts-141 I've read many books about WWII pilots and I never once read about that fact. It seem obvious. It must have been even worse on a P-47 with eight 50 caliber machine guns. After thinking about it and the trouble it caused pilots having to correct while trying to dogfight, why didn't Browning make right handed and left handed rifling barrels for their guns so they could be put on right and left wings? Then the effect of the rifling would cancel out.
Even more amazing when you know that those planes didn't have hydraulic controls. They were pulling on a cable that was anchored to the control surfaces.
Not to disrespect a veteran, but with the effect described, you're dealing with torque about a .25" moment arm with a total mass of between 300 and 400 grains. That's really not a lot of torque, even with 6 guns firing at 800 or so rounds per minute. Factor in that these torque sources are distributed and located about 7 feet from the aircraft's roll and yaw axes, and the theory is even more questionable. Any yaw effect I have read of due to gunfire was when a gun or two on one wing malfunctioned. Also, if an M-2 was capable of generating that much torque, it would be tricky keeping a tripod mounted example from tipping over. For firsthand experience, I've had the opportunity to fire several full-automatic weapons over the years. There is no detectable torque when firing. Please do not view this comment as an attack on anyone. My sole reason for commenting is to help reduce the number of historical myths floating around. We already have too many. Best regards!
@@adirondacker007 I know, I was surprised to hear him say that and in all the books I've read of other pilots' personal accounts not one ever mentioned it. I've had this happen before, it's possible I'm screwing this up and misremembering it. Possibly crossing it with something else. I'd like to get to the bottom of it. Ask an expert. On your analysis and the fact that in all the books I've read, and there have been many, I've never heard anyone mention it. So it doesn't seem likely.
Another fact is that the USAAF acquired a lot of them designated as the A-24 Banshee. They wanted it after seeing German success with the JU-87. It wasn’t in front line service but for maybe a month or so before being withdrawn from the line due to many being shot down and regarded as a bad front line dive bomber
Absolutely my favorite favorite airplane. I like the -3 model of the SBD. I actually have just over one hour in a real SBD-5 and even flew it!!! Thank you POF for making that dream come true,,
A few years ago I was fortunate enough to trade comments with an SPD pilot that trained at a field near where I grew up in Corpus Christi, TX. The sky was totally filled with planes almost every weekday and Saturday. There were up to six auxiliary fields surrounding NAS, Corpus Christi. They many kinds of planes also, not just SPDs, some with four engines, and seaplane too. We fished around a SBD that crash landed remotly in shallow water in the Laguna Madre behind Padre Island. But best of all was when the Navy had an annual open house and let us visit the base and get up close to or even inside the planes or a ship in the harbor.
I have loved the SBD since I was a boy and read a magazine article about Dick Best and his experiences at the Battle of Midway. Wildcat, Hellcat, and Corsair drivers got all the glory but I felt the Dauntless, Avenger, and Helldiver guys did more to win the war. Thanks for this video and keep up the great work!
Dad was in the US Army Air Corp in 1942 (Army Air Force in January 1943) with P40s then P-47s. The Dauntless was my favorite Navy Aircraft. I suggest the P-47 Thunderbolt for your next project. The Millville Army Air Field Museum (Millville NJ) has a great deal of P-47 history, including training. Thanks
Although I am well aware of the SBD Dauntless, and knew it did pretty damn well at Midway etc, it was fascinating to learn some new stuff about this great little plane. I was impressed to learn about it's dogfighting capabilities against the much feared Mitsubishi Zero, especially at lower altitude. A great video, I really enjoyed it along with the cool graphics.
I feel privileged to have attained an original copy of 'Mission Beyond Darkness' that appears to have been owned and signed by one of the pilots that took part from the 'Hell's Kittens' F6F squadron. They flew escort for the SBD's and TBF's.
Cool vid👍🏻 my great Grandpa flew one of these in WW2 and received the gold naval cross for his actions in the battle of midway and in the Solomon island.
I recently had the honor and privilege of walking around a Dauntless at The American Heritage Museum in Hudson, Massachusetts. The museum is primarily an armored vehicle museum, but they have some amazing aircraft as well. The Dauntless went 200 feet to the bottom of Lake Michigan in 1944 after an engine malfunction. It spent about 50 years there, was recovered, and is on display with its original paint. They also have beautiful examples of a Messerschmitt BF-109 and a Grumman Hellcat. One-of-a-kind aircraft include the last remaining P-40B that was at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7 and the L-4 that was flown by "The Mad Major", Charles Carpenter, against German armor with bazookas mounted on its wings.
My BMW motorcycle had a Givi airflow screen which uses a small “floating“ panel that allows a considerable air flow into the space behind. There was no wind buffeting. The standard full panel screen caused horrible turbulence that gave me a headache. It’s the same effect that caused the SBD tail to shake so badly until they let some air through to soften the turbulence.
It was almost decommissioned as WT tells us yet it was probably one of the most successful out of all naval planes next to the F4U, F4F, and F2A. There were others like the OS2U, SB2C-2, SB2C-3.
Years ago met a sailor who served on an carrier in WW2 carrier. He was a guide at Fantasy of Flight in Orlando. He said the pilots loved the Dauntless because once they trimmed the dive angle the plane would track just about hands off. The newer Helldiver had to be man handled all the way to the drop point.
I understand that at the beginning of the war, the enemy Zeros were in for a surprise. They would attack the SBDs from the rear. Only after they received return fire from the back of the SBDs did they realize that the SBD had rear-mounted dual 30cal machine guns.
Last year, I was able to see, and photograph, a Dauntless that hangs from the ceiling at Chicago's Midway airport. I have also seen aircraft in Tucson, Pensacola and DC. I am always impressed with the bravery of pilots (on all sides), who flew those planes. They are always a lot smaller than I imagined. Probably because I was able to stand up while looking at the bomb bay of a B-52, in Kansas.
How about a video on another Tulsa Built, and one of the best Attack/Bombers of All Time and it’s designer? The Douglas A-26 Invader by Mr. Ted Smith…..A somewhat forgotten, but brilliant designer of Military and Civilian Aircraft.
TJ3. Thank you so much for this great video on the SBD. Long a favorite of mine she was a good and true aircraft. Yes the Japanese discovered that the Dauntless was not to be trifled with as she was quite capable of putting up a good fight. The Dauntless had good range hence the fact that it was a Scout Bomber and decent ordinance load out. Stable in the dive and once free of her bomb load quite maneuverable. Truly the SBD is a good airplane and had no vices.
@@erichvonmanstein6876 Oh really? Well perhaps you have a wealth of piloting experience regarding regarding the SBD. If so I’d be quite interested in hearing your PILOTING CRITIQUE of the Dauntless. I’ve read many stories regarding the SBD in action seen a few pilots relate stories from WWII and haven’t seen nor heard much negativity about that airplane. So share with us Mr SBD Pilot your assessment from a pilots viewpoint.
@@topturretgunner when did you fly your SBD? i mean your saying what i said is invalid because ive "never flew an SBD" ........but.......... niether have you. Another question is are you always this stupi d? 😄😅😆😂🤣🤭👉
The fact that tj decided to make himself a lord is such a meme, FROM NOW ON ALWAYS CALL HIM *LORD TJ* I can’t wait to see this veteran fly back in the sbd! Sbd is my favorite aircraft
Fun fact - only one occasion where a very particular skilled and aggressive dive bomber pilot manage to hold himself against bunch of Zero during the battle of the Coral Sea and he manage to damage or shot down three zero. His exploit quickly transfer him from bomber to a fighter. His name is Swede Vedasa and his ace against the Zero is the Dauntless is extremely rugged, it can do a crushing turn without stall or damage it airframe. Swede manage out turn his opponent after each head-on pass he does a 9G pull, and do more skidding shot in the enemy in the head-on. If the Zero does what Swede does, two thing will happen, their wing will rip-off from the accessed G force and also they will stall
1. The "Cheese Grater" holes of the Dive Brakes solved a serious stability problem with dive bombing runs. 2. SBD wings don't fold; the folding mechanism adds a lot of weight.. 3. On December 10, 1941, an SBD attacked a Japanese submarine. 4. At The Battle of MIday, USMC SBDs were attacked and shot down. Inexperienced pilots did a less-than-successful Glide Bomb attack. 5. SBDs operating in the Mediterraean participated in Operation Torch. The Free French also used the SBD over Southern France. 6. SBDs could be used as "adjunct fighters" against the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, Aichi D3A dive bombers, and Nakajima B5N level/torpedo bombers.
The USAAC version of the SBD, the A-24 Banshee was used in the New Guinea but it’s performance wasn’t near as successful as the seaborne version. This could have been due to the lack of effective escorts or other factors.
Funny story: My family and I were walking thru the air museum in Pensacola and I was describing the planes as we walked by them. I've been an armchair historian for decades. At one point, I noticed that our group had doubled in size. A tour group had joined us, and their guide was standing by himself and smiling. I apologized for taking over his group. He laughed and said he didn't mind because he, and his group, were learning. He asked me if I wanted to work there. I said I'd love to, but Kansas City to Pensacola was such a long commute.
Add to the turn rate of the SBD vs A6M, the fact that the SBD has a tail gunner that can get the occasional snap shot. Couple that with a Thatch Weave, and it gets mean on covering duty.
Hi Lord… I’m a Duke. Duke appointed by the prince of a recognized sovereign principality country of Sea Land. And a colonel… yes, by the same group, Commemorative Air Force, featured here. You too can be a colonel by joining the Commemorative Air Force.
As a kid born in the '80s, growing up in the '90s, I played on my PC an awful lot, and one of my absolute favorite games was Red Baron, the one that also had A-10 Tank Killer if you knew to look for it and install it, but I always thought flak guns merely shot a shell containing tar-like substance that, once the shell detonated, would explode in a bunch of nasty, sticky, hot, black stuff to make smoke and splatter all over the pilot's goggles or windscreen if they were lucky enough to be flying a plane that had one, and blind the pilot from targeting ground units. All those CG animated little puffs of smoke and soundcard noises meant to be explosions as the flak detonated, really left something to be desired lol nonetheless, I learned alot about WWI pilots and the beasts they flew into combat and the utter nonexistent roll capabilities of some of the early French models of aeroplanes used in that day. I loved it when I finally made it to a point in the game where biplanes were around lol! The Sopwith Camel was my favorite of the lot. God I miss that game and those days, I'd give anything besides my eternal soul to go back knowing what I know now.
I love this bird. I've flown her quite a bit on a ww2 SIM and she's one of those "can do" aeroplanes, that's if the SIM was an accurate representation. She can take a good kicking and still get home. She's also very pretty 👍
One of the reasons why Henderson's attack at Midway was using the glide bombing meathod is because along with the SBds, half his group consisted of Vultee Vindicators, very obsolete and piloted by inexperienced pilots and had issues diving steeply
Using the repaints for the ET sponsorship kept me from fast forwarding. Added In Edit: I am so fired up for the Veteran's Day episode. So few are left and I've sat at the feet of several. Truly the greatest generation.
I would love to get into this plane, it's really my favourite. Especially sitting in the gunners position. What a beautiful aircraft. Thanks for the videos.
Gran trabajo! Bonito, robusto, confiable.. Este pequeño Bombardero Explorador, tambien se uso en la Batalla del Mar de Coral como Caza, para interceptar a los aerotorpederos Nakajima B5 N "Kate" japoneses.. Lei que el Ens. Manuel Gonzalez, fue el primer piloto embarcado USA, en un SBD del Enterprise, muerto en vuelo al ser atacado por los Aichi D3A Val de bombardeo en picado, en Pearl Harbour.. Regards.
One word & one word only admirably covers the awesome graphics in this video & that word is simply "AWESOME"!!! They are so realistic & I'm actually stuck for a proper & meaningful description but suffice to state, who ever did these graphics surely knows what the hell they are doing!! Well done indeed & my sheer thanks & appreciation!!
Great content, but the background Glory music is so distracting, I couldn't finish. Please lose or reduce the music for these old ears. Love the SBD, and impressed by the content.
The end of this video gave me chills! Looking forward to that interview. I bet his heart was racing just like it was back in the War. I have a question for you. What role did Ireland have during the War? Are there any stories of an invasion from the Irish coast and were there any Allied A/C that did any time in Ireland? Thanks.
The SBD's replacement the SB2C was so full of defects that many in the navy wanted to go back to the Douglas plane. Unfortunately the powers that be had made the decision purchase the Curtiss plane. Despite the SB2C failing it's deck landing trials there was a war going on. So good money was thrown after bad trying to fix the many faults.
Which they eventually did with the -3 model. Interestingly enough, towards the end of the Battle of the Philippine Sea. When the afternoon strike had to ditch into the ocean. The Helldivers took heavier losses. Whereas the Dauntless took anywhere between none to minimal.
They were both at Midway though I thought the SBDs were stationed on our carriers. 6 of the 11 Vindicators that participated were shot down and the remainder were too badly damaged to be used again. After Midway they were removed from military service and used as training aircraft in the states. Although it had an all metal frame, the back half had fabric skiin.
while it's good to get sponsor money in this age of adblock I just want to point out for anyone reading that established titles is a scam website you may as well save your money and just create a fake title in word yourself lol
Go to establishedtitles.com/TJ3 and help support the channel! They are now running a massive sale, plus 10% off on any purchase with code TJ3. Thanks to Established Titles for sponsoring this video!
Amazing video my friend....Thanks from an 80 year old F-4 Pilot....Shoe🇺🇸
Should cover the USS Ward and her actions at Pearl firing and sinking the first ship at Pearl Harbor before the attack when she sunk a IJN mini sub.... Odds are the sub talked about in this video launched some of the mini subs.
Excellent video TJ! I like the interview with the pilots and all of your animation. All-around great job!
establish titles is such a scam
Turns out you’re not a Lord
Major Henderson's sacrifice at Midway inspired the Marines who invaded Guadalcanal to name the captured airfield Henderson Field in his honor.
It is my understanding that Major Henderson's name was used to name Henderson Field on Guadalcanal.
That’s what he said, yes
what is this reply section?
@@randomcamera746fever dream. Questioning it only makes it worse.
My father was a Dauntless pilot. was on the Yorktown. Was involved in Battle of Philipine Sea. Sank a Heavy Cruiser. Then ran out of fuel. He then received The Navy Cross.
Wish he had told us stories while he was still alive. There’s so much we will never know. Thanks for sharing this with me Bob. So fascinating!
For what action did he receive the Navy cross?
@@erichvonmanstein6876 My dad Jerome Kaiser was on the Yorktown during the Battle of the Phillipine Sea
Amazing, I would have loved to shake your fathers hand
What's cruiser name and class?
This video is excellent. I'm lucky to have my dad's flight logs. With 338.2 flight hours he carrier qualified on May 5th 1944 on the USS Sable in Lake Michigan flying SBD 10378. Duration of flight that day was 1.9 hours. June 1st he instrument qualified with "total hood time" of 18.5 hours. He later saw combat flying the Helldiver from CV 18 USS Wasp. Then Skyraiders from CV 21 USS Boxer in Korea. He is now resting in peace.
Very cool!
You must be very proud!
Blessings to his memory and his service to our Nation
Sounds like your dad and mine were briefly shipmates. My dad was a plane captin on the F4U-4B with VMF-214 in Korea, and they briefly flew off the Boxer during that war. Here's to the memory of both of our fathers.
Interesting fact - the USS Sable was a side-wheel paddle steamer, to my knowledge one of only two paddle drivern carriers to ever exist (the other was the USS Wolverine, which also operated on the Great Lakes as a training ship).
Would you consider donating them to the WWII museum in New Orleans?
Extra fun fact. The Dauntless also had flight controls for the radio/rear gun operator.
😮😮😮😮!!!!!
Had NO IDEA of this! WOW!!!!
ANOTHER thing I didn't know about the SBD! I need to LEARN some stuff!! Thanks. 😁😁🙂
Both the Kate and the Stuka had fixed landing gear ! The Dauntless had fully retractable gear and one more reason not to have folding wings ! But the most important reason was so they could land smoothly on the water if needed . Both the Stuka and the Kate would crash badly in the water almost always flipping on their heads and not being able to get out of their cockpits before the plane sank !
As they also added more weight . The gunners seat could rotate to facing forward which he would often do during the dive so the pilot could concentrate on aiming the bomb he would focus on the altimeter and shout out the altitudes to the pilot during the dive including the target altitude to pull OUT of the dive !
My father, when he was aboard USS ENTERPRISE in 1942, flew missions as an SBD gunner and told of taking the controls to give the pilot a break. Once, when I got to climb into the CAF's SBD, I thought about him...and the chill was real.
@@oceanhome2023 The Stuka could Jettison its fixed gear via explosive bolts. Possible so it could run away faster or to improve belly landings in rough Terraine.
My dad was a prewar naval aviator and was at Coral Sea, Midway, Eastern Solomon’s and Guadalcanal. he didn’t fly during those battles as he was assigned as an SOC pilot on the USS New Orleans. I have his diary and it had interesting notes about these battles, in real time. Sadly he passed in 2016 at age 99, he was lucid until his last days. He was a participant member of the battle of midway association. He did log time in the SBD in early 1943 with VS-55 Noumea.
Please consider donating his journal to the WWII museum in New Orleans as a memorial to honor his service.
Wow, an "old man" by the time wwll came around
Was he on board when New Orleans was sunk at Guadalcanal then?
I was born 2 weeks before Pearle Harbor. I don't have too much of a recollection of the early parts of the war, but I do remember my Dad and uncles re-acting to the stories. Anyway, I love the WWII airplanes. I have lots of models of them scattered over all of my house. In 1960 I joined the AF and worked on B-52Ds and KC-135s. Then I later went work on DC-6Bs and Convair 340s for United Airlines. Of course I worked on the jets too, but my favorites have always been the "recips". I REALLY like seeing videos like this of the planes of that era. Thanks for showing.
My father was an SBD pilot. He flew off the USS Hornet (CV8) and the USS Lexington (CV16) He saw combat at the battles of Midway, Santa Cruz, the Philippine Sea as well as may other raids at Truk, Kwajalein, Palau, the Gilberts, the Solomons, and the Marianas. Pilots would refer to the SBD as "Slow But Deadly". He shot down two zeros in his SBD. The first was after he hit the Shokaku with his 1000 lb. during the battle of Santa Cruz and was on his return to the Hornet. The second was during an attack at Kwajalein. But his most his notable zero kill came during a raid at Truk. He was carrying one 500 lb. bomb and two 250 lb. bombs. After diving to drop his 500 lb bomb on a warehouse on Moen, he was pulling out of his dive and found himself over an airstrip where he saw a lone zero starting to taxi for takeoff. Acting quickly he knew he better try to get the zero first or it would be on his tail after taking off. He lined up on the zero but was too low to fire his 50 calibers. Almost over the zero, he pulled up slightly and released both of this 250 lb. bombs. His SBD lurched as he flew over the blast and immediately his rear gunner started screaming "You got him!"
Hornet CV-8 was sunk in OCT 42 at Santa Cruz so your dad was involved in one of the biggest carrier battles of the war. Japanese flight leaders who returned to their carriers after the battle were in such shock that they were incomprehensible when they tried to describe what happened to their squadrons. It's very rare to find someone who participated in so many fights. Undoubtedly he was a very highly skilled pilot.
@@danielebrparish4271 At Midway he received the first of his DFCs for hitting a IJN Mogami class cruiser.. At Santa Cruz he was awarded the Silver Star and later received the Navy Cross for hitting a carrier which later sank at the Battle of the Philippine Sea. He is one of pilots from Bombing 16 (USS Lexington CV16) that was featured in the book "Mission Beyond Darkness" by Lt. Comdr. J. Bryan.
Another fact, the SBD usually flew without fighter escort.
Its range was longer and its cruse speed slower which complicated things.
And when we were down to just one carrier we needed every fighter to cover the Big E.
Yeah, usually they were on their own.
It also flew as Combat Air Control as needed. This was before the folded wing version of the F4F was available.
How old are you?
My Grandfather Second Lieutenant Orvin Ramlo was a SBD pilot at Midway with MVSB-241. Instead of making the bombing run he dropped his load, turning to fight the Japanese air cover and shot down 5 planes earning The Navy Cross. He was shot down that same day.
How about a video on the Catalina? From finding the Bismark to the Black cats in the Pacific to antisubmarine patrols the obsolete cat served in every theater until the end of the war.
At the end, Peter Hague's comments on the honor he felt being able to fly a former WWII Dauntless pilot with a current day flyable SBD... brought tears to my eyes- priceless!
My father was a tail gunner in the SBD. When I was 11 years old, my father was being sued (he was in business for himself and sometimes 'things' happened)...anyway, I asked him if he was "scared." He looked me straight in the eye and said, "Son, when you are 18 years old, sitting in the rear of a slow moving dive bomber, and a Japanese Zero is barreling down on you, and he is shooting, not at the plane, but directly at you and you can hear the bullets going by your ears, THAT is scary. If I go to court and lose, I will lose some money, that's all...they won't kill me." I never saw my father fear anything in all his years. (BTW, he didn't lose the court case, in fact, he won in a counter-suit.) I grew up around a lot of WWII Vets and can attest without any reservations whatsoever those that fought in WWII were truly the Greatest Generation, bar none. Remember: If you can read this, thank a teacher, if you can read this in English, thank a WWII Veteran.
Cool!
Thank You for a Great Video on the SBD. Most people today are not aware of the role played by the SBD in the Pacific.My Dad Glen M Lunsford was a Marine Radio/Gunner in SBD's. With Final Training in Hawaii summer of 1943.The Pilots and Gunners made their choices of who to fly with. I remember my Dad telling Me how He made his Choice.He didn't want the best pilot But a "Good Pilot" with the "Mindset" of doing a good bombing run and coming back in one piece. 25 pairs of Pilot/Gunners of VMSB-236 arrived Henderson Field , Guadalcanal , Solomon Islands September 1943( my just turned 20yrs old (Sept 7th 1943) through fall of 1944.I remember my Dad telling the Raids they went on to Bomb shipping in Rabaul Harbor were bad , scary and usually lost planes and men. One Rabaul raid diving in "Pairs" there was this "Huge Explosion" that almost knocked them out of control. And then my Dad saw that the SBD next to them was gone - it had taken a direct hit from anti - aircraft fire. Paz my Dad's pilot later said "I was barely able to keep the SBD under control. Paz( Dad's Pilot) taught my Dad basic flying from the Gunners position just in case my Dad ever needed to do it. And one time my Dad had to from the back. They had taken hits from Zero Fighters after leaving Rabaul one time. Paz told Dad some of his pedal controls were damaged and Dad needed to help him Fly Home. Well He "Lied" he was wounded in the right leg. After successfully landing back at Base my Dad was upset Paz didn't tell him he was wounded - Paz said " I needed You to focus on "Flying" and not worry about me wounded and it worked. They had 2 emergency/crash landings. The other one was about halfway home from Rabaul again with heavy damage they had belly landed on a beach successfully and get picked up by a PBY. After 1 year the original 25 pairs that left Hawaii in Sept 1943 were rotated home - of the 25 pairs , 5 pairs came home Whole( Dad & Paz being one of the 5) - the 20 other Pairs one or both were KIA. I believe I'm here today because of the Atomic Bomb. In the spring of 1945 My dad was at El Toro Marine Base where they were waiting orders for attack on the Japan Homeland - My Dad did not think He would have not made back from that. My Dad then Married the Blind Date He meet in San Diego before going to Hawaii ( wrote letters back and forth) while overseas.
Thanks TJ! I wish my Grandfather would have been willing to talk to me more about his experiences as an SBD Tailgunner. To painful I guess, but unfortunately most of his stories died with him in 2004.
God bless him
Thank you too your grandfather for his service
Unfortunately so many important stories have been lost to history in this way…. Only known by men who wish to never speak of them again.
I was a kid when asked my dad about his combat experience. I didn't know any better. He was on watch in the north Atlantic convoy. He looked up and saw two German torpedoes coming for his. Nothing he could do except sound the alarm. They passed underneath and blew up a tanker on the inside. He remembered the screams of the doomed crew. I remember him often waking up at night screaming in terror. The families pay a price too.
@@HomeDefender30 then they werent that important were they🤨
I first learned of the SBD Dauntless through an old Discovery Channel documentary called "Wings Over The Pacific".
I remember the Discovery Channel series "Dogfights" that showed an episode about the Dauntless doing double duty as a fighter.
@@daleupthegrove6396 I saw a video similar to that too I cannot remember the pilots name , sometime after that flight he transfered to fighters. (“Swede” Vejtasa shot down two Zeros and destroyed another by cutting off its wing with his wingtip while flying an SBD. He later went on to fly Hellcat fighters with some success.)
Great plane and won the early war along with the Wildcat. 2 great planes! Can't wait for the Veterans Day Episode!!
That is so cool for the honor to fly that hero from WW2 . I wasn’t aware there were still alive and lucid enough to fly again. To hop aboard that aircraft 79 years later WOW. Glad some of them are still with us.
Clarence “Dickie” Dickinson…another unsung hero..
Here is a bonus fact. At the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola there is an SBD-2, #2106, on display. It was flown at Midway by Marine Lieutenant Iverson on that mission, and he returned with over 200 flak, machine gun and cannon holes in the airframe. The aircraft was returned to the US for repairs. It was then assigned to Glenview Naval Air Station, Illinois, for use in training. She was used for carrier training where pilots flew from Glenview out over Lake Michigan to the training carriers Sable and Wolverine. On one such flight, the pilot crashed into the lake, and the aircraft remained until 1996, when it was salvaged off the lake floor (along with about 30 other Navy planes). Many of the planes were sent to other museums and flying teams, but #2106 went to Pensacola because she had not only at Midway, but had survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, and had flown off USS Lexington for the raid on Lae and Salamaua , New Guinea, in March of 1942.
Wanna know why Clarence Dickinson had a new gunner that day? He lost his original gunner at Pearl Harbor. Yes Dickinson was AT Pearl Harbor on December 7th. He was one of 18 SBDs that were launched that day on a routine recon patrol. During the attack, his gunner actually shot down a Japanese plane before their SBD was mortally wounded. Dickinson bailed but his gunner did not.
And don't forget his best friend, Dick Best, he was the pilot that blew up the Akagi with his SBD
It’s sad my father passed away in 2009 he was a Marine who fought on Saipan, I am a retired Navy veteran as well we both loved aviation, I was a carrier sailor and loved it. My disability has kept me from finishing my career and I’m blessed that many of brothers I still keep in contact with. When you have been through bled together there’s always a bond.
And what have you "been" through and "bled" through?
@@erichvonmanstein6876 all you need to know is that I am 100% disabled from my time in service I have no need to verify anything to you. I served with honor and just like any other veteran all I ask is you respect those who served, why you ask is beyond the pale.
@@gregorymaupin6388what ship or naval aircraft were you in?
@@Attack_The_D_Point VA-174, VA-37 Bulls, Forestall, Lexington, Carl Vinson I worked mostly on A-7E Corsairs
I'm excited for that veterans day episode! We are losing our WW2 vets at such a quick rate they're going to be all gone soon. It is important we preserve and thank them for they have done for us.
It's still my personal goal of thanking at least one WW2 vet from every branch, but I don't know where to look or how to find one sadly.
Contact your local VA or even better VFW. They can help!
@@mknewlan67 I'll look into it thank you!
A nursing Home is a place to look. A family member works at a nursing home where are only veterans; Alaska Pioneer Home - Palmer, Alaska.
The V A hospital there is one in Fresno CA. LA. Denver CO. Cleveland Ohio. most states have a VA hospital
Henderson Field at Guadalcanal was named after Major Lofton Henderson, the Marine CO who died during the battle of Midway.
My friend's step father flew Hellcats in WWII. He must have had it tough because he never talked about it. I must have gotten through to him once, though, because he opened up to me. He told me whenever he fired the guns, the rifling from the six fifty caliber machine guns would cause the aircraft to yaw and he would have to correct for it. Can you imagine dog fighting and keeping your aircraft in control while it's fighting you along with everything else in the sky?
Must be tough to keep pushing those yaw pedals back to stabilized positions after every burst and that also includes avoiding or chasing enemy fighters
@@guts-141 I've read many books about WWII pilots and I never once read about that fact. It seem obvious. It must have been even worse on a P-47 with eight 50 caliber machine guns. After thinking about it and the trouble it caused pilots having to correct while trying to dogfight, why didn't Browning make right handed and left handed rifling barrels for their guns so they could be put on right and left wings? Then the effect of the rifling would cancel out.
Even more amazing when you know that those planes didn't have hydraulic controls. They were pulling on a cable that was anchored to the control surfaces.
Not to disrespect a veteran, but with the effect described, you're dealing with torque about a .25" moment arm with a total mass of between 300 and 400 grains. That's really not a lot of torque, even with 6 guns firing at 800 or so rounds per minute. Factor in that these torque sources are distributed and located about 7 feet from the aircraft's roll and yaw axes, and the theory is even more questionable. Any yaw effect I have read of due to gunfire was when a gun or two on one wing malfunctioned.
Also, if an M-2 was capable of generating that much torque, it would be tricky keeping a tripod mounted example from tipping over.
For firsthand experience, I've had the opportunity to fire several full-automatic weapons over the years. There is no detectable torque when firing.
Please do not view this comment as an attack on anyone. My sole reason for commenting is to help reduce the number of historical myths floating around. We already have too many. Best regards!
@@adirondacker007 I know, I was surprised to hear him say that and in all the books I've read of other pilots' personal accounts not one ever mentioned it. I've had this happen before, it's possible I'm screwing this up and misremembering it. Possibly crossing it with something else. I'd like to get to the bottom of it. Ask an expert. On your analysis and the fact that in all the books I've read, and there have been many, I've never heard anyone mention it. So it doesn't seem likely.
Another fact is that the USAAF acquired a lot of them designated as the A-24 Banshee. They wanted it after seeing German success with the JU-87. It wasn’t in front line service but for maybe a month or so before being withdrawn from the line due to many being shot down and regarded as a bad front line dive bomber
Absolutely my favorite favorite airplane. I like the -3 model of the SBD. I actually have just over one hour in a real SBD-5 and even flew it!!! Thank you POF for making that dream come true,,
All WW2 veteran pilots loved more the SBD than the SB2C (or SoB 2nd class, how it was nicknamed by the pilots at the time)...
A few years ago I was fortunate enough to trade comments with an SPD pilot that trained at a field near where I grew up in Corpus Christi, TX. The sky was totally filled with planes almost every weekday and Saturday. There were up to six auxiliary fields surrounding NAS, Corpus Christi. They many kinds of planes also, not just SPDs, some with four engines, and seaplane too. We fished around a SBD that crash landed remotly in shallow water in the Laguna Madre behind Padre Island.
But best of all was when the Navy had an annual open house and let us visit the base and get up close to or even inside the planes or a ship in the harbor.
Ah yes the SBD....interestingly in "MOH Pacific Assault" a Marine named Tom Conlin got to fly one under some difficult circumstances.
I first know about this plane while watching Battle 360
Tommy really had to deal with a whole lot of crap there
But amazingly he scored a dive bomb and a Torpedo kill
I have loved the SBD since I was a boy and read a magazine article about Dick Best and his experiences at the Battle of Midway. Wildcat, Hellcat, and Corsair drivers got all the glory but I felt the Dauntless, Avenger, and Helldiver guys did more to win the war. Thanks for this video and keep up the great work!
Dad was in the US Army Air Corp in 1942 (Army Air Force in January 1943) with P40s then P-47s. The Dauntless was my favorite Navy Aircraft. I suggest the P-47 Thunderbolt for your next project. The Millville Army Air Field Museum (Millville NJ) has a great deal of P-47 history, including training. Thanks
Although I am well aware of the SBD Dauntless, and knew it did pretty damn well at Midway etc, it was fascinating to learn some new stuff about this great little plane. I was impressed to learn about it's dogfighting capabilities against the much feared Mitsubishi Zero, especially at lower altitude. A great video, I really enjoyed it along with the cool graphics.
I love how the animation aircraft have weathering, paint chipping and battle damage. Very well done!
13:42 I think the tail gunner is having a stroke
😂😂😂
Outstanding, simply outstanding. Thank you TJ.
Thanks!
I feel privileged to have attained an original copy of 'Mission Beyond Darkness' that appears to have been owned and signed by one of the pilots that took part from the 'Hell's Kittens' F6F squadron. They flew escort for the SBD's and TBF's.
Cool vid👍🏻 my great Grandpa flew one of these in WW2 and received the gold naval cross for his actions in the battle of midway and in the Solomon island.
Now this is also my favorite aircraft the SBD-Dauntless a great dive bomber that sunk many japanese fleets than any other american dive bombers
Henderson Field at Guadalcanal was named for Loften Henderson.
The 16 Marine planes from Midway were Vought Vindicators not SBD's. refer to "The rendezvous at Midway" by Pat Frank and Joseph Harrington.
I recently had the honor and privilege of walking around a Dauntless at The American Heritage Museum in Hudson, Massachusetts. The museum is primarily an armored vehicle museum, but they have some amazing aircraft as well. The Dauntless went 200 feet to the bottom of Lake Michigan in 1944 after an engine malfunction. It spent about 50 years there, was recovered, and is on display with its original paint. They also have beautiful examples of a Messerschmitt BF-109 and a Grumman Hellcat. One-of-a-kind aircraft include the last remaining P-40B that was at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7 and the L-4 that was flown by "The Mad Major", Charles Carpenter, against German armor with bazookas mounted on its wings.
I love the dauntless, there is one in a museum not to far from my house and it is an epic airplane.
oh, the gunpods in war thunder are super fun!
My BMW motorcycle had a Givi airflow screen which uses a small “floating“ panel that allows a considerable air flow into the space behind. There was no wind buffeting. The standard full panel screen caused horrible turbulence that gave me a headache.
It’s the same effect that caused the SBD tail to shake so badly until they let some air through to soften the turbulence.
I saw an SBD hanging from the roof in the Chicago Airport
"Dauntless" was the courage of the Devastator crews, VT-3, VT-6, and VT-8.
It was almost decommissioned as WT tells us yet it was probably one of the most successful out of all naval planes next to the F4U, F4F, and F2A. There were others like the OS2U, SB2C-2, SB2C-3.
Well, the Dauntless outlived its replacement, the Helldiver, so that also shows how good it really was
Also, the holes in the aerobrake let all the bullets fly past and thru them. Yea, totally accurate statement there.
Apart from being my best war thunder plane, the SBD really had a special place in my heart.
Brewster F2A and early Wildcats (F4F3) did not have folding wings too, so it was not a one off.
Years ago met a sailor who served on an carrier in WW2 carrier. He was a guide at Fantasy of Flight in Orlando. He said the pilots loved the Dauntless because once they trimmed the dive angle the plane would track just about hands off. The newer Helldiver had to be man handled all the way to the drop point.
I understand that at the beginning of the war, the enemy Zeros were in for a surprise. They would attack the SBDs from the rear. Only after they received return fire from the back of the SBDs did they realize that the SBD had rear-mounted dual 30cal machine guns.
Thanks TJ for the great story on the SBDs.
Last year, I was able to see, and photograph, a Dauntless that hangs from the ceiling at Chicago's Midway airport. I have also seen aircraft in Tucson, Pensacola and DC. I am always impressed with the bravery of pilots (on all sides), who flew those planes. They are always a lot smaller than I imagined. Probably because I was able to stand up while looking at the bomb bay of a B-52, in Kansas.
You could point out that Henderson Field on Guadalcanal was named for Lofton Henderson of Midway.
How about a video on another Tulsa Built, and one of the best Attack/Bombers of All Time and it’s designer? The Douglas A-26 Invader by Mr. Ted Smith…..A somewhat forgotten, but brilliant designer of Military and Civilian Aircraft.
TJ3. Thank you so much for this great video on the SBD. Long a favorite of mine she was a good and true aircraft. Yes the Japanese discovered that the Dauntless was not to be trifled with as she was quite capable of putting up a good fight. The Dauntless had good range hence the fact that it was a Scout Bomber and decent ordinance load out. Stable in the dive and once free of her bomb load quite maneuverable. Truly the SBD is a good airplane and had no vices.
It had plenty of vices kid
@@erichvonmanstein6876 Oh really? Well perhaps you have a wealth of piloting experience regarding regarding the SBD. If so I’d be quite interested in hearing your PILOTING CRITIQUE of the Dauntless. I’ve read many stories regarding the SBD in action seen a few pilots relate stories from WWII and haven’t seen nor heard much negativity about that airplane. So share with us Mr SBD Pilot your assessment from a pilots viewpoint.
@@topturretgunner when did you fly your SBD? i mean your saying what i said is invalid because ive "never flew an SBD" ........but.......... niether have you. Another question is are you always this stupi d? 😄😅😆😂🤣🤭👉
The fact that tj decided to make himself a lord is such a meme,
FROM NOW ON ALWAYS CALL HIM *LORD TJ*
I can’t wait to see this veteran fly back in the sbd! Sbd is my favorite aircraft
Fun fact - only one occasion where a very particular skilled and aggressive dive bomber pilot manage to hold himself against bunch of Zero during the battle of the Coral Sea and he manage to damage or shot down three zero. His exploit quickly transfer him from bomber to a fighter. His name is Swede Vedasa and his ace against the Zero is the Dauntless is extremely rugged, it can do a crushing turn without stall or damage it airframe. Swede manage out turn his opponent after each head-on pass he does a 9G pull, and do more skidding shot in the enemy in the head-on. If the Zero does what Swede does, two thing will happen, their wing will rip-off from the accessed G force and also they will stall
1. The "Cheese Grater" holes of the Dive Brakes solved a serious stability problem with dive bombing runs.
2. SBD wings don't fold; the folding mechanism adds a lot of weight..
3. On December 10, 1941, an SBD attacked a Japanese submarine.
4. At The Battle of MIday, USMC SBDs were attacked and shot down. Inexperienced pilots did a less-than-successful Glide Bomb attack.
5. SBDs operating in the Mediterraean participated in Operation Torch. The Free French also used the SBD over Southern France.
6. SBDs could be used as "adjunct fighters" against the Mitsubishi A6M Zero, Aichi D3A dive bombers, and Nakajima B5N level/torpedo bombers.
Slow but deadly, it did a great job and had a classic look of a dive bomber.
The USAAC version of the SBD, the A-24 Banshee was used in the New Guinea but it’s performance wasn’t near as successful as the seaborne version. This could have been due to the lack of effective escorts or other factors.
I never knew about the weight issue that folded wings bring...
Wow! I never knew you have to armed the bomb before you drop it on your target, Thanks TJ.
Funny story: My family and I were walking thru the air museum in Pensacola and I was describing the planes as we walked by them. I've been an armchair historian for decades. At one point, I noticed that our group had doubled in size. A tour group had joined us, and their guide was standing by himself and smiling. I apologized for taking over his group. He laughed and said he didn't mind because he, and his group, were learning. He asked me if I wanted to work there. I said I'd love to, but Kansas City to Pensacola was such a long commute.
The SBD Dauntless was one of the first models I ever built as a kid back in the 1970s.
Oh lord, yet another established titles ad
Add to the turn rate of the SBD vs A6M, the fact that the SBD has a tail gunner that can get the occasional snap shot. Couple that with a Thatch Weave, and it gets mean on covering duty.
Awesome!! can't wait to see the veteran's day specials 🙏👏
Hi Lord… I’m a Duke. Duke appointed by the prince of a recognized sovereign principality country of Sea Land.
And a colonel… yes, by the same group, Commemorative Air Force, featured here.
You too can be a colonel by joining the Commemorative Air Force.
“Please stay off my property” love it, yeah no I’m gonna keep on your property.
As a kid born in the '80s, growing up in the '90s, I played on my PC an awful lot, and one of my absolute favorite games was Red Baron, the one that also had A-10 Tank Killer if you knew to look for it and install it, but I always thought flak guns merely shot a shell containing tar-like substance that, once the shell detonated, would explode in a bunch of nasty, sticky, hot, black stuff to make smoke and splatter all over the pilot's goggles or windscreen if they were lucky enough to be flying a plane that had one, and blind the pilot from targeting ground units. All those CG animated little puffs of smoke and soundcard noises meant to be explosions as the flak detonated, really left something to be desired lol nonetheless, I learned alot about WWI pilots and the beasts they flew into combat and the utter nonexistent roll capabilities of some of the early French models of aeroplanes used in that day. I loved it when I finally made it to a point in the game where biplanes were around lol! The Sopwith Camel was my favorite of the lot. God I miss that game and those days, I'd give anything besides my eternal soul to go back knowing what I know now.
I love this bird. I've flown her quite a bit on a ww2 SIM and she's one of those "can do" aeroplanes, that's if the SIM was an accurate representation. She can take a good kicking and still get home. She's also very pretty 👍
One of the reasons why Henderson's attack at Midway was using the glide bombing meathod is because along with the SBds, half his group consisted of Vultee Vindicators, very obsolete and piloted by inexperienced pilots and had issues diving steeply
Using the repaints for the ET sponsorship kept me from fast forwarding.
Added In Edit: I am so fired up for the Veteran's Day episode. So few are left and I've sat at the feet of several. Truly the greatest generation.
Awesome video love the SBD. Surprised you didn't mention the A-24 banshee.
Funny that I am reading the Book Dauntless in Battle by Peter Smith right now. Great book!
I would love to get into this plane, it's really my favourite. Especially sitting in the gunners position. What a beautiful aircraft. Thanks for the videos.
No mention that those holes also caused a Screaming Noise, which led the plane Nickname of "Banshee?
Gran trabajo!
Bonito, robusto, confiable.. Este pequeño Bombardero Explorador, tambien se uso en la Batalla del Mar de Coral como Caza, para interceptar a los aerotorpederos Nakajima B5 N "Kate" japoneses.. Lei que el Ens. Manuel Gonzalez, fue el primer piloto embarcado USA, en un SBD del Enterprise, muerto en vuelo al ser atacado por los Aichi D3A Val de bombardeo en picado, en Pearl Harbour..
Regards.
Great video man. SBD Dauntless is one of my favorites. Thank you.
I love ww2 us carrier planes. They are so beautiful and cool
Awesome video! Just found you a couple days ago, but I'm really enjoying these GREAT stories!
O7 letting an old wardog back in the saddle, I love that
One word & one word only admirably covers the awesome graphics in this video & that word is simply "AWESOME"!!! They are so realistic & I'm actually stuck for a proper & meaningful description but suffice to state, who ever did these graphics surely knows what the hell they are doing!! Well done indeed & my sheer thanks & appreciation!!
Pretty sure its the game Warthunder
Great content, but the background Glory music is so distracting, I couldn't finish. Please lose or reduce the music for these old ears. Love the SBD, and impressed by the content.
Thanks Rex. Will do
The end of this video gave me chills! Looking forward to that interview. I bet his heart was racing just like it was back in the War.
I have a question for you. What role did Ireland have during the War? Are there any stories of an invasion from the Irish coast and were there any Allied A/C that did any time in Ireland? Thanks.
The SBD's replacement the SB2C was so full of defects that many in the navy wanted to go back to the Douglas plane. Unfortunately the powers that be had made the decision purchase the Curtiss plane. Despite the SB2C failing it's deck landing trials there was a war going on. So good money was thrown after bad trying to fix the many faults.
Which they eventually did with the -3 model. Interestingly enough, towards the end of the Battle of the Philippine Sea. When the afternoon strike had to ditch into the ocean. The Helldivers took heavier losses. Whereas the Dauntless took anywhere between none to minimal.
Great Work! Thanks for all you do!
So funny seeing videos that still have Established Titles as the sponsor
This was beautifully done and I learned new facts. Many thanks!
This is brilliant. I'm really looking forward to that flight happening.
What a closing statement by Peter Hague.
Hi,
a very nice channel about planes, I especially like the video about Dountless.
I'm subscribing and waiting for other materials.
Beautiful little plane, I love them.
I'm pretty sure the Marines of VMSB 241 were flying the older SBU2 Vindicator dive bomber in the Battle of Midway. Not the SBD.
They were both at Midway though I thought the SBDs were stationed on our carriers. 6 of the 11 Vindicators that participated were shot down and the remainder were too badly damaged to be used again. After Midway they were removed from military service and used as training aircraft in the states. Although it had an all metal frame, the back half had fabric skiin.
@@danielebrparish4271 All of the Vindicators were flown off Midway by the Marines. They were essentially obsolete by the time of the battle.
The Dauntless was an amazing aircraft that should have been upgraded and continued in service. The Helldiver couldn't match its effectiveness.
I agree.
while it's good to get sponsor money in this age of adblock I just want to point out for anyone reading that established titles is a scam website you may as well save your money and just create a fake title in word yourself lol
SBD... Slow but deadly...!!
I get it! Nice lol
Flying a Dauntless had to be the most rock n roll job of ww2.🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸
It’s one of my favorite aircraft of World War 2😊