SBD Dauntlesses

[Subdeacon Joe]

US Navy Douglas SBD Dauntlesses in flight over Midway - September 1942

 

LIFE Magazine Archives - Joe Scherschel Photographer WWP-PD

 

[Dustin Checotah]

My stepfather was the gunner in Dauntless and the Helldiver at one time or another during the war in the Pacific. He started out as Aviation Metalsmith and found out that Aviation Ordnance made rate faster. He made AO 1st class in 3 years, stayed there for 16 because the war ended but changed rate to Gunners Mate Tech and made Chief then Senior Chief before retiring with 29 years.

 

This is a pic of him with a Helldiver.

[Hardpan Curmudgeon SASS #8967]

My dad, aboard Ranger....  

 

[Dr. Zook]

2 hours ago, Dustin Checotah said:

My stepfather was the gunner in Dauntless and the Helldiver at one time or another during the war in the Pacific. He started out as Aviation Metalsmith and found out that Aviation Ordnance made rate faster. He made AO 1st class in 3 years, stayed there for 16 because the war ended but changed rate to Gunners Mate Tech and made Chief then Senior Chief before retiring with 29 years.

 

This is a pic of him with a Helldiver.

Sitting backseat in an SBD, Helldiver or TBD took a huge set of brass balls....hand salute to all those who served in our nation's armed forces & made it home as well as those still on eternal patrol...

[Chantry]

Here is a useless piece of trivia.  The Dauntless is the only "non-fighter" in WWII to have a positive win/loss ratio in air to air combat.    If I remember correctly there were cases of the SBD Dauntless being used to attack Japanese torpedo bombers during some of the early carrier battles of WWII.

 

The Dauntless was noisy, but generally well liked by those who flew in them.  The same can not be said about the Helldiver, which was hated by its crews.