At Midway, the Dauntless was credited with sinking or mortally wounding each of the four Japanese aircraft carriers involved in the battle.
Arguably the most important U.S. aircraft in World War II’s Pacific Theater was the Douglas SBD (“Scout Bomber Douglas”) Dauntless. Nearly 6,000 of the planes were manufactured during the war and served as the U.S. Navy’s primary carrier-based scout/dive bomber from 1940 until mid-1944. The SBD Dauntless, nicknamed “Slow But Deadly” by its pilots, is best remembered for its performance at the Battle of Midway, where the dive bomber was credited with sinking four Japanese aircraft carriers—an act that proved a major pivot point in the momentum of the war.
The Dauntless Was the Plane For Its Moment
Weapons design and development accelerated so rapidly during the Second World War that new technologies were only relevant for a few years. Such was the case with the SBD Dauntless. New and lethal at the war’s onset, by the middle of 1943, the SBD Dauntless was considered too vulnerable for some of the Navy’s most dangerous work and was relegated to non-combat roles. But for a time, the Dauntless was highly effective, serving with both the Navy and U.S. Marine Corps (and with the Army as the A-24 Banshee)—renowned for having a long range, easy handling, high maneuverability, a heavy payload, and fantastic diving abilities. Armed with up to 2,250 pounds of bombs and four machine guns (two in each direction), the SBD Dauntless had sufficient firepower to complement its flying abilities.
The SBD Dauntless entered the war on the first day—at Pearl Harbor on December 7th, 1941—although the majority of both the Navy and Marine Corps Dauntless’ were destroyed on the ground that day. Three days later, however, in the first of what would become many acts of retribution, an SBD Dauntless from the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier sank the Japanese submarine I-70. The SBD Dauntless would then see heavy action in the early stages of the U.S. slog across the Pacific.
The first major test for the SBD Dauntless came during the Battle of the Coral Sea, when the aircraft was used to sink two Japanese vessels, the light aircraft carrier (CVL) Shoho and the fleet carrier Shokaku. But the Coral Sea was a relative warm-up for the SBD Dauntless’ most important moment in the war, the Battle of Midway.
The Dauntless’ Pivotal Role At Midway
During the Battle of Midway, the Dauntless was credited with sinking or mortally wounding each of the four Japanese aircraft carriers involved in the battle. Three of the Japanese carriers—the Akagi, Kaga, and Soryu—were destroyed in the span of only six minutes during the battle, while the Hiryu was disabled later in the day.
Dauntlesses were also credited with heavily damaging four Japanese heavy cruisers at Midway, including sinking the Japanese cruiser Mikuma. The Japanese Navy never recovered from the damage wrought at Midway—much of which was wrought by the SBD Dauntless. The battle proved to be a turning point in the war, after which the U.S. victory became almost inevitable.
Before the end of the war, the SBD Dauntless would be phased out in favor of the Curtiss SB2C Helldiver. But, replaced or not, the SBD Dauntless’ contributions to America’s ultimate victory will remain in history forever.
About the Author: Harrison Kass
Harrison Kass is a senior defense and national security writer with over 1,000 total pieces on issues involving global affairs. An attorney, pilot, guitarist, and minor pro hockey player, Harrison joined the US Air Force as a Pilot Trainee but was medically discharged. Harrison holds a BA from Lake Forest College, a JD from the University of Oregon, and an MA from New York University. Harrison listens to Dokken.
Image: Shutterstock / cpaulfell.
