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46-657: The Curtiss SC Seahawk was a scout seaplane designed by the Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company for the United States Navy during World War II. The existing Curtiss SO3C Seamew and Vought OS2U Kingfisher were gradually replaced by the Seahawk in the late stages of the war and into peacetime. Work began in June 1942, following a US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics request for observation seaplane proposals. Curtiss submitted

92-486: A few A-24Bs for coastal patrol. The most combat-experienced of the Banshee units was GC 1/18 Vendee , which flew A-24Bs in support of Allied forces in southern France and also experienced how deadly German flak was, losing several aircraft in 1944. This squadron flew from North Africa to recently liberated Toulouse to support Allied and French resistance troops. Later, the unit was assigned to support attacks on cities occupied by

138-559: Is now on display at the National Naval Aviation Museum and is the last surviving aircraft to have flown in the battle. The carrier-borne squadrons were effective, especially when they were escorted by Grumman F4F Wildcats . The success of dive bombing resulted from one important circumstance: Unlike American squadrons that attacked shortly before one at a time, allowing defending Japanese Zero fighters to concentrate on each squadron to shoot them down or drive them away from

184-537: The Battle of Midway in early June 1942. Four squadrons of Navy SBD dive bombers attacked and sank or fatally damaged all four Japanese fleet carriers present, disabling three of them in the span of just six minutes ( Akagi , Kaga , Sōryū ) and, later in the day, Hiryū . They also caught two straggling heavy cruisers of the Midway bombardment group of four, heavily damaging them, with Mikuma eventually sinking. At

230-700: The Japanese submarine I-70 . In February–March 1942, SBDs from the carriers USS  Lexington , USS  Yorktown , and USS  Enterprise , took part in various raids on Japanese installations in the Gilbert Islands , the Marshall Islands , New Guinea , Rabaul , Wake Island , and Marcus Island . The first major use of the SBD in combat was at the Battle of the Coral Sea where SBDs and TBD Devastators sank

276-513: The Marshall Islands . The A-24Bs were then withdrawn from combat. The A-24B (equivalent to the U.S. Navy SBD-5, with the omission of the arrestor hook) arrived in 1943 with the more powerful 1,200-hp Wright R-1820-60 Cyclone engine, a more powerful engine than either the A-24 or A-24A. As a result, the A-24B could fly slightly faster and higher than the earlier models. The A-24B lacked the small air intake on

322-708: The aircraft carriers were also introduced, and these initially carried similar scouts, but eventually distinguished this function from other roles, such as "scout bombers", such as the Douglas SBD Dauntless and "scout observation" such as the Curtiss SOC Seagull , and the term lost meaning, becoming a generic term for a US Navy aircraft - hence the tern "scout trainer", as with the North American SNJ , Beechcraft SNB and Vultee SNV series of aircraft which had no offensive or defence fleet roles, and neither

368-564: The tail hook used for carrier landings, and a pneumatic tire replaced the solid tail wheel. First assigned to the 27th Bombardment Group (Light) at Hunter Field , Georgia, A-24s flew in the Louisiana maneuvers of September 1941. There were three versions of the Banshee (A-24, A-24A and A-24B) flown by the army to a very minor degree in the early stages of the war. The USAAF used 948 of the 5,937 Dauntlesses built. U.S. Navy and Marine Corps SBDs saw their first action at Pearl Harbor , when most of

414-554: The 91st received orders to evacuate Java in early March 1942. The A-24s remaining in Australia were assigned to the 8th Bombardment Squadron of 3d Bombardment Group , to defend New Guinea . On 29 July 1942, seven A-24s attacked a convoy off Buna , but only one survived: the Japanese shot down five of them and damaged the sixth so badly that it did not make it back to base. Regarded by many pilots as too slow, short ranged and poorly armed,

460-578: The A-24s were diverted to the 91st Bombardment Squadron and designated for assignment to Java instead. Referring to themselves as "Blue Rock Clay Pigeons" (after a brand of trap shooting targets), the 91st BS based at Malang attacked the enemy-held harbor and airbase at Bali and damaged or sank numerous ships around Java during the Dutch East Indies campaign . After the Japanese downed two A-24s and damaged three so badly that they could no longer fly,

506-571: The Army in September 1947. The USAF established a new designation system for its aircraft, eliminating the "A-" (for attack) category (through 1962) ; all of the single-engined "A-" aircraft were given "F-" (for fighter) nomenclature (or were determined to be obsolete and scrapped); thus the few remaining A-24 Banshees became known as F-24 Banshees, soldiering on in a reserve role until 1950 when they were scrapped. The first production Dauntless sent into action

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552-585: The Battle of Midway, Marine Corps SBDs were not as effective. One squadron, VMSB-241, flying from Midway Atoll , was not trained in the techniques of dive-bombing with their new Dauntlesses (having just partially converted from the SB2U Vindicator ). Its pilots resorted to the slower but easier glide bombing technique. This led to many of the SBDs being shot down during their glide, although one survivor from these attacks

598-657: The Douglas Aircraft plant in El Segundo, California, on 21 July 1944. The Navy placed emphasis on the heavier, faster and longer-ranged SB2C. From Pearl Harbor through April 1944, SBDs had flown 1,189,473 operational hours, with 25% of all operational hours flown off aircraft carriers being in SBDs. Its battle record shows that in addition to six Japanese carriers, 14 enemy cruisers had been sunk, along with six destroyers , 15 transports or cargo ships and scores of various lesser craft. The USAAF sent 52 A-24 Banshees in crates to

644-745: The Douglas plant in Tulsa, Oklahoma . This version was equipped with a 1,200 hp (890 kW) engine and an increased ammunition supply. Over 2,400 of these were built. A few of them were shipped to the Royal Navy for evaluation. In addition to American service, the SBD saw combat against the Japanese Army and Navy with No. 25 Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force —but the RNZAF soon replaced them with

690-842: The Germans on the French Atlantic coast. In April 1945 each SBD-5 averaged three missions a day in the European theater. In 1946 the French Air Force based its A-24Bs in Morocco as trainers. French Navy Dauntlesses were based in Cognac at the end of 1944. The French Navy Dauntlesses were the last ones to see combat, during the Indochina War , flying from the carrier Arromanches (the former Royal Navy carrier Colossus ). In late 1947 during one operation in

736-630: The Indochina War, Flotille 4F flew 200 missions and dropped 65 tons of bombs. By 1949, the French Navy removed the Dauntless from combat status although the type was still flown as a trainer through 1953. The Royal New Zealand Air Force received 18 SBD-3s and 23 SBD-4s and No. 25 Squadron RNZAF used them in combat over the South Pacific . Under the original plan, four Squadrons (25, 26, 27 and 28) of

782-482: The Japanese light aircraft carrier (CVL) Shōhō and damaged the Japanese fleet carrier Shōkaku . SBDs were also used for anti-torpedo combat air patrols (CAP) and these scored several victories against Japanese aircraft trying to attack Lexington and Yorktown . Their relatively heavy gun armament with two forward-firing .50 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns and either one or two rear flexible-mount .30 in (7.62 mm) AN/M2 machine guns

828-478: The Marine Corps SBDs of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 232 (VMSB-232) were destroyed on the ground at Ewa Mooring Mast Field . Most U.S. Navy SBDs flew from their aircraft carriers , which did not operate in close cooperation with the rest of the fleet. Most Navy SBDs at Pearl Harbor, like their Marine Corps counterparts, were destroyed on the ground. On 10 December 1941, SBDs from USS  Enterprise sank

874-452: The Pacific than any other Allied bomber. Barrett Tillman, in his book on the Dauntless, claims that it has a "plus" score against enemy aircraft, meaning it was credited with more victories over enemy planes than losses from enemy action. This is considered to be a rare event for a nominal "bomber". A total of 5,936 SBDs were produced during the war. The last SBD rolled off the assembly lines at

920-594: The Philippines in the fall of 1941 to equip the 27th Bombardment Group , whose personnel were sent separately. However, after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, these bombers were diverted to Australia and the 27th BG fought on the Bataan Peninsula as infantry. While in Australia the aircraft were reassembled for flight to the Philippines, but their missing parts, including solenoids, trigger motors and gun mounts delayed their shipment. Plagued with mechanical problems,

966-425: The SBD proved to be an effective naval scout plane and dive bomber. It possessed long range, good handling characteristics, maneuverability, potent bomb load, great diving characteristics from the perforated dive brakes . By the middle months of 1943 the bomber was considered by pilots to be too vulnerable for service owing to its armament and slow speed, and was relegated to non-combat roles. One land-based variant of

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1012-678: The SBD – omitting the arrestor hook — was purpose-built for the U.S. Army Air Forces , as the A-24 Banshee . Design work on the Northrop BT-1 began in 1935. In 1937, the Northrop Corporation was taken over by Douglas, and the active Northrop projects continued under Douglas Aircraft Corporation. The Northrop BT-2 was developed from the BT-1 by modifications ordered in November 1937, and provided

1058-543: The SBDs saw their European debut when aircraft from Ranger attacked Nazi German shipping around Bodø , Norway . By 1944 the U.S. Navy began replacing the SBD with the more powerful SB2C Helldiver . During the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944, a long range twilight strike was made against the retreating Japanese fleet, at (or beyond) the limit of the combat radius of the aircraft. The force had about twenty minutes of daylight over their targets before attempting

1104-594: The SNB nor the SNJ operated from ships, while only specialized versions of the SNJ did, and mainly on the Great Lakes, for training. During World War II , observation-scouts were essential for battleships and other surface warships during bombardment of land targets. An observation-scout, such as a Vought OS2U Kingfisher , would spot the fall of ship's shots, and provide corrections, while scout trainers provided flying training. Due to

1150-413: The Seahawk design on 1 August 1942, with a contract for two prototypes and five service test aircraft awarded on 25 August. A production order for 500 SC-1s followed in June 1943, prior to the first flight of the prototypes. While only intended to seat the pilot, a bunk was provided in the aft fuselage for rescue or personnel transfer. Two 0.5 in (12.7 mm) M2 Browning machine guns were fitted in

1196-709: The Seahawk was involved in military action. By the end of the war, seaplanes were becoming less desirable, with the Seahawk being replaced soon afterward by helicopters . Tri-color camouflage and markings on the Seahawk were in accordance with US Navy regulations from 1944, 1945, and later postwar regulations. There are no known surviving examples of the Seahawk today. Data from Curtiss Aircraft 1907–1947 General characteristics Performance Armament Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Scout plane Scouts first made their appearances during World War I . The United Kingdom's Royal Naval Air Service , keen on developing

1242-503: The TBDs, leaving the SBDs unhindered by fighter opposition in their approach and attack (although most of the TBDs were shot down). SBDs played a major role in the Guadalcanal campaign , operating off both American carriers and from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal . SBDs proved lethal to Japanese shipping that failed to clear New Georgia Sound (The Slot) by daylight. Losses inflicted included

1288-428: The appropriate Naval Air Station , where floats were fitted for service as needed. Capable of being fitted with either float or wheeled landing gear, the Seahawk was arguably America's best floatplane scout of World War II . However, its protracted development time meant it entered service too late to see significant action in the war. It was not until June 1945, during the pre-invasion bombardment of Borneo , that

1334-501: The basis of the SBD, which first entered service in mid-1939. Ed Heinemann led a team of designers who considered a development with a 1,000  hp (750 kW) Wright Cyclone engine. The plane was developed at the Douglas El Segundo, California, plant, and that facility, along with the company's Oklahoma City plant, built almost all the SBDs produced. One year earlier, both the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps had placed orders for

1380-734: The carrier Ryūjō , sunk near the Solomon Islands on 24 August. Three other Japanese carriers were damaged during the six-month campaign. SBDs sank a cruiser and nine transports during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal . In the Atlantic Ocean the SBD saw action during Operation Torch , the Allied landings in North Africa in November 1942. The SBDs flew from USS  Ranger and two escort carriers . Eleven months later, during Operation Leader ,

1426-459: The carriers, three squadrons totaling 47 SBDs (VS-6, VB-6, and VB-3), one squadron of 12 TBD torpedo aircraft (VT-3), and six F4F fighters (from VF-3) all arrived simultaneously, with two of the SBD squadrons (VS-6 and VB-6) arriving from a different direction from the other squadrons. Without central fighter direction, the approximately 40 Zeros concentrated on the TBDs, with some fighting the F4Fs covering

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1472-508: The design, opting instead for structural strength. The next version was the SBD-3 , which began manufacture in early 1941. It had increased armor , self-sealing fuel tanks , and four machine guns . The SBD-4 provided a 12-volt (up from 6-volt) electrical system, and a few were converted into SBD-4P reconnaissance aircraft . The next (and most produced) version, the SBD-5 , was produced mostly in

1518-532: The end of the war. Although the Curtiss Helldiver had a more powerful engine, a higher maximum speed and could carry nearly a thousand pounds more in bomb load, many of the dive bomber pilots preferred the SBD, which was lighter and had better low-speed handling characteristics, critical for carrier landings. The Dauntless was one of the most important aircraft in the Pacific War , sinking more enemy shipping in

1564-442: The improved technology used by today's naval vessels, and the use of ship-launched UAVs for the same sorts of "spotting" missions in the 21st century, scouts are no longer needed for long range exchanges. Douglas SBD Dauntless The Douglas SBD Dauntless is a World War II American naval scout plane and dive bomber that was manufactured by Douglas Aircraft from 1940 through 1944. The SBD ("Scout Bomber Douglas")

1610-624: The larger, faster, heavier and land-based Vought F4U Corsairs . Some SBDs were also flown by the Free French Air Force against the German Heer and Luftwaffe . SBDs were also sold to Mexico. The final version, the SBD-6 , had more improvements, but its production ended during the summer of 1944. The U.S. Army Air Forces had its own version of the SBD, called the A-24 Banshee. It lacked

1656-465: The last of the seven pre-production aircraft took to the air. Nine further prototypes were later built, with a second seat and modified cockpit, under the designation SC-2 ; series production was not undertaken. The first serial production Seahawks were delivered on 22 October 1944, to USS  Guam . All 577 aircraft eventually produced for the Navy were delivered on conventional landing gear and flown to

1702-416: The long return in the dark. Of the 215 aircraft, only 115 made it back. Twenty were lost to enemy action in the attack, and 80 were lost as one by one they expended their fuel and had to ditch into the sea. In the attack were 26 SBDs, all of which made it back to the carriers. The Battle of the Philippine Sea was the last major engagement of the carrier-borne SBDs. Marine squadrons continued to fly SBDs until

1748-703: The new dive bomber, designated the SBD-1 and SBD-2 (the latter had increased fuel capacity and different armament). The SBD-1 went to the Marine Corps in late 1940, and the SBD-2 to the Navy in early 1941, replacing the SBU Corsair and Curtiss SBC Helldiver squadrons on US carriers. Distinctive perforated split flaps or "dive-brakes" had been incorporated into the BT-1 to eliminate tail buffeting during diving maneuvers. Unusual for carrier aircraft, folding wings were not chosen for

1794-425: The new medium of aerial warfare, converted a number of vessels as seaplane tenders for scouting purposes. Similarly, battleships began to mount short flight decks on top of gun turrets, enabling small single seat aircraft to take-off from them. Initially these single-seater "scouts", having no floats to land on and having no landing deck to return to, either had to find dry land for landing, or else had to ditch onto

1840-532: The remaining A-24s were relegated to non-combat missions. In the U.S., the A-24s became training aircraft or towed targets for aerial gunnery training. The more powerful A-24B was used later against the Japanese forces in the Gilbert Islands . From December 1943 until March 1944, the 531st Fighter Squadron of the 7th Air Force flew A-24Bs from Makin Island in the Gilbert Islands against Japanese controlled islands in

1886-412: The sea. During World War I, other more satisfactory (although still clumsy) solutions had been found, in which turret platforms, and later (when aircraft got heavier) catapults were mounted on battleships, cruisers and seaplane tenders, used to launch scout planes. These aircraft never carried radios and rarely had cameras but could carry bombs, or could be armed to intercept enemy aircraft. Meanwhile,

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1932-513: The top of the engine cowling present on the earlier models and that is an easy way to distinguish the B model. The 407th Bomb Group, assigned to the 11th Air Force, flew A-24Bs against the Japanese held island of Kiska , Alaska, during July and August 1943. A handful of A-24s survived in the inventory of the USAAF long enough to be taken over by the Air Force (USAF) when that service became independent of

1978-526: The wings, and two underwing hardpoints allowed carriage of 250 lb (113 kg) bombs or, on the right wing, surface-scan radar . The wings were foldable. The main float, designed to incorporate a bomb bay , suffered substantial leaks when used in that fashion, and was modified to carry an auxiliary fuel tank. The first flight of a prototype XSC-1 took place 16 February 1944 at the Columbus, Ohio Curtiss plant. Flight testing continued through 28 April, when

2024-458: Was effective against the lightly built Japanese fighters, and many pilots and gunners took aggressive attitudes to the fighters that attacked them. SBD pilot Stanley "Swede" Vejtasa was attacked by three A6M2 Zero fighters; he shot down two of them and cut off the wing of the third in a head-on pass with his wingtip . The SBD's most important contribution to the American war effort came during

2070-539: Was the United States Navy 's main carrier-based scout/dive bomber from mid-1940 through mid-1944. The SBD was also flown by the United States Marine Corps , both from land air bases and aircraft carriers . The SBD is best remembered as the bomber that delivered the fatal blows to the Japanese carriers at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. The type earned its nickname "Slow But Deadly" (from its SBD initials) during this period. During its combat service,

2116-604: Was the "SBD-3", which was produced for the French Naval Aviation . A total of 174 Dauntlesses were ordered by the French Navy , but with the fall of France in the spring of 1940 that production batch was diverted to the U.S. Navy, which ordered 410 more. The Free French received about 80 SBD-5s and A-24Bs from the United States in 1944. They were used as trainers and close-support aircraft. Squadron I/17 Picardie used

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