The Dauntless was the standard shipborne dive-bomber of the US Navy from mid-1940 until November 1943, when the first Curtiss Helldivers arrived to replace it. Between 1942-43, the Dauntless was pressed into service again and again, seeing action in the Battle of the Coral Sea and the Guadalcanal campaign. It was, however, at the Battle of Midway, that the Dauntless came into its own, singlehandedly destroying four of the Imperial Japanese Navy's frontline carriers. The SBD (referred to, rather affectionately by her aircrews, as "Slow But Deadly") was gradually phased out during 1944. The June 20th, 1944 strike against the Japanese Mobile Fleet, known as the Battle of the Philippine Sea, was the last major engagement in which it was used. From 1942 to 1944, the SBD was also used by several land-based Marine Corps squadrons.

Built as a two-seat, low-wing Navy scout bomber, the Dauntless was powered by a single Wright R1820 1200-horsepower engine. It became the mainstay of the Navy's air fleet in the Pacific, suffering the lowest loss ratio of any U.S. carrier-borne aircraft. A total of 5,936 SBDs were delivered to the Navy and Marine Corps between 1940 and the end of its production, in July 1944.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a USMC Douglas SBD Dauntless dive-bomber that was nicknamed "Sister" and attached to VMSB-233 "Flying Deadheads", then deployed to Guadalcanal during 1943. Now in stock!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 6-1/2-inches
Length: 5-inches

Release Date: September 2022

Historical Account: "Flying Deadheads" - VMSB-233 was originally formed on May 1st, 1942, at Marine Corps Air Station Ewa, Hawaii as Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 233 (VMSB-233) flying the SBD-4 Dauntless. They deployed overseas in December 1942 on board the seaplane tender USS Wright and first debarked at Espiritu Santo. From December 25th, 1942, until February 8th, 1943, they operated from Henderson Field on Guadalcanal as part of the Cactus Air Force.

They were reorganized as Marine Torpedo Bombing Squadron 233 (VMTB-233) on May 22nd, 1943, but the official re-designation of the squadron did not take place until June 13th, when they had returned to the United States. From August until October 29th, 1943, the squadron again operated from Henderson Field. Following the Battle of New Georgia the squadron was moved to Munda in New Georgia to conduct raids that would help cut off the Japanese garrison at Rabaul. While in the New Georgia area, they also operated from Piva Airfield and Torokina Airfield.