SBD Dauntless Units of World War 2

The revolutionary all-metal, stress-skin design of the SBD Dauntless gave the aircraft the strength needed to make it an excellent dive bomber -- and the scourge of the Japanese Imperial Fleet. In all, some 584 Dauntless airframes were flown from carrier decks and island bases against the Japanese at Guadalcabal, Coral Island, and Midway.The author examines this aircraft's impressive combat record by charting its Navy career in the Pacific Theater and recording the wartime experiences of pilots in the U.S. Marine Corps and Royal New Zealand Air Force. Thirty original color drawings illustrate the various Dauntless markings and the uniforms of the pilots. Archival photographs sourced from the best collections in the world complement this original artwork and full appendices.