Douglas TBD Devastator
US Navy carrier-based torpedo bomber in service 1937-1942 / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Douglas TBD Devastator was an American torpedo bomber of the United States Navy. Ordered in 1934, it first flew in 1935 and entered service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the Navy, however by the time of the US entry into World War 2, the TBD was already obsolete.
TBD Devastator | |
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US Navy TBD-1 Torpedo Squadron Six (VT-6), from USS Enterprise (CV-6), circa 1938 | |
Role | Torpedo bomber |
National origin | United States |
Manufacturer | Douglas Aircraft Company |
First flight | 15 April 1935 |
Introduction | 3 August 1937 |
Retired | 1944 |
Primary user | United States Navy |
Produced | 1937ā1939 |
Number built | 130 |
The Devastator performed well early war, most notably in the Battle of Coral Sea, but earned notoriety for a catastrophic performance during the Battle of Midway in which 41 Devastators recorded zero torpedo hits with only six surviving to return to their carriers. Although much of the Devastator's dismal performance was later attributed to the many well-documented defects in the US Mark 13 torpedo, the aircraft was withdrawn from frontline service after Midway, being replaced by the Grumman TBF Avenger.