Douglas
Dauntless. Naval aviation art prints of the Douglas SBD Dauntless.
aviation artists Ivan Berryman and Stan Stokes superb paintings showing
the Douglas SBD Dauntless during the Battle of Midway are available at
these great prices direct form Cranston Fine Arts the Military and
Aviation art print company
Midway: The Turning Point by Stan Stokes.
The
Battle of Midway in June of 1942 marked the turning point in the War in
the Pacific, and the Douglas SBD Dauntless was the aircraft which
provided the punch in this decisive victory for America. The SBD, which
earned the nickname Slow, But Deadly, entered service with the USN and
USMC in 1940. Powered by a 1,000 HP, 9-cylinder, Cyclone radial engine
the SBD was capable of a maximum speed of 250 MPH. The Dauntless could
stay airborne for a long time with its 1,300 mile range and slow
cruising speed, and it was capable of delivering a 1,200 pound bomb
load. Because of its slow speed the SBD needed armament to discourage
attack by enemy fighters. Two forward firing machine guns and either one
or two rear firing guns mounted in the gunners cockpit behind the pilot,
gave the SBD enough firepower to make it a challenging target for enemy
fighters. The Japanese plan for invading Midway, a strategically-located
small island about 1,100 miles northwest of Hawaii, involved the use of
a decoy fleet which would feign an invasion of the Aleutians, while the
main fleet consisting of approximately 100 ships and four aircraft
carriers would carryout the invasion. Based on intelligence reports the
US Navy was ready for Adm. Yamamoto this time. The American force
totaled 25 ships including the carriers Hornet, Enterprise, and
Yorktown. Air power was about even, because the U.S. could count on
nearly 100 land-based aircraft on Midway itself. About 1/3rd of the U.S.
air power was represented by SBDs. During the first exchanges, American
attacks on the Japanese invasion fleet with both land-based and
carrier-based aircraft were repulsed with substantial losses. These
low-level torpedo attacks focused the attention of both Japanese fighter
pilots and AA gunners on the horizon. Lacking effective radar, the
Japanese fleet would prove to be unprepared for a high altitude attack
by swarms of SBDs on June 4, 1942. The timing proved perfect as the
Japanese carriers were laden with fully fueled and armed aircraft being
readied for a second wave. As depicted in Stan Stokes dramatic painting
the 1,000 pounder of Paul Lefty Holmbergs SBD penetrates the carrier
deck of the Soryu while Holmberg pulls out of his dive. Right behind
Holmberg is another SBD of VB-3 from the USS Yorktown. SBDs from the
Yorktown and its sister ship the Enterprise destroyed three Japanese
carriers in a matter of minutes during this battle. While the Yorktown
was later lost in the Battle, all four Japanese carriers were eventually
destroyed including many of Japans most experienced naval aviators. The
rugged and effective Dauntless, the only USN aircraft to remain in
service through the entire war, was responsible for destroying more
enemy shipping than any other aircraft during WW II.
Midway - The Setting Sun by Ivan Berryman Depicting Dauntless and Devastator attacking the Japanese aircraft
carrier Akagi during the Battle of Midway.