Douglas TBD Devastator
Regular price
$55.00
Douglas TBD Devastator
When it entered service in 1937, this torpedo bomber was the most advanced plane flying for the Navy: the first widely-used carrier-based all-metal monoplane, the first with a totally enclosed cockpit, and the first with hydraulically folding wings. In early WWII engagements after Pearl Harbor, the TBD seemed to perform adequately despite revealing marked deficiencies in speed and armament. However, at the battle of Midway in June 1942, 37 out of 41 Devastators launched against the Japanese fleet were shot down, and the few remaining TBDs were quickly withdrawn from service.