Bomber Credited With Turning The Tide At The Battle Of Midway

The National Museum of WWII Aviation in Colorado Springs has acquired a Douglas Dauntless bomber to add to its collection, and it is expected to be on display soon.

The Colorado Springs Gazette reports that the Dauntless had been ditched in a lake by a student pilot and later rammed by a side-wheel steamer. It was recovered and restored by collector Jim Slattery, who has donated several airplanes to the museum, according to the report.

The plane was recently restored to flying condition in California and flown to Colorado, where the restoration was completed. It is an accurate restoration with vacuum tube radios, primitive radar and a telescope bombsight through the windscreen.

The Dauntless was designed to deliver its ordnance at a 70-degree dive angle. The tactic made it very accurate, and Dauntless bombers were credited with sinking all four Japanese aircraft carriers at the Battle of Midway in 1942.

More than 5,900 Dauntless bombers were made, but by the time WWII started, the Navy had already selected the Curtiss Helldiver as its replacement.

The Dauntless joins several Navy planes at the museum, including a Grumman Avenger torpedo bomber, an F4U Corsair and an F7F Tigercat.

But this airplane is special, because it is airworthy. The museum says it is one of only three airworthy examples of the type known to exist today.

(Image from file)

FMI: Original Report