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The Color Of The Marine SBDs At Midway?

C

casey jones

Charter Member
I proberly wrote this a long while ago...but if anyone knows or has a picture of the Marine SBDs at Midway...what color or markings did they have?

Thank You/Cheers

Casey
 
I have no pictures, but I know they were light blue... hold on... I may have some here...:typing:
 
How about this?

This one was at Midway and it bombed the Hiryu.

I just looked her up, and she was with the VMBS at Midway that day.
 
Hmmm... I always thought it was the Navy SBDs that bombed the Japanese carriers at Midway. I think there weren some land based strikes at the invasion fleet carried out by B-17s and 'd read there was a small number of Avengers on the island.
 
The Marines sent out amixed force of SBD's and SB2u's against the two havy Cruisers, Mogami and Mikuma. Jadg wrote a mission for this attack, but I don't know if he uploaded it. Henderson Field, Guadalcanal, was named after the leader of the USMC SBD's who perished in the mission. They would have been painted blue and gray with the star (minus the red center) in six positions. They would have either single letters or a combination of a single letter and number painted in either white or black on the fuselage sides. Maybe someone knows more about the letters. :d
 
I've got a photo of at least one of them. They were SBD-2's that came from Lex or Sara and they had painted out part of the Navy ID/Aircraft Numbers on the side of them. Let me see if I can dig them up.

BTW, they (VMSB-241) also attcked Kido Butai in two separate formations early AM of the 4th.
 
Thank You Tarpsbird, Jagdflieger,Pen32win,Hern07, Dauntlessdriver, and all for your help. I am amazed that one of the original Marine SBD-2s survived...to Jagdflieger for creating the Marine Mission at Midway.

Cheers To All

Casey:rapture:
 
Also, the Marine SBD squadrons at Midway were not trained in dive bombing - they used "glide bombing" tactics which were much less effective against ships.
 
That's Right GR;

They hadn't had their SBD's long enough to perfect the steep dive attack used by the USN pilots. The Wind Indicators they were use to where not capable of that type of maneuver. If you tried it in one you'd end up tearing the Aircraft apart resulting in you playing Lawn Dart.
 
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