Warplanes of the USA: Douglas SBD Dauntless and Douglas A-24 Banshee

Douglas SBD Dauntless and A-24 Banshee

The aim of this website is to locate, identify and document Warplanes from the Second World War preserved in the USA.  Many contributors have assisted in the hunt for these aircraft to provide and update the data on this website.  Photos are as credited.  Any errors found here are by the author, and any additions, corrections or amendments to this list of Warplane Survivors of the Second World War in the United States of America would be most welcome and may be e-mailed to the author at hskaarup@rogers.com.

(USN Photo)

Douglas SBD Dauntless in flight, 1942.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless of bombing squadron VB-16 flies an antisubmarine patrol low over the battleship USS Washington (BB-56) en route to the invasion of the Gilbert Islands, 12 November 1943. The ship in the background is USS Lexington (CV-16), the aircraft's home carrier. Note the depth charge below the SBD.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless of Bombing Squadron 10 (VB-10) pictured in the landing pattern above the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CV-6) during operations in the Pacific. Note the bomb rack and YE radar antenna beneath the starboard wing. One of the last two SBD squadrons to operate from U.S. fleet carriers during World War II, VB-10 flew from the deck of the Big E during the period January-July 1944, and participated in the Battle of the Philippine Sea on 19-20 June 1944.

(USN Photo)

Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless ready for delivery at Douglas Aircraft Company's El Segundo, California (USA), plant on 4 March 1942. The red and white stripe rudder markings and national insignia featuring a red circle in the middle were just months from being changed based on experience at the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. The red in the insignia caused confusion when engaging Japanese aircraft, which featured red discs on their wings and fuselages. The red and white stripes detracted from the overall camouflage of the airplane's paint scheme.

(USN Photo)

Douglas SBD’s on patrol duty. Photographed by Naval Air Station, Norfolk, Virginia, released November 1942.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless dive bomber of Bombing Squadron 5 (VB-5) from the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) over Wake Island, 5 or 6 October 1943.

(USN Photo)

Gunners in the "bucket" ready seat of the diving Dauntlesses use their twin thirties to strafe targets, as the ship pulls out of her dive, or to hit Nips flushed during "flat hatting" runs at treetop levels, and on the return trip to home base, they watch skies for any Jap planes. In the Philippines, they were alert in vain most of the time.. the Japs just didn't come up to fight.. but hope springs eternal. Location: Zamboanga Unit: 1st MAW.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless of Scouting Squadron 6 (VS-6) in flight on 27 October 1941.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless in flight off Hawaii (USA), 10 October 1941. The plane is flown by the USS Enterprise (CV-6) Air Group Commander, Lieutenant Commander Howard L. (Brigham) Young, USN. The letters CAG are painted in black on the plane's wing, immediately outboard of the wingwalk.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless of bombing squadron VB-16 off the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-16) pictured over Dublon and Eten Island en route to strike Japanese installations at Truk, 17-18 February 1944. VB-16 operated from Lexington during the period September 1943-June 1944, and was for a time one of only two Dauntless squadrons assigned to Pacific fleet carriers. The squadron also participated in the famous attack against the Japanese Fleet during the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June 1944.

(USN Photo)

Four U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless of Composite Squadron 35 (VC-35) fly over the northern part of Eniwetok Atoll, on 18 February 1944. VC-35 was assinged to Escort Carrier Air Group 35 (CVEG-35) aboard the escort carrier USS Chenango (CVE-28) from November 1943 to March 1944.

(USMC Photo)

U.S. Marine Corps Douglas SBD-6 Dauntless from Marine scout/bombing squadron VMSB-231 Ace of Spades flying from Majuro Atoll in early 1944. The markings indicate 23 bombing missions having been flown by the aircraft. Note the mission markings and Ace of Spades insignia on the aircraft. The pilot of the aircraft is Major Elmer G. Glidden, a Midway and Guadalacanal veteran, who commanded VMSB-231 twice during the period September 1942-September 1943 and 1 November 1943-September 1944. He logged 104 combat dives during World War II. Redesignated from Marine Scouting Squadron Two (VMS-2) in July 1941, VMSB-231 aircraft flew to Midway in December 1941, and in March 1942 some elements returned to Hawaii. The remaining personnel formed the nucleus of a new squadron, VMSB-241, which fought during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Following the battle, the survivors returned to VMSB-231. The squadron arrived at Guadalcanal on 30 August 1942, and remained there until November. Subsequently, the squadron served in the Marshalls, where for a brief time it flew F4U Corsairs under the designation VMBF-231. The squadron was redesignated VMTB-231 in August 1945. (National Museum of Naval Aviation)

(USN Photo)

Two U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless dive bombers attached to bombing squadron VB-5 returning to the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) after the attack on Wake Island, 5 October 1943. Note the recently overpainted red surrounding of the U.S. national insignia. VB-5 was initially assigned Curtiss SB2C-1 Helldivers, but the problems encountered with these aircraft during Yorktown´s shakedown cruise prompted her skipper, Capt. Joseph J. Jocko Clark to order them replaced by the more reliable Dauntless. The squadron took SBD-5s into combat aboard the "Fighting Lady" (USS Yorktown) in August 1943.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Marine Corps Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless of Marine Scouting Bombing Squadron 241 (VMSB-241) in flight over Midway Atoll, in 1942-1943.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Marine Corps Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless dive bombers from Marine Scouting Squadron 3 (VMS-3) "Devilbirds" in flight near the Virgin Islands. Based at Marine Corps Air Station Bourne Field, St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, during the entire course of its existence, the squadron logged patrols from 1934 to 1944. Included among them were flights on 11-14 May 1942 to circumvent the expected escape attempt of the French Fleet for Guadaloupe. Note the Atlantic Theater camouflage on the aircraft.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Marine Corps Douglas SBD-1 Dauntless of Marine Scout Bombing Squadron 132 (VMSB-132) in flight, in 1941.

(USN Photo)

U.S. U.S. Marine Corps Douglas SBD Dauntless in flight over Guadalcanal, in 1943. The plane was named "The Milk Wagon to Munda Plane". The Japanese airfield at Munda, New Georgia, was almost daily attacked by Allied aircraft between 2 December 1942 and 1 August 1943.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless in flight, in 1943.

(USN Photo)

U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless of Bombing Squadron 16 (VB-16) en route to strike Japanese defensive positions on D-Day at Saipan, 15 June 1944. VB-16 operated from the aircraft carrier USS Lexington (CV-16) during the period trom September 1943 to June 1944, and was for a time one of only two Dauntless squadrons assigned to U.S. Pacific Fleet carriers.

(Bill Larkins Photo)

Dauntless SBD-5 Dauntless, Naval Air Transport Command, over South San Francisco, April 1946.

Douglas SBD Dauntless and A-24 Banshee dive bombers preserved in the USA by aircraft type, serial number, registration number and location:

Douglas SBD-1 Dauntless (BuNo. 01612), was being restored for display at the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum, San Diego, California.

(NMNA Photo)

(Tomás Del Coro Photo)

Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless (BuNo. 02106), c/n 632, 6, took part in the Battle of Midway. National Museum of Naval Aviation, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless (BuNo. 02173), Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Hawaii.

(Author Photo)

Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless (BuNo. 06508), National World War II Museum, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless (BuNo. 06583), National Museum of the Marine Corps, Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.

Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless (BuNo. 06624), Air Zoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan. It is on loan from National Museum of Naval Aviation, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.

(Articseahorse Photo)

Douglas SBD-3 Dauntless (BuNo. 06694), USS Lexington (CV-16) Museum, Corpus Christi, Texas.

Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless (BuNo. 06833), National Museum of Naval Aviation, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida in its recovered condition in a simulated underwater exhibit.

Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless (BuNo. 06900), San Diego Aerospace Museum, San Diego, California.

Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless (BuNo. 10508), being restored for display at the Castle Air Museum, Atwater, California.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless (BuNo. 10518), c/n 2478, Yanks Air Museum, Chino, California. Airworthy.

Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless (BuNo. 10694), Midway Dauntless LLC, Bellevue, Washington. Airworthy.

(Alan Wilson Photo)

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless (BuNo. 28536), c/n 3883, Planes of Fame, Chino, California. Airworthy.

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless (BuNo. 36173), USS Yorktown (CV-10), Patriot's Point Naval and Maritime Museum, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless (BuNo. 36176), Palm Springs Air Museum, Palm Springs, California.

(J JMesserly Photo)

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless (BuNo. 36177), B23, Pacific Aviation Museum, Ford Island, Honolulu, Hawaii.

(ZLEA Photo)

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless (BuNo. 36291), Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum, Titusville, Florida.

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless (BuNo. 54532), Commemorative Air Force (Dixie Wing), Peachtree City, Georgia.  Airworthy.

(Tomás Del Coro Photo)

Douglas SBD-5 Dauntless (BuNo. 54654), USS Midway Museum, San Diego, California.

(Mys 721tx Photo)

Douglas SBD-6 Dauntless (BuNo. 54605), National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

(USAAC Photo)

U.S. Army Air Force Douglas A-24 Banshee, circa 1942.

(USAF Photo)

U.S. Army Air Force Douglas A-24 Banshee.

(USAF Photo)

U.S. Army Air Force Douglas A-24 Banshee.

(SDASM Photo)

U.S. Army Air Force Douglas A-24 Banshee.

(AFHRA Photo)

U.S. Army Air Force Douglas A-24 Banshee.

(NMUSAF Photo)

United States Army Air Force Douglas A-24B-15-DT Banshee (s/n 42-54735) of Headquarters Flight Section, 13th Air Force, on Morotai Island, Halmahera Islands, Netherlands East Indies, on 1 January 1945.

Douglas A-24A Banshee (Serial No. 42-60817), S-9, painted as an SBD-3, Erickson Aircraft Collection in Madras, Oregon. Airworthy.

(NMUSAF Photo)

(Valder137 Photo)

Douglas A-24B Banshee (Serial No. 42-54582), painted as USAAC (Serial No. 41-15786), c/n 17421. National Museum of the United States Air Force, Dayton, Ohio.  Douglas SBD-4 Dauntless (BuNo. 10575).

(Valder137 Photo)

Douglas A-24B Banshee (Serial No. 42-54643), in storage at the Golden Hill Storage Facility, Fantasy of Flight, Polk City, Florida.

(kitmasterbloke Phone)

Douglas A-24B Banshee (Serial No. 42-54654), being restored for display at the Pima Air & Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona.

(Mike Fisher Photo)

Douglas A-24B Banshee (Serial No. 42-54682), painted as an SBD-5, Lone Star Flight Museum, Galveston, Texas. Airworthy.

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