SBD Aces?

[Spitfires Forever]

Greetings Gentlemen 

. Hope all is well with my Britmodeller mates. I have been on a bit of a Pacific War kick lately. I just ffinished up reading about Fighting Fifteen and Mc Campbell's Heroes, and additionally an interview with "Swede" Vejtasa who flew SBD's before being posted to the Grim Reapers as a Wildcat pilot. Another source was Queen of the Flat Tops by Stanley Johnston, and all three sources mentioned the use of SBD's for interception and carrier defense roles as fighters, with one pilot scoring as many as 7 kills. This really intreagues me since I am preparing to build the Hasegawa 1/48 SBD-3. I know many of you like to research your modeling subjects as a means of enhancing your enthusiasm for a good build. Does anyone have any sources they can recommend on the subject of the SBD used as a fighter? We are talking about the Dauntless attacking from behind and not shooting down aircraft which are in persuit. Any information would be helpful.

Cheers

[LDSModeller]

Does that include the Rear gunners of SBD's as in link below

 

Saburo Sakai shoot down

 

Barrett Tillman's books on US Navy operations in the Pacific during WWII may have information

on "SBD Aces"

 

Regards

 

Alan

 

 

Edited March 3, 2018 by LDSModeller
Spelling

[Jure Miljevic]

Hello

During 1942 Pacific carrier battles US Navy practiced its pre-war defined tactics to launch bombers off carrier decks when ab attack was imminent. These bombers then circled naval squadron at fairly low level and attacked incoming Japanese torpedo bombers which, by this stage of a battle, should be without fighter escort. Now and then a Japanese attack was disrupted and occasionally a victory achieved. In description of such an engagement during Coral Sea battle in SBD Dauntless units of WW II book by Barrett Tillman it is mentioned that Dauntless bombers claimed 17 victories against six losses, although Japanese losses were more likely five Kates and one Val. Hasegawa scheme likely represent one of the Coral Sea battle survivors, as by the time of Midway red national insignia dots, along with red and white tail stripes, had already been removed. Cheers

Jure

Edited March 3, 2018 by Jure Miljevic
a sentence about Hasegawa paint scheme added

[Antoine]

Look for John A. Leppla/John Liska crew, from VS-2 aboard Lexington.

[Jure Miljevic]

Hello

As Antoine mentioned, the Hasegawa box top scheme represent the SBD-3 Dauntless, belonging to VS-2 from USS Lexington. It was piloted by John Leppla with R/O John Liska. During 7th May Shoho mission Leppla claimed two Zekes and Japanese scouting plane, and Liska claimed one Zeke (none of the Zekes was actually lost). On the next day, while defending Lexington, they claimed three more Japanese planes. Five view colour drawing of this plane and short description of its crew's achievements is given in David Brazelton's booklet Douglas SBD Dauntless, published by Profile. Cheers

Jure

[Chuck1945]

Perhaps the best source for this is John Lundstrom's book The First Team:Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway  (https://www.amazon.com/First-Team-Pacific-Combat-Harbor/dp/159114471X/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1520097810&sr=8-2&keywords=John+Lundstrom&dpID=514uPVsIryL&preST=_SY291_BO1,204,203,200_QL40_&dpSrc=srch) Good coverage of the Coral Sea battles including the use of SBDs against Japanese torpedo bombers.