8/28/2023 0 Comments Black navy war 2 torpedo planesThe XTBD Devastator flew for the first time on 15 April 1935 while marking a number of "firsts" for the US Navy. The Great Lakes XB2G, Great Lakes XTBG, Grumman XSBF, Hall XPTBH and Vought XSB3U were also tendered to the specification but were not developed beyond prototype status. Other aircraft also ordered for production as a result of the competition included the Brewster SBA, the Vought SB2U Vindicator, and the Northrop BT-1, the last of which would evolve into the Douglas SBD Dauntless. The Douglas XTBD-1 was ordered on 30 June 1934 after being one of the winners of a US Navy competition for new bombers to operate from its aircraft carriers. Although much of the Devastator's dismal performance was later attributed to the many well-documented defects in the US Mark 13 torpedo, the aircraft was withdrawn from frontline service after Midway, being replaced by the Grumman TBF Avenger.ĭesign and development The XTBD-1 with the original flat canopy in 1935 The first production TBD-1 in 1937 A single TBD-1A was tried as a floatplane Vastly outclassed in both speed and maneuverability by the Mitsubishi Zero fighters they faced, most of the force was wiped out with little consequence except to distract the Zeros from the SBD Dauntless dive bombers that sank four carriers and a heavy cruiser. ![]() The Devastator performed well in early battles, most notably in the Battle of Coral Sea, but earned notoriety for a catastrophic performance during the Battle of Midway in which 41 Devastators recorded zero torpedo hits with only six surviving to return to their carriers. However, the fast pace of aircraft development quickly caught up with it, and by the time of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor the TBD was already outdated. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the Navy and possibly for any navy in the world. ![]() ![]() Ordered in 1934, it first flew in 1935 and entered service in 1937. The Douglas TBD Devastator was an American torpedo bomber of the United States Navy.
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