Douglas TBD
| Douglas TBD Devastator | |
|---|---|
.jpg) TBD-1 torpedo squadron VT-6, 1938 |
|
| Type: | Torpedo bombers |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
April 15, 1935 |
| Commissioning: |
October 1937 |
| Production time: |
1937 to 1939 |
| Number of pieces: |
130 |
_in_1942.jpg)
The Douglas TBD Devastator ( Devastator ) was a single-engine carrier-based torpedo bomber of the US Navy . The low- wing aircraft was the first all-metal aircraft with hydraulically foldable wings.
description
The prototype XTBD-1 made its maiden flight on April 15, 1935 and nine days later it was handed over to the US Navy for testing. On June 25, 1937, the Douglas Aircraft Company began delivering the first 114 machines. On October 5, 1937, the VT-3 torpedo bomber squadron of the USS Saratoga received its first machines.
Until mid-1942, the TBD Devastator was the standard torpedo bomber on US aircraft carriers. The successor - the Grumman TBF Avenger - had already been ordered in October 1940, but the aircraft did not reach the VT-8 torpedo bomber squadron until May 1942. So it came about that during the Battle of Midway the TBD of the VT-8 squadron from the aircraft carrier USS Hornet from were used, while the successor model was just transferred to Pearl Harbor and only six with volunteer machines of the VT-8 flew from Midway against the Japanese.
During the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 7 and 8, 1942, the Devastators were still instrumental in the sinking of the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōhō . However, at the time there were also major problems with the Mark 13 torpedo used by the Devastator : it was too slow and only a few exploded after reaching their target.
The end of the TBD Devastator came at the Battle of Midway from June 4 to 7, 1942. When the USS Hornet sent 15 planes, the USS Enterprise 14 planes and the USS Yorktown 12 planes to attack the Japanese carriers, they were sent by Zeros attacked. Attacking almost without hunting protection, one after the other was shot down. However, thanks to the self-sacrificing attack, almost all Japanese fighters were busy with the TBD and the high-flying SBD Dauntless were able to damage three large Japanese carriers relatively quickly with only minor losses so badly that they had to be abandoned and sunk. The loss rate at Midway was over 90 percent; therefore the US Navy decided to withdraw the TBD immediately.
In 1944 the US Navy still had 21 TBD-1s in its inventory, but these were mostly used as instruction models for mechanics. On September 30, 1944, BuNo 0252 was the last TBD to be retired from Mustin Field in Pennsylvania. Only one devastator was assigned to the US Marine Corps . No TBD remained. So some hope for the recovery of crashed TBD. For example, the TBD BuNo 1515 lies in relatively good condition in the Jaluit lagoon , where it embarked on February 1, 1942 as "5-T-6" of the carrier USS Yorktown due to a lack of fuel. Furthermore, BuNo 0353 has been in front of Miami since it ditched on September 2, 1943. So far, however, conflicts between the US Navy and private individuals have prevented a rescue.
Military users
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Data of the TBD-1 Devastator |
|---|---|
| Length: | 10.69 m |
| Wingspan: | 15.24 m |
| Height: | 4.59 m |
| Drive: | 1 × 14-cylinder double radial engine Pratt & Whitney R-1830 -64 "Double Wasp" with 900 PS (671 kW ) |
| Top speed: | 331 km / h at an altitude of 2438 m |
| Largest range: | 700 km (with torpedo), 1152 km (with 454 kg bomb load) |
| Crew: | 3 men |
| Service ceiling: | 5945 m |
| Empty weight: | 2804 kg |
| All-up weight: | 4623 kg |
| Armament: | 1 × Mk-13 torpedo (diameter 533 mm, length 4.57 m, weight 544 kg) or 454 kg bombs 1 × rigid MG caliber 12.7 mm forward and 1 × flexible MG caliber 7.62 mm rearward |
See also
Web links
- US Navy website on TBD
- US Navy regulation for the recovery of historical finds
- Douglas TBD-1 Devastator