SBD Dauntless Battle of Midway Vietnam War The prototype first flew on

The prototype first flew on October 24

This airplane also had the distinction of remaining in production throughout World War II and was operational postwar

but few remained in service after the late 1960s

The Catalinas also proved effective in search and rescue missions

SBD Dauntless Battle of Midway Vietnam War The prototype first flew onDouglas SBD Dauntless Battle of Midway dive bomber model. Designed as light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft, Dauntless monoplanes served during the war with the US Marine Corps, the Army and the Navy, production not finally coming to an end until 1944, by which time nearly 6,000 had been built. Their first real test came on 7 May 1942, when the US aircraft carriers USS Lexington and USS Yorktown faced three Japanese carriers in the Battle of the