Douglas TBD Devastator

E75015

The Douglas TBD Devastator was an American World War II-era torpedo bomber used by the U.S. Navy, notably in the early Pacific battles where its obsolescence and heavy losses highlighted the need for more advanced carrier-based aircraft.


Statements (46)
Predicate Object
instanceOf World War II aircraft
carrier-based aircraft
military aircraft
torpedo bomber
aircraftCategory attack aircraft
naval aviation aircraft
armament aerial torpedo
bombs
fixed forward-firing machine gun
flexible rear machine gun
combatTheater Pacific Theater
conflict World War II
construction all-metal
countryOfOrigin United States
crew 3
crewPositions pilot
radio operator/gunner
torpedo bomber/navigator
designedFor aircraft carriers
engineType Pratt & Whitney R-1830 radial engine
enteredService late 1930s
era interwar period design
firstFlight 1935
highlightedNeedFor more advanced carrier-based torpedo bombers
historicalReputation symbol of early-war U.S. Navy torpedo bomber vulnerability
historicalSignificance demonstrated rapid obsolescence of prewar designs in WWII combat
introduced 1937
manufacturer Douglas Aircraft Company
nationality American
notableBattle Battle of Midway
Battle of the Coral Sea NERFINISHED
notableCharacteristic suffered heavy losses in early Pacific battles
operator U.S. Navy carrier air groups
powerplant single-engine
primaryRole torpedo attack
propulsion propeller-driven
retired 1944
secondaryRole level bombing
reconnaissance
serviceBranch U.S. Navy
statusDuringWWII obsolete by 1942
successor Grumman TBF Avenger
undercarriage retractable landing gear
usedBy United States Navy
usedIn early Pacific War operations
wingConfiguration low-wing monoplane

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
USS Yorktown (CV-5)
notableAircraftTypes

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