USMC
331 Marine Scout Bombing Squadron
Robert Stitt 1975
Crashed November 27, 1943
Aircraft History
Built by Douglas Aircraft Company
at its El Segundo Plant in California (factory number 4674) and delivered
to the Navy on
September
23, 1943.
Mission History
The Dauntless was serving with the 331 Marine Scout Bombing
Squadron, based on Nanumea Airfield,
and was being flown into Nanumea at dusk on November 27, 1943 for a
submarine patrol at dawn the following morning. One
of the main undercarriage legs failed to extend and the pilot was made
a forced landing; he emerged unhurt but the Dauntless was written off.
Wreckage Today
The fuselage of the SBD-5 with its wings removed nearby remain
at the now-overgrown Nanumea
Airfield.
References
Thanks to Robert Stitt for this information.
SBD
