The Douglas SBD Dauntless took its #firstflight on May 1, 1940. The aircraft then went on to play a starring role in the war in the Pacific during WWII. The diving Dauntless saw action at Pearl Harbor – flying from the USS Enterprise, but are best known as the bomber that delivered the fatal blows to Japanese carrier at the Battle of Midway in June 1942. In total, the Dauntless sank more enemy ships than any other Allied bomber, destroying 18 enemy warships, including a battleship and six carrie

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In WWII, U.S. aircraft, including SBD Dauntless dive-bombers, TBD Devastators, and later F6F Hellcats, systematically destroyed the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) through superior numbers, radar, and advanced production, overcoming initial disadvantages in pilot experience and torpedo technology to decimate IJN carriers and battleships by 1945. Key Comparative Aspects: Aircraft Performance: Early in the war, Japanese aircraft like the A6M Zero outclassed U.S. types in maneuverability and range. By