Lost for 50 years... and Rescued from the Bottom of Lake Michigan | Military Aviation Museum

Introduced in 1940, the Dauntless was developed as a scout bomber, hence its SBD designation (Scout Bomber - Douglas). Flown by squadrons of US Navy and US Marine Corps pilots from land bases as well as aircraft carriers, the Dauntless was the principal American dive bomber through much of the war, being replaced by the SB2C Helldiver in mid-1944.
During the Battle of Midway in June 1942, Dauntlesses would deliver fatal blows to all four Japanese fleet carriers that were present. The Akagi, Kaga and Sōryū were hit and disabled within the span of just 6 minutes. The Hiryū would be disabled later in the same day.
The Museum’s SBD-5 was Bureau Number (BuNo) 36175, accepted for Navy service on October 4, 1943 and used to train new Navy pilots receiving their carrier qualifications on the Great Lakes. On January 20, 1944, the aircraft met with the mishap that would see it preserved for 50 years on the bottom of Lake Michigan.
Read more about it's history: www.militaryaviationmuseum.or...
Read about its current restoration back to flight: www.militaryaviationmuseum.or...
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