Douglas SBD-5 VMSB-231 1945

A U.S. Marine Corps Douglas SBD-6 Dauntless from Marine scout/bombing squadron VMSB-231 Ace of Spades flying from Majuro Atoll in early 1944. The markings indicate 23 bombing missions having been flown by the aircraft. Note the mission markings and Ace of Spades insignia on the aircraft. The pilot of the aircraft is Major Elmer G. Glidden, a Midway and Guadalacanal veteran, who commanded VMSB-231 twice during the period September 1942-September 1943 and 1 November 1943-September 1944. He logged 104 combat dives during World War II. Redesignated from Marine Scouting Squadron Two (VMS-2) in July 1941, VMSB-231 aircraft flew to Midway in December 1941, and in March 1942 some elements returned to Hawaii. The remaining personnel formed the nucleus of a new squadron, VMSB-241, which fought during the Battle of Midway in June 1942. Following the battle, the survivors returned to VMSB-231. The squadron arrived at Guadalcanal on 30 August 1942, and remained there until November. Subsequently, the squadron served in the Marshalls, where for a brief time it flew F4U Corsairs under the designation VMBF-231. The squadron was redesignated VMTB-231 in August 1945. (National Museum of Naval Aviati

Date

1944

Photographer / author

USMC;. Later version(s) were uploaded by Cobatfor at en.wikipedia, (first version); (last version).

Archive

Wikimedia Commons

Type

image

Original size

2,127 × 1,592 pixels

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