Dates

Event

Constructed as a SBD-2 by Douglas.

31 December 1940

Taken on Strength/Charge with the United States Navy with BuNo 2106.

31 December 1940

Transferred to Bombing Squadron 2B (VB-2B), USS Lexington (CV-2), NAS San Diego, CA.

From August 1941 to September 1941

Participated in the Louisiana Maneuvers which caused substantial engine wear and afterwards received a replacement engine.

Circa 3 December 1941

First week of December, offloaded to Aircraft Pool, Luke Field, Ford Island, NAS Pearl Harbor, HI to make room for aircraft to deliver to Midway Atholl.

7 December 1941

Was present on Ford Island during the attack of Pearl Harbor.

December 1941

Transferred to Bombing Squadron 2 (VB-2), USS Lexington.

10 March 1942

Flown by Lieutenant (junior grade) Mark T. Whittier with Aviation Radioman Second Class Forest G. Stanley as his gunner, the aircraft joined 103 other planes from Lexington and Yorktown (CV-5) in a raid against Japanese shipping at Lae and Salamaua in New Guinea. Sank a Japanese warship. Credited with pressing home his attack against a Japanese ship, Whittier received the Navy Cross.

March 1942

Lexington returned to Pearl Harbor and this aircraft was put ashore for transport to Midway.

May 1942

Transported by ship.
Transported to Midway aboard aircraft transport USS Kitty Hawk (APV-1).

26 May 1942

Transferred to Marine Scout Bomber Squadron 241 (VMSB-241), Midway Atholl.

4 June 1942

With 1st Lieutenant Daniel Iverson as pilot and Private First Class Wallace Reid manning the.30-caliber machine gun in the aft cockpit, the museums aircraft was one of sixteen SBD-2s of VMSB-241 launched to attack Japanese aircraft carriers to the west of Midway. Approaching the enemy carrier Hiryu, the Marine planes came under fire from antiaircraft gunners and fighters of the enemy combat air patrol. Iverson, with two Japanese Zero fighters following him down in his dive, released his bomb at an altitude of 800 feet. During his egress from the target area, the Zeroes on Iversons tail were joined by two others, which pursued the Dauntless for miles. Enemy fire holed Iversons plane 219 times, knocking out his hydraulic system and wounding Reid. One bullet came so close that it clipped Iversons throat microphone cord. Nevertheless, the pilot managed to return to Midway, making a one-wheel landing on the atoll. His was one of only eight SBD-2s of VMSB-241 to return from the attack against the Japanese fleet. For their actions, Iverson received the Navy Cross and Reid was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.

1942

Transported by ship.
Returned to USA, repaired and returned to the Navy.

1942

Transferred to Carrier Qualification Training Unit (CQTU), NAS Glenview, IL.

11 June 1943

Crashed.
Ditched in Lake Michigan while attempting to land USS Sable (IX-81). Pilot retrieved from water by USCG.

12 January 1994

Recovered.
Recovered from Lake Michigan.

1994

Photographer: Unknown
Notes: Recovery of Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless, s/n 2106 USN, c/n 632 from Lake Michigan in 1994

January 1994

To National Naval Aviation Museum, NAS Pensacola, Pensacola, FL.
View the Location Dossier

From 1994 to 2001

Restored.
70,000 restoration; 90 original parts, rest from other SBDs.

2001

Placed on display.

11 September 2003

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

11 September 2003

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

19 April 2010

Photographer: Matt Maranto

8 October 2011

Photographer: Matt Maranto
Notes: original paint left intact on rudder

8 October 2011

Photographer: Matt Maranto
Notes: over 150 bullet hole patches are still present from battle of Midway

8 October 2012

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

8 October 2012

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield

8 October 2012

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield