The SBD Dauntless was the most effective U.S. dive bomber of WWII. It sank more Japanese shipping than any other Allied bomber. Navy and Marine SBD squadrons were credited with sinking Japanese carriers in the Battles of the Coral Sea, Midway, and Guadalcanal. SBD units were also instrumental in winning the fight for Guadalcanal. The SBD was also effectively used in the North Atlantic and North Africa theaters.

The SBD was designed as a light bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. Its designation of SBD stood for “Scout Bomber Douglas.” The Dauntless started as a Northrop design but was considered a Douglas Aircraft Company product in 1937. The SBD-4 was the model in use by the U.S. Navy at the time of the Pearl Harbor attack. An SBD was the first aircraft to sink an enemy ship in WWII (Japanese submarine I-70), just three days after the Pearl Harbor attack.