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Today we're looking at the Douglas TBD-1 Devastator. An aircraft that began life as the most cutting-edge to be found in the United States military, but one that was completely obsolete after just a few short years. Its poor performance at the battle of Midway soured its WW2 reputation, but even so it played a vital part in the turning of the tide.

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The Hangar Team :
Rex - Aviation enthusiast for 25+ years, obsessive collector of books, compiler of research, and narrator.
Alexandros - Co-Writer/Research assistant and preserver of Rex's sanity.
Franch - Editing guru, makes Adobe seem "fun".

0:00 Topic Intro
1:00 Design Origins
4:07 Prototype XTBD-1
7:01 Prototype Modifications
9:08 First Production TBD
14:21 TBD-1A Floatplane
17:47 Early Service Life & Problems
23:05 War Thunder Promo
24:57 Why Was It Unprepared For War?
31:58 Early Wartime Service
36:37 Battle of the Coral Sea
41:03 Battle of Midway
49:23 Post-Midway & Reflections


Sources:
Adcock.A (1989), TBD Devastator in Action.
Tillman.B (2000), TBD Devastator Units of the US Navy.
Jackson.B.R. & Doll.T.E. (1973), Douglas TBD-1 'Devastator'.
The Douglas TB Devastator - Profile Publication No.171.


Naval History and Heritage Command:
-Combat Narrative: Early Raids in the Pacific Ocean.
-Combat Narrative: The Battle of the Coral Sea.
-Combat Narrative: The Battle of Midway.