Douglas TBD Devastator’s of USS Yorktown and USS Enterprise 

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Unfortunately, both aircraft were reassigned to VT-8 of USS Hornet and met their fate with the rest of that squadron at the Battle of Midway.

That being said, I argue that the TBD is much maligned for its supposed “obsolescence” at Midway. After all, the TBD’s replacement, the new and nifty TBF Avenger was itself shot to pieces at Midway – 5 of 6 aircraft lost.  Of course the TBF was superior to the TBD in all respects, but the idea that the TBD squadrons were annihilated at Midway simply because the plane they flew was a couple years old doesn’t add up – their near-annihilation (and the TBF’s) was caused by their lack of fighter escort.

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