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The SBD Dauntless was the workhorse of the U.S. Navy, serving as its primary carrier-based dive bomber from 1940 until the end of 1944.

The SBD participated in many battles in the Pacific Theater, with one of its most significant successes being the sinking of the Japanese aircraft carrier Shōhō during the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942.

Its forward-firing armament consisted of two 12.7 mm Browning M2 machine guns. The external ordnance included 100-, 500-, 1000-, and 1600-pound bombs. For self-defense, it was equipped with two 7.62 mm Browning machine guns mounted in the rear.