Nov 10, 2024
Happy 249th Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!
In honor, here's a photo of a @USMC Douglas SBD-5 on bombing mission against Japanese targets on Rabaul, April 22nd, 1944.
Although, as far as I know, this isn't a photo of my grandfather, who served as an SBD gunner, he served as a Marine with the VMSB-244 at this time, but I haven't been able to find the units War Diary’s for the month of April.
Marine aviators flying the SBDs pioneered many new tactics during these years. The most impressive of which, in my opinion, were Close Air Support missions attacking target just outside the perimeter of their own airfield, supporting the Marines on the ground protecting the airfield.
@tcamp202 via X
