Douglas TBD Devastator

TBD Devastator
US Navy TBD-1 Torpedo Squadron Six (VT-6), from USS Enterprise (CV-6), circa 1938
Role	Torpedo bomber Type of aircraft
National origin	United States
Manufacturer	Douglas Aircraft Company
First flight	15 April 1935
Introduction	3 August 1937
Retired	1944
Primary user	United States Navy
Produced	1937–1939
Number built	130

The Douglas TBD Devastator was an American torpedo bomber of the United States Navy. Ordered in 1934, it first flew in 1935 and entered service in 1937. At that point, it was the most advanced aircraft flying for the Navy, however by the time of the US entry into World War 2, the TBD was already obsolete.

The Devastator performed well early war, most notably in the Battle of Coral Sea, but earned notoriety for a catastrophic performance during the Battle of Midway in which 41 Devastators recorded zero torpedo hits with only six surviving to return to their carriers. Although much of the Devastator's dismal performance was later attributed to the many well-documented defects in the US Mark 13 torpedo, the aircraft was withdrawn from frontline service after Midway, being replaced by the Grumman TBF Avenger.