A U.S. Navy Douglas SBD-3 <i>Dauntless</i> assigned to Scouting Squadron Five (VS-5) in flight. Note the overall light gray paint scheme with white lettering. VS-5 traced its origins to 1937, and all of their prewar carrier duty occurred aboard the aircraft carrier USS <i>Yorktown</i> (CV-5). Receiving SBD-3 aircraft in 1941, the squadron participated in the 1 February 1942 raid against targets in the Marshall and Gilbert Islands, and in the strike against Lae and Salamaua the following month. On 7-8 May they flew strikes against Japanese carriers during the epic Battle of the Coral Sea.
U.S. Navy
<a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/AdvQuery.php">U.S. Navy National Museum of Naval Aviation</a> photo No. <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://collections.naval.aviation.museum/emuwebdoncoms/pages/doncoms/Display.php?irn=16035981&amp;QueryPage=%2Femuwebdoncoms%2Fpages%2Fdoncoms%2FAdvQuery.php">1996.253.612</a>, (re-?)coloured version found <a rel="nofollow" class="external text" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kqzBns5-MMI/T22fDkY_DzI/AAAAAAAAKQE/gbUrVi-JEoQ/s1600/SBD-1+Dauntless+5.jpg">here</a>.