The Curtiss SB2C participated in the last two years of the war in the Pacific, and was one of the major aircraft in the USN inventory in 1945. With the War's end, the plane was soon relegated to second line units, but against all odds, the Helldiver had not fought for the last time and a few years, under French navy markings, the Helldiver was used in Indochina against the Communists where the French had been involved in furious combat since 1946.
Delivered under MDAP agreement, they arrived in the area in 1951 and the SB2C proved again that it was a very capable machine. They were intensively used during three years including during the decisive battle of Diem Bien Phu, which sealed the end of the presence of the French in Indochina. An exciting and exotic topic for anyone interested in the SB2C Helldiver.
About the Authors
Both Listemann and Laird are well-respected aviation historians and have written many books and articles on the subject.
- ISBN10 2953254471
- ISBN13 9782953254471
- Publish Date 15 October 2009
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 24 November 2016
- Publish Country FR
- Imprint Philedition
- Format Paperback
- Pages 48
- Language English