The Curtiss Helldiver made its service debut on November 1943, flying from the deck of USS Bunker Hill. Hated by aircrews, it was still the most numerous Allied dive-bomber of World War II destroying more Japanese targets than any other dive-bomber. More aircraft were lost in deck landing accidents than to enemy action and combat crews grimly joked that its designation SB2C stood for "Son of a Bitch, 2nd Class". This volume charts the history of the plane from its first days in action through to VJ-Day. Unit histories are included, plus appendices covering unit dispositions and locations.
- ISBN10 1855326892
- ISBN13 9781855326897
- Publish Date 15 November 1997
- Publish Status Out of Print
- Out of Print 14 July 2007
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
- Imprint Osprey Publishing
- Format Paperback
- Pages 96
- Language English