Douglas TBD-1 Devastator Torpedo Bomber Pilot’s Flight Manual

The first all-metal aircraft in the history of the U.S. Navy, the Douglas TBD-1 represented a radical advance when it debuted in 1937. Yet by December 7, 1941, the Devastator was obsolete. Despite this TBD-1s performed well at Coral Sea, helping sink the Japanese carrier Shoho. Just three months later at Midway however, Devastator pilots were forced to make their attack runs without fighter escort. Only four planes out of 41 survived. Yet it was not a sacrifice made in vain. The TBD-1s left Japanese fighter patrols in disarray, paving the way for a nearly unopposed attack by Dauntless dive bombers that resulted in the loss of three Japanese aircraft carriers. Originally printed by Douglas and the U.S. Navy, this manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted", the manual was declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.