Plane ID? -- Great WWII Pics From S. Pacific

[Pogo]

When a history nut friend said he'd never seen a bunch of the WWII pics from the South Pacific on the site linked below, it really got my attention. Thought some of y'all might appreciate 'em too.
http://blogs.denverpost.com/captured/20 ... #more-1547

Here's one of 'em. I can't ID this type, could somebody fill me in? Thanks!

[the330thbg]

ID em.., sure...,

looks like about 6 aircraft flying over an ocean on approach to a carrier.

[IndyJen]

They look like Vindicators (Vought SB2U) to me ...

[The Inspector]

Watch 'Test Pilot' with Erroll Flynn or 'Midway' with 'Chuckston' and you'll find a lot of Ess Bee Deucey footage both pre war and early war.

[Jack Cook]

That's the USS Wasp underway in the Atlantic...........

[Randy Wilson]

The markings suggest that these Vought SB2U Vindicators are from VS-41 which didn't get Douglas SBDs until late in 1942, perhaps September by one source. I think VS-41 was assigned to the USS Wasp pre-war but I'm not sure about 1942 when this photo seems to have been taken. I'm sure Jack or others can fill in the details if needed.

Randy

[garbs]

SB2U 'Wind Indicators' - surprising there's none of them flying today, eh?

[Garth]

The carrier in the background is actually the USS Ranger (CV-4), which even in that picture is easily distinguished by her small mid-hull island. Wasp had a Yorktownesque long island that included her stacks/uptakes (Ranger's were along the aft sides of her flight deck and were hinged to fold down for flight ops) with the bridge section forward of the middle of the ship.

[Obergrafeter]

Not to be picky, but I count seven not six. No pony for you.

[JDK]

SB2U 'Wind Indicators' - surprising there's none of them flying today, eh?

Isn't there only one survivor, ex-Great Lakes, now restored at Pensacola?

[Steve Nelson]

Yep..here she is about a month ago.

Seems like someone has mentioned another Vindicator in Lake Michigan, but I don't know any details.


One thing you can see in the pic is how grungy the paint is on the fabric-covered areas of the rear fuselage, where visitors rub their hands along the spine. I love the accessibility of the aircraft at the NMNA, but it's a double-edged sword. I was getting really annoyed watching visitors flapping control surfaces and trying to turn props. I was chatting with a docent about it and he agreed with me, but grumbled "well, we're supposed to be 'hands on'.." Even their billboards on the freeway talk about "touching history."

Oh well..sorry to get off on a rant.

SN