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Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7800

CV-6 USS Enterprise and DD 385 Fanning during the Doolittle Raid in April 1942.
Interesting photo as the Enterprise was at sea at this time and it "almost" looks like an SNJ sitting on the deck with all those SBD's and F4F's.
Also notice the different sizes of fuselage stars.

Stoney · **Posted:** Sat Jun 29, 2024 10:01 am

I think you're right.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 29, 2024 10:09 am

Well, a little digging pulled this up:

Quote:

As the war clouds loomed on 30 November 1941, Enterprise reported that she normally embarked: 17 Grumman F4F-3A Wildcats and two F4F-3s of VF-6; 10 SBD-2 and eight SBD-3 Dauntlesses of VS-6; 19 SBD-2s of VB-6; and 18 TBD-1 Devastators -- and at times two North American SNJ-3 Texans – of VT-6. In addition, Cmdr. Young flew an SBD-2; and two Curtiss SOC-2 Seagulls and a pair of J2F-2 Ducks comprised the ship’s Utility Unit. The carrier also listed two F4F-3s, three SBD-2s and one SBD-3, and five TBD-1s in storage.

Source: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/h ... 6-vii.html

Lynn Allen · **Posted:** Sat Jun 29, 2024 10:43 am

Mark Allen M wrote:

CV-6 USS Enterprise and DD 385 Fanning during the Doolittle Raid in April 1942.
Interesting photo as the Enterprise was at sea at this time and it "almost" looks like an SNJ sitting on the deck with all those SBD's and F4F's.
Also notice the different sizes of fuselage stars.

Good eye...

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7800

Well then it could be stated that an SNJ participated in th Doolittle raid.

JohnB · **Posted:** Sat Jun 29, 2024 1:17 pm

Are there any records of SNJs (Scout Trainers, North American) actually being used for scouting in a combat environment ?

One could also ask the same question of the SNB.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Sat Jun 29, 2024 4:00 pm

Which aircraft are y'all thinking is the SNJ? If it's the one right behind the island, I think that's just an SBD...

If you go to the Navy website and download the high-res TIFF it looks a bit more like an SBD.

Attachment:

Fullscreen capture 6292024 35300 PM-1.jpg [ 88.42 KiB | Viewed 4086 times ]

JohnB · **Posted:** Sat Jun 29, 2024 7:20 pm

Looks like a SBD to me.
One ID point, the front cockpit is much further forward on the Douglas, on the SNJ, it is nearly at the half chord point.
Of course there is the long dorsal fin, and to my eyes (which may make it open to debate)., the SBD wing seems to be set at a higher angle of incidence on the fuselage.

Mark Allen M · **Joined:** Fri Feb 03, 2012 1:48 pm **Posts:** 7800

RyanShort1 wrote:

Well, a little digging pulled this up:

Quote:

As the war clouds loomed on 30 November 1941, Enterprise reported that she normally embarked: 17 Grumman F4F-3A Wildcats and two F4F-3s of VF-6; 10 SBD-2 and eight SBD-3 Dauntlesses of VS-6; 19 SBD-2s of VB-6; and 18 TBD-1 Devastators -- and at times two North American SNJ-3 Texans – of VT-6. In addition, Cmdr. Young flew an SBD-2; and two Curtiss SOC-2 Seagulls and a pair of J2F-2 Ducks comprised the ship’s Utility Unit. The carrier also listed two F4F-3s, three SBD-2s and one SBD-3, and five TBD-1s in storage.

Source: https://www.history.navy.mil/research/h ... 6-vii.html

Probably another SBD.
The above is what makes it interesting though.

RyanShort1 · **Posted:** Sun Jun 30, 2024 1:28 pm

Mark Allen M wrote:

The above is what makes it interesting though.

I know! Now I am going to look at every Enterprise photo I come across searching for an SNJ!

I'm also now wondering what those flags on the Enterprise "say."

quemerford · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1574

RyanShort1 wrote:

Mark Allen M wrote:

The above is what makes it interesting though.

I know! Now I am going to look at every Enterprise photo I come across searching for an SNJ!

I'm also now wondering what those flags on the Enterprise "say."

The chevron type means 'no flag officer aboard (in port)'.

JohnB · **Posted:** Sun Jun 30, 2024 4:20 pm

One reason why SNJs may not have been on wartime carriers a great deal is their wings do not fold, so they take up valuable space.
But remember, the SBD didn't have folding wings either (and the appear to both have a 42' span), but I'd think the air group would rather use the space for a combat type.

Stoney · **Posted:** Mon Jul 01, 2024 9:31 am

i see only a 2 bladed prop in that pix.

quemerford · **Joined:** Tue Jun 17, 2014 4:19 pm **Posts:** 1574

Stoney wrote:

i see only a 2 bladed prop in that pix.

You've got good eyesight if you can see more than a single prop blade on most of the aircraft in that photo. Many of them give the impression of a T-6/SNJ, and that alone make me think that they are thus all SBDs.

Mark Sampson · **Joined:** Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:02 pm **Posts:** 300

Can't imagine why the Navy would carry an SNJ on that particular mission. Aircraft storage space must have been at a premium then. But I assume that some of the Hornet's aircraft were carried aboard the Enterprise at that time? They couldn't have flown those airplanes off the Hornet with a flight deck full of B-25s. (Obviously I know very little about all this.)
And the USS Fanning looks mighty small in that photo, too.

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