Conservationists Working to Recover WWII Torpedo Plane from Pacific Sea Floor
The U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command and the Air and Sea Heritage Foundation are working to recover Bureau Number 1515, a Douglas TBD-1 Devastator submerged off Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands, the conservation organizations announced Friday. The TBD-1 Devastator was the Navy’s first carrier-based all-metal plane with a singular pair of foldable wings for carrier stowage. The aircraft, which was the most modern at the time, played a critical role during the opening months of the Pacific campaign, including the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway.