NATION : Rare WWII Dive Bomber Saved
The Navy has fished a rare World War II dive bomber from the depths of Lake Michigan and will display it at the National Museum of Naval Aviation in Florida.
The 32-foot SBD Douglas Dauntless, its guns still intact, was brought to the surface Tuesday about 16 miles off Chicago’s Navy Pier, in 130 feet of water.
Navy officials said the two-seat, single-engine plane is a rare find because there are fewer than 10 left.
The plane sank Nov. 23, 1943, after the pilot missed a landing on the converted aircraft carrier Wolverine during a training mission, toppling from the carrier’s deck into the water. The pilot was not injured.
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