Vought SB2U Vindicator

The Vought SB2U Vindicator was the U.S. Navy's first monoplane scout dive bomber, entering service in 1937. First flown in 1936, it represented a transitional step between fabric-covered biplanes and the all-metal dive bombers of World War II. Vindicators equipped squadrons aboard carriers including Saratoga, Enterprise, Ranger, and Wasp at the start of the war, and Marine Corps examples fought at the Battle of Midway, where their crews pressed home attacks despite the aircraft's outdated performance.

Underpowered and lightly built compared with newer designs, the Vindicator was quickly relegated to training and second-line duties as the SBD Dauntless took over. The Navy ordered fewer than 200, and the type had largely disappeared from frontline service by 1943.