How A Single Aircraft Shifted The Course Of WWII In One Crucial Day
In the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, things were looking grim for the United States. The Japanese enemy was rampaging across the Pacific, taking over territories and destroying Allied ships and planes along the way. Defeat was on the horizon for America. But before that bleak day came, a turning point was reached. The Americans registered an important victory that turned the tide in just a day — and it was mostly down to one special aircraft.
On the back foot
In the months after Pearl Harbor, it might have seemed like Japan was unbeatable. It more than doubled the span of its empire in a little over ten months, taking it to new territories like the Philippines, Singapore, and the Dutch East Indies, which we know today as Indonesia. The United States, meanwhile, seemed to be on the back foot.
Air superiority
According to some scholars, Japan’s victories throughout this period can be attributed to its advanced air technology. The empire had developed high quality planes by this point, plus they’d actually been flying them. Japanese pilots were experienced by this stage of World War II, whereas their American counterparts were only just setting out.
The tide turns
In the spring of 1942, however, things took a dramatic turn. A fierce battle played out in the skies and waters of a particular spot in the Pacific Ocean, which proved remarkably consequential. Having been relentlessly battered by Japan for so many months, the States was now about to register a major victory.
Get a grip
This period marked the point where the United States got a decisive grip on the Pacific War. But if it hadn’t been for a spot of engineering ingenuity, then things might have played out quite differently. If the Douglas SBD Dauntless aircraft hadn’t been flying, who’s to say America wouldn’t have lost the war?
