Found this picture of them over Okinawa today, thought you guys might be interested in them "Grumman TBM Avengers flying over Iejima, a peninsula on Okinawa. TBM avengers were torpedo bombers, and first saw combat in 1942, during the Battle of Midway. Avengers were fitted with 3 seats, one for the pilot, a bombardier, and a rear gunner. The planes were equipped with 3 .30 cal machine guns, as well as an internal bomb bay that could carry a 2,000 lb torpedo, 4 500lb bombs, or an extra fuel tank. In addition, since Avengers were often carrier air crafts, their wings could fold up, tucking the wings against the fuselage, allowing Allied forces to store them efficiently and easily." ^ I wrote that as a write up for another forum. Beautiful, beautiful planes.
Much more than torpedo bombers; it could instead carry four 500lb bombs, or two 1,000lb ones, it could also mount 5in rockets, and lay mines and depthcharges. In fact, bomb-armed Avengers made the first British air attack on the Home Islands ion the 24th of July 1945. The TBM-3 variant with no turret, extended tankage and search radar made an excellent ASW aircraft. In the Royal Navy, Dash-3's served in this role until 1954...
The photo was taken on April 16, 1945, and the Grumman Avengers belong to Composite Squadron 84 (VC-84) flying off of the USS Makin Island (CVE-93).
Grumman TBF Avenger -Birdymckee The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world. It entered U.S. service in 1942, and first saw action during the Battle of Midway. Despite losing five of the six Avengers on its debut, it survived in service to become one of the outstanding torpedo bombers of World War II. Greatly modified after the war, it remained in use until the 1960s. Douglas' TBD Devastator, the U.S. Navy's main torpedo bomber introduced in 1935, was obsolete by 1939. Bids were accepted from several companies but Grumman's TBF design was selected as the TBD's replacement. Designed by Leroy Grumman, its first prototype was called the XTBF-1. Although one of the first two prototypes crashed near Brentwood, New York, rapid production continued. Grumman's first torpedo bomber was the heaviest single-engine aircraft of World War II, and only the USAAF's P-47 Thunderbolt came close to equaling it in maximum loaded weight among all single-engined fighters, only being some 400 lb (181 kg) lighter than the TBF, by the end of World War II. The Avenger was the first design to feature a new wing-folding mechanism created by Grumman, intended to maximize storage space on an aircraft carrier; the F4F-4 and later models of Wildcat received a similar folding wing and the F6F Hellcat (both designed by Grumman) employed this mechanism as well. The engine used was the Wright R-2600-20 (which produced 1,900 hp/1,417 kW). The aircraft took 25 gallons of oil and used one gallon per minute at start-up. There were three crew members: pilot, turret gunner and radioman/bombardier/ventral gunner. One .30 caliber machine gun was mounted in the nose, a .50 caliber (12.7 mm) gun was mounted right next to the turret gunner's head in a rear-facing electrically powered turret, and a single .30 caliber hand-fired machine gun mounted ventrally (under the tail), which was used to defend against enemy fighters attacking from below and to the rear. This gun was fired by the radioman/bombardier while standing up and bending over in the belly of the tail section, though he usually sat on a folding bench facing forward to operate the radio and to sight in bombing runs. Later models of the TBF/TBM dispensed with the nose-mounted gun for one .50 caliber gun in each wing per pilots' requests for better forward firepower and increased strafing ability. There was only one set of controls on the aircraft, and no access to the pilot's position from the rest of the aircraft. The radio equipment was massive, especially by today's standards, and filled the whole glass canopy to the rear of the pilot. The radios were accessible for repair through a "tunnel" along the right hand side. Any Avengers that are still flying today usually have an additional rear-mounted seat in place of the radios, allowing for a fourth passenger. The Avenger had a large bomb bay, allowing for one Bliss-Leavitt Mark 13 torpedo, a single 2,000 pound (907 kg) bomb, or up to four 500 pound (227 kg) bombs. The aircraft had overall ruggedness and stability, and pilots say it flew like a truck, for better or worse. With its good radio facilities, docile handling, and long range, the Grumman Avenger also made an ideal command aircraft for Commanders, Air Group (CAGs). With a 30,000 ft (10,000 m) ceiling and a fully loaded range of 1,000 mi (1,610 km), it was better than any previous American torpedo bomber, and better than its Japanese counterpart, the obsolete Nakajima B5N "Kate". Later Avenger models carried radar equipment for the ASW and AEW roles. Although improvements in new types of aviation radar were soon forthcoming from the engineers at MIT and the electronic industry, the available radars in 1943 were very bulky, because they contained vacuum tube technology. Because of this, radar was at first carried only on the roomy TBF Avengers, but not on the smaller and faster fighters. Escort carrier sailors referred to the TBF as the "turkey" because of its size and maneuverability in comparison to the F4F Wildcat fighters in CVE airgroups. [h=2]Operational history[/h] On the afternoon of 7 December 1941, Grumman held a ceremony to open a new manufacturing plant and display the new TBF to the public. Coincidentally, on that day, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor, as Grumman soon found out. After the ceremony was over, the plant was quickly sealed off to guard against possible sabotage. By early June 1942, a shipment of more than 100 aircraft was sent to the Navy, ironically arriving only a few hours after the three carriers quickly departed from Pearl Harbor, so most of them were too late to participate in the pivotal Battle of Midway. However, six TBF-1s were present on Midway Island, as part of VT-8 (Torpedo Squadron 8), while the rest of the squadron flew Devastators from the Hornet. Unfortunately, both types of torpedo bombers suffered heavy casualties. Out of the six Avengers, five were shot down and the other returning heavily damaged with one of its gunners killed, and the other gunner and the pilot injured. Nonetheless, the US torpedo bombers were credited with drawing away the Japanese combat air patrols so the American dive bombers could successfully hit the Japanese carriers. Author Gordon Prange argued in Miracle at Midway that the outdated Devastators (and lack of new aircraft) contributed somewhat to the lack of a complete victory at Midway (the four Japanese fleet carriers were sunk directly by dive bombers instead). Others pointed out that the inexperienced American pilots and lack of fighter cover were responsible for poor showing of US torpedo bombers, regardless of type. Later in the war, with improving American air superiority, attack coordination, and more veteran pilots, Avengers were able to play vital roles in the subsequent battles against Japanese surface forces. On 24 August 1942, the next major naval battle occurred at the Eastern Solomons. Based on the carriers Saratoga and Enterprise, the 24 TBFs present were able to sink the Japanese light carrier Ryūjō and claim one dive bomber, at the cost of seven aircraft. The first major "prize" for the TBFs (which had been assigned the name "Avenger" in October 1941, before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor) was at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942, when Marine Corps and Navy Avengers helped sink the battleship Hiei. After hundreds of the original TBF-1 models were built, the TBF-1C began production. The allotment of space for specialized internal and wing-mounted fuel tanks doubled the Avenger's range. By 1943, Grumman began to slowly phase out production of the Avenger to produce F6F Hellcat fighters, and the Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors took-over, with these aircraft being designated TBM. The Eastern Aircraft plant was located in North Tarrytown (re-named Sleepy Hollow in 1996), NY. Starting in mid-1944, the TBM-3 began production (with a more powerful powerplant and wing hardpoints for drop tanks and rockets). The dash-3 was the most numerous of the Avengers (with about 4,600 produced). However, most of the Avengers in service were dash-1s until near the end of the war in 1945. Besides the traditional surface role (torpedoing surface ships), Avengers claimed about 30 submarine kills, including the cargo submarine I-52. They were one of the most effective sub-killers in the Pacific theatre, as well as in the Atlantic, when escort carriers were finally available to escort Allied convoys. There, the Avengers contributed in warding off German U-Boats while providing air cover for the convoys. After the "Marianas Turkey Shoot", in which more than 250 Japanese aircraft were downed, Admiral Marc Mitscher ordered a 220-aircraft mission to find the Japanese task force. At the extreme end of their range (300 nmi (560 km) out), the group of Hellcats, TBF/TBMs, and dive bombers took many casualties. However, Avengers from Belleau Wood torpedoed the light carrier Hiyō as their only major prize. Mitscher's gamble did not pay off as well as he had hoped. In June 1943, future-President George H.W. Bush became the youngest naval aviator at the time. While flying a TBM with VT-51 (from the USS San Jacinto (CVL-30)), his TBM was shot down on 2 September 1944 over the Pacific island of Chichi Jima. Both of his crewmates died. However, he released his payload and hit the target before being forced to bail out; he received the Distinguished Flying Cross. In 1945 Avengers were involved in pioneering trials of aerial topdressing in New Zealand that led to the establishment of an industry which markedly increased food production and efficiency in farming worldwide. Pilots of the Royal New Zealand Air Force's 42 Squadron spread fertilizer from Avengers beside runways at Ohakea air base and provided a demonstration for farmers at Hood aerodrome, Masterton, NZ. [h=3]TBF[/h] XTBF-1: rototypes each powered by a 1,700 hp (1,300 kW) R-2600-8 engine, second aircraft introduced the large dorsal fin. (2 built) TBF-1: Initial production model based on the second prototype. (1,526 built) TBF-1C: TBF-1 with provision for two 0.5 in (12.7 mm) wing guns and fuel capacity increased to 726 gal (2,748 l). (765 built) TBF-1B: Paper designation for the Avenger I for the Royal Navy. TBF-1D: TBF-1 conversions with centimetric radar in radome on starboard wing leading edge. TBF-1CD: TBF-1C conversions with centimetric radar in radome on starboard wing leading edge. TBF-1E: TBF-1 conversions with additional electronic equipment. TBF-1J: TBF-1 equipped for bad weather operations TBF-1L: TBF-1 equipped with retractable searchlight in bomb bay. TBF-1P: TBF-1 conversion for photo-reconnaissance TBF-1CP : BF-1C conversion for photo-reconnaissance XTBF-2: TBF-1 re-engined with a 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) XR-2600-10 engine. XTBF-3: TBF-1 re-engined with 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) R-2600-20 engines. TBF-3: Planned production version of the XTBF-3, cancelled [h=3]TBM[/h] TBM-1: as TBF-1. (550 built) TBM-1C: as TBF-1C. (2336 built) TBM-1D: TBM-1 conversions with centimetric radar in radome on starboard wing leading edge. TBM-1E: TBM-1 conversions with additional electronic equipment. TBM-1J: TBM-1 equipped for all weather operations TBM-1L: TBM-1 equipped with retractable searchlight in bomb bay. TBM-1P: TBM-1 conversion for photo-reconnaissance TBM-1CP: TBM-1C conversion for photo-reconnaissance TBM-2: One TBM-1 re-engined with a 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) XR-2600-10 engine. XTBM-3: Four TBM-1C aircraft with 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) R-2600-20 engines. TBM-3: as TBM-1C, double cooling intakes, engine upgrade, minor changes. (4,011 built) TBM-3D: TBM-3 conversion with centimetric radar in radome on starboard wing leading edge. TBM-3E: as TBM-3, stronger airframe, search radar, ventral gun deleted. (646 built). TBM-3H: TBM-3 conversion with surface search radar. TBM-3I: Scrapped due to design flaw. TBM-3J: TBM-3 equipped for all weather operations TBM-3L: TBM-3 equipped with retractable searchlight in bomb bay. TBM-3M: TBM-3 conversion as a missile launcher. TBM-3N: TBM-3 conversion for night attack. TBM-3P: TBM-3 conversion for photo-reconnaissance. TBM-3Q: TBM-3 conversion for electronic countermeasures with large ventral radome. TBM-3R: TBM-3 conversions as seven-passenger, Carrier onboard delivery transport. TBM-3S: TBM-3 conversion as an anti-submarine strike version. TBM-3U: TBM-3 conversion as a general utility and target version. TBM-3W: TBM-3 conversion as an anti-Submarine search with APS-20 radar in ventral radome. XTBM-4: Prototypes based on TBM-3E with modified wing incorporating a reinforced center section and a different folding mechanism. (3 built) TBM-4: Production version of XTBM-4, 2,141 on order were cancelled. [h=2]Specifications (TBF Avenger)[/h] General characteristics Crew: 3 Length: 40 ft 11.5 in (12.48 m) Wingspan: 54 ft 2 in [ (16.51 m) Height: 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m) Wing area: 490.02 ft² (45.52 m²) Empty weight: 10,545 lb (4,783 kg) Loaded weight: 17,893 lb (8,115 kg) Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-2600-20 radial engine, 1,900 hp (1,420 kW) Performance Maximum speed: 275 mph (442 km/h) Range: 1,000 mi (1,610 km) Service ceiling: 30,100 ft (9,170 m) Rate of climb: 2,060 ft/min (10.5 m/s) Wing loading: 36.5 ft·lbf² (178 kg/m²) Power/mass: 0.11 hp/lb (0.17 kW/kg) Armament Guns: 1 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) nose-mounted M1919 Browning machine gun(on early models) 2 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) wing-mounted M2 Browning machine guns 1 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) dorsal-mounted M2 Browning machine gun 1 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) ventral-mounted M1919 Browning machine gun Rockets: up to eight 3.5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rockets, 5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rockets or High Velocity Aerial Rockets Bombs: Up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs or 1 × 2,000 lb (907 kg) Mark 13 torpedo [h=2]See also[/h] Comparable aircraft: Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf Douglas TBD Devastator Douglas TB2D Skypirate Fairey Barracuda Fairey Spearfish Nakajima B5N Nakajima B6N [h=3]Bibliography[/h] Drendel, Lou. TBF/TBM Avenger Walk Around. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 2001. ISBN 0-89747-424-4. Drendel, Lou. "Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger". U.S. Navy Carrier Bombers of World War II. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1987, pp. 89–120. ISBN 0-89747-195-4. Fletcher, R.G. Front Line Avenger Squadrons of the FAA. Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK: R.G. Fletcher, 1995. ISBN 0-9518877-1-8. Francillon, René. Grumman (Eastern) TBF (TBM) Avenger (Aircraft in Profile 214). London: Profile Publications Ltd., 1970. No ISBN. Jackson, B.R. and Thomas E. Doll. Grumman TBF/TBM "Avenger" (Aero Series 21). Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1970. ISBN 0-8168-0580-6. Jackson, B.R. and Thomas E. Doll. Supplement to Grumman TBF/TBM "Avenger". Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1970. ISBN 0-8168-0582-2. Kinzey, Bert. TBF & TBM Avenger in Detail & Scale. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1997. ISBN 1-888974-06-0. Pelletier, Alain. Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger (in French). Paris: Ouest France, 1981. ISBN 2-85882-311-1. Prange, Gordon William et al. Miracle at Midway. New York: Viking, 1983. ISBN 0-14-006814-7. Scrivner, Charles L. TBF/TBM Avenger in Action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1987. ISBN 0-89747-197-0. Skulski, Przemyslaw. Grumman Avenger (Seria Pod Lupa 5). Wroclaw, Poland: Ace Publications, 1997. ISBN 83-8615-340-7. Tillman, Barrett. Avenger at War. London: Ian Allan Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-7110-0957-0. Tillman, Barrett. TBF/TBM Avenger Units of World War 2. Botley, UK; Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1999. ISBN 1-85532-902-6. Treadwell, Terry C. Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-75242-007-0. Wheeler, Barry C. The Hamlyn Guide to Military Aircraft Markings. London: Chancellor press, 1992. ISBN 1-851-52582-3. Unlike my first posting, I've included here my sources. -Birdymckee. 11 Sept. 2011. [h=2][/h]
Grumman TBF Avenger -Birdymckee The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) was a torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air or naval arms around the world. It entered U.S. service in 1942, and first saw action during the Battle of Midway. Despite losing five of the six Avengers on its debut, it survived in service to become one of the outstanding torpedo bombers of World War II. Greatly modified after the war, it remained in use until the 1960s. Douglas' TBD Devastator, the U.S. Navy's main torpedo bomber introduced in 1935, was obsolete by 1939. Bids were accepted from several companies but Grumman's TBF design was selected as the TBD's replacement. Designed by Leroy Grumman, its first prototype was called the XTBF-1. Although one of the first two prototypes crashed near Brentwood, New York, rapid production continued. Grumman's first torpedo bomber was the heaviest single-engine aircraft of World War II, and only the USAAF's P-47 Thunderbolt came close to equaling it in maximum loaded weight among all single-engined fighters, only being some 400 lb (181 kg) lighter than the TBF, by the end of World War II. The Avenger was the first design to feature a new wing-folding mechanism created by Grumman, intended to maximize storage space on an aircraft carrier; the F4F-4 and later models of Wildcat received a similar folding wing and the F6F Hellcat (both designed by Grumman) employed this mechanism as well. The engine used was the Wright R-2600-20 (which produced 1,900 hp/1,417 kW). The aircraft took 25 gallons of oil and used one gallon per minute at start-up. There were three crew members: pilot, turret gunner and radioman/bombardier/ventral gunner. One .30 caliber machine gun was mounted in the nose, a .50 caliber (12.7 mm) gun was mounted right next to the turret gunner's head in a rear-facing electrically powered turret, and a single .30 caliber hand-fired machine gun mounted ventrally (under the tail), which was used to defend against enemy fighters attacking from below and to the rear. This gun was fired by the radioman/bombardier while standing up and bending over in the belly of the tail section, though he usually sat on a folding bench facing forward to operate the radio and to sight in bombing runs. Later models of the TBF/TBM dispensed with the nose-mounted gun for one .50 caliber gun in each wing per pilots' requests for better forward firepower and increased strafing ability. There was only one set of controls on the aircraft, and no access to the pilot's position from the rest of the aircraft. The radio equipment was massive, especially by today's standards, and filled the whole glass canopy to the rear of the pilot. The radios were accessible for repair through a "tunnel" along the right hand side. Any Avengers that are still flying today usually have an additional rear-mounted seat in place of the radios, allowing for a fourth passenger. The Avenger had a large bomb bay, allowing for one Bliss-Leavitt Mark 13 torpedo, a single 2,000 pound (907 kg) bomb, or up to four 500 pound (227 kg) bombs. The aircraft had overall ruggedness and stability, and pilots say it flew like a truck, for better or worse. With its good radio facilities, docile handling, and long range, the Grumman Avenger also made an ideal command aircraft for Commanders, Air Group (CAGs). With a 30,000 ft (10,000 m) ceiling and a fully loaded range of 1,000 mi (1,610 km), it was better than any previous American torpedo bomber, and better than its Japanese counterpart, the obsolete Nakajima B5N "Kate". Later Avenger models carried radar equipment for the ASW and AEW roles. Although improvements in new types of aviation radar were soon forthcoming from the engineers at MIT and the electronic industry, the available radars in 1943 were very bulky, because they contained vacuum tube technology. Because of this, radar was at first carried only on the roomy TBF Avengers, but not on the smaller and faster fighters. Escort carrier sailors referred to the TBF as the "turkey" because of its size and maneuverability in comparison to the F4F Wildcat fighters in CVE airgroups. Operational history On the afternoon of 7 December 1941, Grumman held a ceremony to open a new manufacturing plant and display the new TBF to the public. Coincidentally, on that day, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor, as Grumman soon found out. After the ceremony was over, the plant was quickly sealed off to guard against possible sabotage. By early June 1942, a shipment of more than 100 aircraft was sent to the Navy, ironically arriving only a few hours after the three carriers quickly departed from Pearl Harbor, so most of them were too late to participate in the pivotal Battle of Midway. However, six TBF-1s were present on Midway Island, as part of VT-8 (Torpedo Squadron 8), while the rest of the squadron flew Devastators from the Hornet. Unfortunately, both types of torpedo bombers suffered heavy casualties. Out of the six Avengers, five were shot down and the other returning heavily damaged with one of its gunners killed, and the other gunner and the pilot injured. Nonetheless, the US torpedo bombers were credited with drawing away the Japanese combat air patrols so the American dive bombers could successfully hit the Japanese carriers. Author Gordon Prange argued in Miracle at Midway that the outdated Devastators (and lack of new aircraft) contributed somewhat to the lack of a complete victory at Midway (the four Japanese fleet carriers were sunk directly by dive bombers instead). Others pointed out that the inexperienced American pilots and lack of fighter cover were responsible for poor showing of US torpedo bombers, regardless of type. Later in the war, with improving American air superiority, attack coordination, and more veteran pilots, Avengers were able to play vital roles in the subsequent battles against Japanese surface forces. On 24 August 1942, the next major naval battle occurred at the Eastern Solomons. Based on the carriers Saratoga and Enterprise, the 24 TBFs present were able to sink the Japanese light carrier Ryūjō and claim one dive bomber, at the cost of seven aircraft. The first major "prize" for the TBFs (which had been assigned the name "Avenger" in October 1941, before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor) was at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942, when Marine Corps and Navy Avengers helped sink the battleship Hiei. After hundreds of the original TBF-1 models were built, the TBF-1C began production. The allotment of space for specialized internal and wing-mounted fuel tanks doubled the Avenger's range. By 1943, Grumman began to slowly phase out production of the Avenger to produce F6F Hellcat fighters, and the Eastern Aircraft Division of General Motors took-over, with these aircraft being designated TBM. The Eastern Aircraft plant was located in North Tarrytown (re-named Sleepy Hollow in 1996), NY. Starting in mid-1944, the TBM-3 began production (with a more powerful powerplant and wing hardpoints for drop tanks and rockets). The dash-3 was the most numerous of the Avengers (with about 4,600 produced). However, most of the Avengers in service were dash-1s until near the end of the war in 1945. Besides the traditional surface role (torpedoing surface ships), Avengers claimed about 30 submarine kills, including the cargo submarine I-52. They were one of the most effective sub-killers in the Pacific theatre, as well as in the Atlantic, when escort carriers were finally available to escort Allied convoys. There, the Avengers contributed in warding off German U-Boats while providing air cover for the convoys. After the "Marianas Turkey Shoot", in which more than 250 Japanese aircraft were downed, Admiral Marc Mitscher ordered a 220-aircraft mission to find the Japanese task force. At the extreme end of their range (300 nmi (560 km) out), the group of Hellcats, TBF/TBMs, and dive bombers took many casualties. However, Avengers from Belleau Wood torpedoed the light carrier Hiyō as their only major prize. Mitscher's gamble did not pay off as well as he had hoped. TBF: XTBF-1: rototypes each powered by a 1,700 hp (1,300 kW) R-2600-8 engine, second aircraft introduced the large dorsal fin. (2 built) TBF-1: Initial production model based on the second prototype. (1,526 built) TBF-1C: TBF-1 with provision for two 0.5 in (12.7 mm) wing guns and fuel capacity increased to 726 gal (2,748 l). (765 built) TBF-1B: Paper designation for the Avenger I for the Royal Navy. TBF-1D: TBF-1 conversions with centimetric radar in radome on starboard wing leading edge. TBF-1CD: TBF-1C conversions with centimetric radar in radome on starboard wing leading edge. TBF-1E: TBF-1 conversions with additional electronic equipment. TBF-1J: TBF-1 equipped for bad weather operations TBF-1L: TBF-1 equipped with retractable searchlight in bomb bay. TBF-1P: TBF-1 conversion for photo-reconnaissance TBF-1CP : BF-1C conversion for photo-reconnaissance XTBF-2: TBF-1 re-engined with a 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) XR-2600-10 engine. XTBF-3: TBF-1 re-engined with 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) R-2600-20 engines. TBF-3: Planned production version of the XTBF-3, cancelled TBM TBM-1: as TBF-1. (550 built) TBM-1C: as TBF-1C. (2336 built) TBM-1D: TBM-1 conversions with centimetric radar in radome on starboard wing leading edge. TBM-1E: TBM-1 conversions with additional electronic equipment. TBM-1J: TBM-1 equipped for all weather operations TBM-1L: TBM-1 equipped with retractable searchlight in bomb bay. TBM-1P: TBM-1 conversion for photo-reconnaissance TBM-1CP: TBM-1C conversion for photo-reconnaissance TBM-2: One TBM-1 re-engined with a 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) XR-2600-10 engine. XTBM-3: Four TBM-1C aircraft with 1,900 hp (1,400 kW) R-2600-20 engines. TBM-3: as TBM-1C, double cooling intakes, engine upgrade, minor changes. (4,011 built) TBM-3D: TBM-3 conversion with centimetric radar in radome on starboard wing leading edge. TBM-3E: as TBM-3, stronger airframe, search radar, ventral gun deleted. (646 built). TBM-3H: TBM-3 conversion with surface search radar. TBM-3I: Scrapped due to design flaw. (unverified). TBM-3J: TBM-3 equipped for all weather operations TBM-3L: TBM-3 equipped with retractable searchlight in bomb bay. TBM-3M: TBM-3 conversion as a missile launcher. TBM-3N: TBM-3 conversion for night attack. TBM-3P: TBM-3 conversion for photo-reconnaissance. TBM-3Q: TBM-3 conversion for electronic countermeasures with large ventral radome. TBM-3R: TBM-3 conversions as seven-passenger, Carrier onboard delivery transport. TBM-3S: TBM-3 conversion as an anti-submarine strike version. TBM-3U: TBM-3 conversion as a general utility and target version. TBM-3W: TBM-3 conversion as an anti-Submarine search with APS-20 radar in ventral radome. XTBM-4: Prototypes based on TBM-3E with modified wing incorporating a reinforced center section and a different folding mechanism. (3 built) TBM-4: Production version of XTBM-4, 2,141 on order were cancelled. General characteristics, Crew: 3 Length: 40 ft 11.5 in (12.48 m) Wingspan: 54 ft 2 in [ (16.51 m) Height: 15 ft 5 in (4.70 m) Wing area: 490.02 ft² (45.52 m²) Empty weight: 10,545 lb (4,783 kg) Loaded weight: 17,893 lb (8,115 kg) Powerplant: 1 × Wright R-2600-20 radial engine, 1,900 hp (1,420 kW) Performance: Maximum speed:</strong> 275 mph (Range: 1,000 mi (1,610 km) Service ceiling: 30,100 ft Rate of climb: 2,060 ft/min (10.5 m/s) Wing loading: 36.5 ft·lbf² (178 kg/m²) Power/mass: 0.11 hp/lb (0.17 kW/kg) Armament Guns:1 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) nose-mounted M1919 Browning machine gun(on early models) 2 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) wing-mounted M2 Browning machine guns 1 × 0.50 in (12.7 mm) dorsal-mounted M2 Browning machine gun 1 × 0.30 in (7.62 mm) ventral-mounted M1919 Browning machine gun Rockets: up to eight 3.5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rockets, 5-Inch Forward Firing Aircraft Rockets or High Velocity Aerial Rockets Up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs or Mark 13 torpedo See Also, Comparable aircraft: Consolidated TBY Sea Wolf Douglas TBD Devastator Douglas TB2D Skypirate Fairey Barracuda Fairey Spearfish Nakajima B6N "Bibliography" Drendel, Lou. TBF/TBM Avenger Walk Around. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 2001. ISBN 0-89747-424-4. Drendel, Lou. "Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger". U.S. Navy Carrier Bombers of World War II. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1987, pp. 89–120. ISBN 0-89747-195-4. Fletcher, R.G. Front Line Avenger Squadrons of the FAA. Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, UK: R.G. Fletcher, 1995. ISBN 0-9518877-1-8. Francillon, René. Grumman (Eastern) TBF (TBM) Avenger (Aircraft in Profile 214). London: Profile Publications Ltd., 1970. No ISBN. Jackson, B.R. and Thomas E. Doll. Grumman TBF/TBM "Avenger" (Aero Series 21). Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1970. ISBN 0-8168-0580-6. Jackson, B.R. and Thomas E. Doll. Supplement to Grumman TBF/TBM "Avenger" Fallbrook, California: Aero Publishers, Inc., 1970. ISBN 0-8168-0582-2. Kinzey, Bert. TBF & TBM Avenger in Detail & Scale. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1997. ISBN 1-888974-06-0. Pelletier, Alain. Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger (in French). Paris: Ouest France, 1981. ISBN 2-85882-311-1. Prange, Gordon William et al. Miracle at Midway. New York: Viking, 1983. ISBN 0-14-006814-7. Scrivner, Charles L. TBF/TBM Avenger in Action. Carrollton, Texas: Squadron/Signal Publications, Inc., 1987. ISBN 0-89747-197-0. Skulski, Przemyslaw. Grumman Avenger (Seria Pod Lupa 5). Wroclaw, Poland: Ace Publications, 1997. ISBN 83-8615-340-7. Tillman, Barrett. Avenger at War. London: Ian Allan Ltd., 1979. ISBN 0-7110-0957-0. Tillman, Barrett. TBF/TBM Avenger Units of World War 2. Botley, UK; Osprey Publishing Ltd., 1999. ISBN 1-85532-902-6. Treadwell, Terry C. Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger. Mount Pleasant, South Carolina: Arcadia Publishing, 2001. ISBN 0-75242-007-0. Wheeler, Barry C. The Hamlyn Guide to Military Aircraft Markings. London: Chancellor press, 1992. ISBN 1-851-52582-3. Unlike my first posting, I've included here my sources. -Birdymckee. 11 Sept. 2011.
The Avenger's bomb bay could also accommodate twelve 100lb bombs, which could be useful against area targets like airfields with aircraft dispersed or camouflaged. This was well short of the plane's weight limit, and it could carry eight 5" underwing rockets in addition. The Big E mentions this loadout being used when Enterprise operated a night air group, which made harassing attacks on Japanese airfields overnight.
My second cousin flew the TBM.I am researching what unit he was in and what actions he participated in.He crashed after the war in the states and was killed.Lt.George Theodore(Ted)Brown.Akron,Ohio. Fighter escorts would announce the form up by declaring "Here come the flock of turtles!" Because they were so slow. Bob
Awesome photo! I've always wondered which squadron of Avengers were used at Okinawa. I've also never seen a photograph of the island taken from that particular angle...and with such beautiful planes!! Great work finding this.
Anyone looking for a nice leather unit patch of TBM Squadrons , drop me a PM , I can make most of the known ones , and can work from a good scan , contact me , Johnny WeBeEmblems@aol.com
Quite a few Avenger squadrons were used at Okinawa, one per fleet carrier (including the four British) and a composite squadron of Avengers and fighters on each light and escort carrier.
IIRC, the light carriers lost the composite squadron(VC) designation in very late 1943, switching over to the normal torpedo squadron(VT) designation.
But not all at once like when the VS carrier squadrons switched to VBs on 1 Mar 43 or the VPs and multi engine VBs to VPBs on 1 Oct 44: VC-27 was re-designated as VT-27 on 4 Apr 43 VC-12 was re-designated as VT-21 on 15 May 43 VC-31 was re-designated as VT-31 on 1 Sep 43 VC-32 was re-designated as VT-32 on 1 Nov 43 VC-50 was re-designated as VT-50 on 8 Nov 43 VC-51 was re-designated as VT-51 on 9 Nov 43 VC-22 was re-designated as VT-22 on 15 Nov 43 VC-23 was re-designated as VT-23 on 15 Nov 43 VC-26 was re-designated as VT-26 on 15 Nov 43 VC-25 was re-designated as VT-25 on 15 Dec 43 VC-29 was re-designated as VT-29 on 15 Dec 43 VC-30 was re-designated as VT-30 on 15 Dec 43 VC-28 was re-designated as VT-28 on 20 Jan 44 VC-35 was re-designated as VT-35 on 10 Mar 44 VC-37 was re-designated as VT-37 on 10 Mar 44 VC-60 was re-designated as VT-60 on 10 Mar 44 VC-38 was re-designated as VT-38 on 11 May 44 VC-40 was re-designated as VT-40 on 1 Jun 44 Some, not all, of the staggering had to do with when the carrier to which the squadron was to be assigned was ready for fleet duty. Other VC Rons were designated as FitRons to fill out CVEG's: VC-11 was re-designated as VF-21 on 15 May 43 VC-34 was re-designated as VF-34 on 15 Aug 43 VC-18 was re-designated as VF-36 on 15 Aug 43 VC-64 was re-designated as VF-39 on 15 Aug 43 VC-16 was re-designated as VF-33 on 15 Nov 43 And all by itself, VC-24 was re-designated as VB-98 on 15 Dec 43. Rich
VC was still the designation for the CVE's, I think throughout the war. My uncle was part of VC-19 until he was killed in July, 1944.
This was probably because it was impractical to try and operate two full-strength squadrons on such a small displacement, particularly if one of those squadrons is a VT flying Avengers. Thirty or more aircraft on a ship like Gambier Bay was possible (and was often done when the CVE was acting in the "jeep" role) but in combat the handling times were just to slow to justify more than 28 or 29 planes operating as a single composite squadron. BTW, technically "Grumman TBM Avenger" is an incorrect designation. Only the TBF was Grumman-built. The TMB was manufactured under licence by General Motors, Eastern Aircraft Division. There were a number of slight differences, and not all parts were interchangeable between the TBF and the TBM. One key difference was a lighter and more compact radio made by GM's Delco Electronics branch. Grumman was a comparatively small company, and chose to farm out a lot of their production to licencee companies rather than expand far beyond what their key managers were accustomed to handling. Most Avengers were built elsewhere than Bethpage, and most of the Wildcats built were not the F4F version. Grumman concentrated on F6F production at their headquarters plant.
Certainly, there were far more VC squadrons which remained in service on CVEs than those which were re-designated as VT, VF, or VB. Attached, reported VC squadron locations for the war years. Remember these are "reported" locations, so the there is as much as 8 to 10 days between actually being at the location and when the location report was compiled at BuAer. Rich View attachment 14353
Nobody mentioned the service use of the TBF/TBM by the British, then named "Tarpon". They HAD to like these Tarpons' capabilities after the Swordfish/Albacores (though these biplanes did yeoman service for the FAA, and had their own "loveable" characteristics, NOT one of which was the open cockpit!!)
VC-84's unit emblem was of a cartoon pilot riding atop a torpedo with a dragon like face and wing snorting smoke out nostrils and drooling, the pilot has a machine gun and is firing it and a belt of ammo is trailing back from it . Johnny
