U.S. Organizations to Recover WWII TBD-1 Devastator from Jaluit Atoll in Marshall Islands
The U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command and the Air and Sea Heritage Foundation are initiating a project to recover a WWII Douglas TBD-1 Devastator, Bureau Number 1515, from Jaluit Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
The aircraft, which has been submerged for over 80 years, played a vital role in early Pacific operations, including the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway. It was launched on February 1, 1942, from USS Yorktown and ditched in the Jaluit lagoon during the Marshall-Gilberts raids.
The recovery aims to preserve the aircraft for exhibition at the future U.S. Navy National Museum in Washington, D.C., making it the first TBD-1 Devastator to be displayed in a museum. The recovery process will involve four stages: coordination in the Marshall Islands, archaeological recovery, cleaning at Texas A&M, and public exhibition.
