World War 2 In Review No. 72: Grumman TBF Avenger

By Merriam Press

A pictorial history of the Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors), an American torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval aviation services around the world. The Avenger entered U.S. service in 1942, and first saw action during the Battle of Midway. Despite the loss of five of the six Avengers on its combat debut, it survived in service to become the most effective and widely-used torpedo bomber of World War II. Greatly modified after the war, it remained in use until the 1960s. Illustrated with 190 B&W and color photographs and illustrations.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lulu.com
• Release date: May 31, 2021
• ISBN: 9781387092000

Book preview

World War 2 In Review No. 72: Grumman TBF Avenger

Hoosick Falls, New York

2021

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First published in 2021 by the Merriam Press

First eBook Edition

ISBN 978-1-387-09200-0

Copyright © 2021 by Merriam Press

All rights reserved.

Additional material copyright of named contributors.

The views expressed are solely those of the author.

This work was designed, produced, and published in the United States of America by the Merriam Press, 489 South Street, Hoosick Falls NY 12090.

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This Issue

Grumman TBF Avenger history with 190 B&W and color photographs and illustrations.

Watch for future issues of this series with more articles on the history of World War II.

Grumman TBF Avenger

Grumman TBF Avenger (BuNo 00380). A crew from Torpedo 8, VT-8, is taking charge of this brand new air-plane at Norfolk, Virginia in March 1942. Unit markings had not yet been painted on the fuselage sides; prior to leaving Norfolk, this aircraft had 8-T-1 painted on its fuselage. While most of the unit were still flying Douglas TBD Devastators, a small detachment with six of the new TBFs including 8-T-1 were sent to Midway to continue training on the new aircraft. During the battle of Midway, this detachment flew a mission against the Japanese fleet and only this aircraft managed to return to Midway. All of VT-8’s Devastators were shot down on the same mission.

The Grumman TBF Avenger (designated TBM for aircraft manufactured by General Motors) is an American torpedo bomber developed initially for the United States Navy and Marine Corps, and eventually used by several air and naval aviation services around the world.

The Avenger entered U.S. service in 1942, and first saw action during the Battle of Midway. Despite the loss of five of the six Avengers on its combat debut, it survived in service to become the most effective and widely-used torpedo bomber of World War II. Greatly modified after the war, it remained in use until the 1960s.

The 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 replacement for the TBD and in April 1940 two prototypes were ordered by the Navy. Designed by Leroy Grumman, the first prototype was called the XTBF-1. It was first flown on 7 August 1941. Although one of the first two prototypes crashed near Brentwood, New York, rapid production continued.

The Avenger was the heaviest single-engined 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, being only some 400 pounds (180 kg) lighter than the TBF, by the end of World War II. To ease carrier storage concerns, simultaneously with the F4F-4 model of its Wildcat carrier fighter, Grumman designed the Avenger to also use the new Sto-Wing patented compound angle wing-folding mechanism, intended to maximize storage space on an aircraft carrier; the Wildcat’s replacement the F6F Hellcat also employed this mechanism. The engine used was the powerful, twin-row Wright R-2600-20 Twin Cyclone fourteen-cylinder radial engine, which produced 1,900 horsepower (1,420 kW).

There were three crew members: pilot, turret gunner and radioman / bombardier / ventral gunner. A single synchronized .30 caliber (7.62 mm) 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