USS Yorktown_VB-5_SBD-3_BuNo 4597 Dauntless_need code

[N4521U]

GB54 PTO, South Pacific................
I plan on doing an SBD-3 and have found the BuNo 4597 for Lt. J Powers VB-5 USS Yorktown CV-5.
At the Battle of the Coral Sea (on the second wave of attacks) he delivered the fatal blow to (disable) the Akagi (Shokaku) perishing alongside the carrier after intentionally dropping his bomb too low to pull up assuring a hit. He received the Purple Heart and............. the Medal of Honor for his actions. Because he delivered his payload as he did the carrier was not active for the Battle of Midway assuring an allied victory.

This photo is (NOT) representative of the paint scheme of VB-5 at the time of the Coral Sea action and probably is not BuNo 4597!

Confirmation of the BuNo of Powers AC.
My request? Does anyone know of any way possible to find the code for this AC?
A lonnnng shot I know, but you guys!!!!!!!!!
For this one it's the Yorktown connection, albeit I was aboard CVS-10.

 

[Dana Bell]

I don't have what you're looking for, but I can promise you that the color photo you've got does not represent a Dauntless at the time of Coral Sea. There should be four wing insignia, red centers in all the national insignia, and red/white rudder stripes. I'm pretty sure the "5" would also be missing fron the fuselage codes. Finally, the Blue Gray upper surface camouflage would never have looked tan. I'm not sure which carrier he hit at Coral Sea, but Akagi was sunk at Midway.

Wish I had a useful answer on the codes...

Cheers,



Dana

 

[GrauGeist]

Lt. Powers aided in the sinking of the Shoho and the next day, perished when he delivered the crippling blow to the Shokaku.

The US insignia was changed 15 May 42, about a week after the Battle of Coral Sea, so as Dana mentioned, the pre-war insignia and fin-flash would have still been present.

This is an artist's rendering of Swede Vejtasa's SBD-3 during the Battle of Coral Sea, but would have been comparable to Powers' SBD:

 

[CATCH 22]

The initial photo can be seen on the cover of SBD Dauntless In Action. And it looks ... different:

I believe the above photo shows an a/c from VS-5 (individual number is on the wing leading edge). And below is a popular photo of VB-5 during (or before) the Battle of Coral Sea; note that the individual numbers of the bombing squadron are on the cowling:

 

[special ed]

I wonder what Lt. Powers' gunner thought his low pull out?

 

[fubar57]

I wonder what Lt. Powers' gunner thought his low pull out?

Possibly not too much. From the book, "The Battle of the Coral Sea" by Charles Rivers Editors

 

[N4521U]

Goes to prove I am just a model hack and not much of an historian!

All comments duly noted and searching!

 

[Dana Bell]

Goes to prove I am just a model hack and not much of an historian!

All comments duly noted and searching!

That's OK with me - I'm just a history hack who wishes he had your modeling skills!

Cheers,



Dana

 

[N4521U]

Still need to know the plane number.................. dang