The Grumman TBF Avenger 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.[1]

Source: Wikipedia, "Grumman TBF Avenger", available under the CC-BY-SA License.

As Described In

Aces of the Pacific: The Grumman TBF Avenger was a tough, stable and hard-hitting multi-purpose bomber. The Navy used the TBF in glide and level bombing roles as well as a torpedo bomber.

1942 Pacific Air War: Before I strapped in, they told me the Avenger was a torpedo bomber and a "level" dive bomber. I say, baloney. This here’s a torpedo bomber, plain and simple. You get in a steep dive in this thing and you’ve got almost no maneuverability at all. You couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with the broad side of another barn. Now, in a nice, shallow torpedo run, she’s steady as a rock. Handles a little heavy, but it’s like that no matter how fast or slow you’re going.