Personnel from the USS Enterprise (CV-6) stand around a damaged Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless the American dive bomber during World War II.
After the flight of the air group to bomb targets in the Kwajalein Atoll, the Enterprise was attacked by five Japanese Mitsubishi G4M Betty base bombers. Aviation mechanic Bruno Gaido attempted to help repel the attack with the aft machine gun of a Douglas SBD-2 Dauntless dive bomber from Bombing Squadron 6, VB-6.
For his heroism, Bruno Gaido was promoted and assigned to the flight crew. On June 4, 1942, Bruno Gaido was shot down along with his pilot, Ensign Frank W. O’Flaherty. They were later picked up by the Japanese destroyer Makigumo (巻 雲). Around June 8-9, 1942, the Japanese killed American pilots: they tied them to water-filled barrels of gasoline and threw them overboard.
The photo source: National Museum of the United States Navy.
Location: Pacific Ocean
Photo time: February 1, 1942