Hobby Master Archive

In early 1942 Avengers began to arrive at NAS Norfolk, Virginia and assigned to VT-8. This made the squadron the first front-line unit to be equipped with the TBF-1 Avenger. The first to arrive was 8-T-1 BuNo 00380 wearing the inter-war red tail stripes and circle within the star insignia. Six VT-8 Avengers were sent to Pearl Harbor and on to Midway arriving just before the Battle of Midway. During this battle the 6 TBF-1s from VT-8 flew against the Japanese forces and 8-T-1 was the only Avenger to survive the encounter.