The Curtiss SB2C Helldiver in French service

The Curtiss SB2C participated to the last two years of the war in the Pacific, and was one of the major aircraft in the USN inventory in 1945. With the War's end, the plane was soon relegated to second line units, but against all odds, the Helldiver had not fought for the last time and a few years, under French navy markings, the Helldiver was used in Indochina against the Communists where the French were involved in furious combats since 1946. Delivered under MDAP agreement, they arrived in the area in 1951 and the Helldiver proved again that it was a very capable machine. They were intensively used during three years including during the decisive battle of Diem Bien Phu, which sealed the end of the presence of the French in Indochina. An exiting and exotic topic for anyone interested in the SB2C Helldiver.