The Douglas SBD Dauntless was the US Navy's main carrier-borne scout plane and dive-bomber, and was a good match in combat against the faster, but lightly armored Japanese fighters. The SBD-5 was the definitive model of the series, with an increased ammunition capacity and a more powerful engine than its predecessors had. It was also produced in a land-based variant, the A-24 Banshee. Douglas A-24B Banshee (Ruet) The GCB 1/18 "Vendee" harassed German forces retreating from the south of France from Summer 1944 to the end of the war.