FEBRUARY 2, 2026 – A multidisciplinary team of maritime and naval conservation organizations have announced the launch “The Devastator Project”, an effort to recover and preserve a rare World War II torpedo bomber, the Douglas TBD-1 Devastator.
The project brings together the Air/Sea Heritage Foundation, Texas A&M University’s Center for Maritime Archaeology and Conservation, the Republic of the Marshall Islands Cultural and Historic Preservation Office, Jaluit Atoll local government officials and traditional leaders, and Naval History and Heritage Command. The team aims to recover Bureau Number 1515, a TBD-1 Devastator that has remained submerged off Jaluit Atoll for more than 80 years.
The Devastator Project partners plan to coordinate closely with stakeholders, including the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and to conduct recovery operations in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations. In keeping with their preservation mission, the partners intend to exhibit BuNo 1515 in “as-is” condition following cleaning and conservation treatment to stabilize the aircraft’s historic materials. The exhibit will be located in the new National Museum of the United States Navy, currently under development.
ASHF is a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to the study, investigation and preservation of aviation and maritime historic sites, wrecks and artifacts. The foundation conducts and supports original fieldwork and archival research worldwide to advance understanding of nautical and aeronautical history.
Since 2003, ASHF leadership has conducted seven expeditions to Jaluit Atoll in coordination with the U.S. Navy, CMAC, the RMI Cultural and Historic Preservation Office, Jaluit Atoll local government officials and traditional leaders to evaluate BuNo 1515 as a candidate for recovery.
CMAC, a research center at Texas A&M University focused on maritime and underwater archaeology and artifact conservation, has also been involved documenting and studying the aircraft since 2006.
The TBD-1 Devastator ranks among the most significant aircraft in U.S. naval aviation history. It was the Navy’s first all-metal, low-wing, semi-monocoque plane and played a critical role during the opening months of the Pacific campaign, including the Battles of the Coral Sea and Midway. Of the 129 TBD-1aircraftbuilt for service, none have been preserved in museums or private collections; all known examples rest on the ocean floor. BuNo 1515 launched from USS Yorktown (CV-5) and ditched in the Jaluit lagoon on Feb. 1, 1942, during the U.S. Navy’s first offensive operation in the Pacific. All three naval aviators survived the emergency landing and later endured captivity as Japanese prisoners of war until their liberation in 1945.
For generations to come, the recovered Jaluit Devastator will help illustrate the early history of U.S. naval aviation and to serve as a lasting tribute to the service and sacrifice of U.S. Navy aviators during World War II, as well as to the Department of the Navy’s commitment to honoring its servicemembers.
For more information about the Devastator Project, visit: https://airseaheritage.org/projects/devastator-rising/
NHHC, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for the preservation, analysis, and dissemination of U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy’s unique and enduring contributions through our nation’s history and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC is composed of many activities including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, ten museums, USS Constitution repair facility and the historic ship Nautilus. For more news from NHHC, visit http://www.history.navy.mil
Story by Staff Sgt. Bryce Hodges
Naval History and Heritage Command