At the Battle of the Philippine Sea, 45 Helldivers launched near the extreme of their range were lost after running out of fuel on the return to their carriers. That result was not unique to the SB2C because the US Navy repeatedly pushed aircraft and crews toward maximum-range attacks. Operating at the edge of endurance left little margin when combat circumstances imposed additional demands. The loss provides an operational test of published range figures: nominal capability did not guarantee a safe carrier strike radius.
Notable Point · 57:29-58:51
What the Philippine Sea losses say about combat radius
The loss of 45 Helldivers after an extreme-range strike illustrates both the aircraft's radius limits and the US Navy's willingness to push carrier groups to their operational edge.