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The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment
The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment
The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment
The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment
The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment
The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment
The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment
The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment
The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment
The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment
Photo of brick wall showing the different print sizes available.
The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment

The Attack on Yamato - SB2C Helldiver Canvas | INCLUDES: Dive Brake Fragment

$149.99
Print Sizes
Print Sizes: A) Canvas WITH RELIC - 18" x 12" - ONLY 30
Description

"The Attack on Yamato" by Artist Craig Tinder

This fine art print by artist Craig Tinder captures the pivotal moment during the attack on Yamato, in which SB2C Helldivers of VB-83, from the USS Essex, participated in the sinking of one of the world's largest Super Battleships.

The Story Behind the Print

7 April 1945 - The U.S. Navy launched its final major air assault on the Imperial Japanese Navy’s super battleship Yamato. Escorted by a light cruiser and destroyers, Yamato embarked on a desperate mission to breach Allied defenses and beach itself on Okinawa to serve as an unsinkable artillery platform. However, the powerful Task Force 38, comprising 386 aircraft, including squadrons of SB2C Helldivers, intercepted the Japanese force. Aircraft from the USS Essex, including Bombing Squadron 83 (VB-83), were tasked with striking Yamato directly, facing intense anti-aircraft fire as they nosed into their deadly dives.

Flying through low clouds and reduced visibility, VB-83 coordinated their attack with precision. Diving from altitudes as low as 6,000 feet, the Helldivers released their armor-piercing bombs from steep 65 to 80-degree angles, delivering a crippling blow to Yamato. VB-83 alone reported four direct hits, contributing to the devastation of the battleship's deck and superstructure, and significantly damaging her defensive capabilities. Despite the fearsome barrage from Yamato’s anti-aircraft guns, including the iconic 18-inch turrets, the Helldivers pressed their attack, enduring losses as they helped weaken the ship's defenses for subsequent torpedo strikes.

By the end of the assault, Yamato had sustained fatal damage, including multiple bomb and torpedo hits, leading to her capsizing and sinking. The Imperial Japanese Navy's last formidable symbol of naval power was destroyed, marking a critical turning point in the Pacific theater. This heroic mission saw the loss of seven Helldivers, but their contribution was instrumental in sinking the largest battleship ever constructed, a decisive moment in the final months of World War II.

Visit the Journal to read the full story!

Commissioned by Museums, Treasured by Collectors

This item is handmade by artist, Craig Tinder. Available to ship worldwide!

About the Relic & Process

This fragment of aluminum is a rare relic from the portside, lower dive brake of a Curtiss SB2C-5 Helldiver, Bureau Number 83393. The dive brake, painted in its distinctive red, was critical in controlling the steep, precision bombing dives that made the Helldiver a formidable weapon during World War II. 

Built in 1945, SB2C-5 Helldiver 83393 served briefly with the U.S. Navy before it was lost in a crash during a forced landing on July 24, 1945. The wreckage was recovered by the National Air and Space Museum in 1993 and used as a source of parts for other restoration projects. In 2006, the Fagen Fighters WWII Museum in Minnesota acquired the remaining pieces of 83393 and began an extensive restoration.

SB2C-5 Helldiver BuNo 83393 Port Outboard Dive Brake removed during 2022 restoration

Upclose detail of divebrake. This original part was used as a template in the fabrication of new divebrakes

By 2024, the aircraft was fully restored and became only the second airworthy Helldiver in existence. It was painted in the livery of Bombing Squadron 83 (VB-83), a unit that played a significant role in the April 1945 attack on the Japanese battleship Yamato.

Much of the original red paint is still intact

Disclaimer

By purchasing from Aces In Action, you acknowledge that the product may vary slightly from the images on our website. We use authentic materials from military vehicles and relics, which may contain potentially hazardous substances. These items are not intended for ingestion, inhalation, or use by children. Aces In Action is an independent company, unaffiliated with or endorsed by any other organization. All names, logos, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners and are used for identification only, in accordance with the Lanham Act. Their use does not imply any official endorsement.
© 2025 Aces In Action: Historical Art gallery. 
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