Douglas BD-2 used as high-speed target tug
The US Navy requested one of the initial A-20A aircraft for evaluation. The aircraft, initially assigned the Air Corps serial number 39-735 (msn 2755), was delivered to the Navy on December 2, 1940, as BD-1 BuNo 4251. In the absence of common Army/Navy contracts, the Army replaced the A-20A with another airframe, assigning it the serial number 39-725. The BD-1 designation indicated that the Navy was evaluating the aircraft for use as a bomber (‘B’ for bomber and ‘D’ for Douglas). According to Douglas production records, no modifications were made to the aircraft; it remained in the A-20A configuration, including the Army camouflage.
Navy records show that the BD-1 was accepted for service on December 9, 1940, and assigned to NAS Anacostia, Maryland. In February 1942, it was reassigned to the Naval Proving Ground at Dahlgren, Virginia, for evaluation. In June 1942, it was returned to Santa Monica for unspecified changes and then back to Virginia the following month. It spent most of its remaining service time at Dahlgren, where it was stricken from the Navy inventory in March 1944 and released for disposal, presumably being scrapped on site.
In May 1942, eight A-20Bs were diverted from AAF delivery at Long Beach and sent to the Navy as BD-2s, with serials ranging from 7035 to 7042. A Navy public relations statement described these “powerful lightning [light] bombers” as being used to protect shore bases, strike at sea units, and effectively fight off carrier-based pursuit ships. However, their actual assignments were more mundane, primarily to utility or test squadrons, indicating that any thoughts of using the Navy A-20s as tactical aircraft had passed. These eight BD-2s appeared to have retained their AAF camouflage paint throughout most, if not all, of their Navy service.