US Navy Fighter Squadrons In World War IITillmanSubtitled: Chronologies, Deployments, Combat Records. This first-ever chronology of VF squadrons describes their history, deployments, battle highlights, commanders, aces, losses and aircraft. Appendices supply information on shoot down claims, biographies of 12 famous aces, a list of 371 naval fighter aces, aces in a day, top scoring squadrons, and more. Hdbd., 7 1/4x 1 1/2, 16 pgs., 65 bandw ill.

The US Marine Corps has a long heritage of aviation excellence, a reputation that was largely built on the impact and performance of the “flying leathernecks” in the bitter fighting in the Pacific during World War II. As the US island-hopping campaign against Japan gathered pace, US Marine Corps fighter squadrons operating legendary Grumman and Vought aircraft became instrumental in the success of amphibious assaults and in breaking fierce enemy resistance, engaging Japanese attack aircraft in the skies and ground-based targets while supporting and protecting US ground forces. The flying legends Marion Carl, Greg “Pappy” Boyington, Joe Foss and others were all World War II Marine fighter pilots, taking to the skies in Corsairs, Wildcats, Venturas and Hellcats. Aviation historian Barrett Tillman's comprehensive account US Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II pays homage to these individuals and their mounts, and is packed with historic and organizational details of the squadrons who took to the skies above the Pacific.

A snapshot in time. After thousands of hours of research and data entry over a 35-year period, the information on the disposition of some 25,000 US Navy, US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard aircraft needs to be published. These aircraft mainly represent those built and lost during World War II - between 7 December 1941 and 15 August 1945 - but this book also contains aircraft built before WWII that were lost during WWII or disposed of after WWII (lost during the Korean War, lost on training exercises, sold to private investors, currently located in museums and even some still proudly sitting as "gate guards" across the US, etc.).

During World War II, the U.S. military lost some 35,000 aircraft to enemy action, training incidents, typhoons, aircraft carrier deck mishaps, mechanical failures or just normal wear-and-tear where aircraft were scrapped and used for parts to keep others flying. Many just failed to return from their missions. To date, the 15,069 aircraft represented in this 3-volume set is information initially transferred from hand-written "Aircraft History Cards" and are the total number of U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard aircraft lost between 7 December 1941 and 15 August 1945, and lost outside the continental United States (CONUS). Volume I represents the information on any aircraft lost that was attached to the 197 different ships in the database. Given the thousands of hours that went into this effort, the author hopes that, as a 3-volume set of reference books, it provides assistance to others who are researching ship, squadron and aircraft histories.

This authoritative and comprehensive survey features over 2,400 entries. Subjects range from battles, soldiers, and military activities to politics, culture, and the Holocaust. Enlivened by 85 illustrations, its panoramic perspective encompasses WWII's enduring influences on the American way of life. "A unique and valuable look at the war."—General James Doolittle

A Companion to World War II brings together a series of fresh academic perspectives on World War II, exploring the many cultural, social, and political contexts of the war. Essay topics range from American anti-Semitism to the experiences of French-African soldiers, providing nearly 60 new contributions to the genre arranged across two comprehensive volumes. A collection of original historiographic essays that include cutting-edge research Analyzes the roles of neutral nations during the war Examines the war from the bottom up through the experiences of different social classes Covers the causes, key battles, and consequences of the war

More than thirty Allied Forces' WWII aircraft types are illustrated in many rare and previously unpublished black and white and color photographs. Each type is described giving vital data on development history, combat record, famous pilots and significant air battles. Performance, range and weapon loads are also included. The unique color photographs are from the collection of the late William B. Slate, an aviation photographer who strove to capture the thrilling perspective that can only come from close-up, in-flight vantage points from an aircraft flying in formation.

The untold story of ferocious air and naval combat during the WWII Battle of Okinawa—drawn from primary sources and survivor interviews. This is the story of an overlooked yet significant aerial and naval battle during the American assault on Okinawa in the spring of 1945. While losses to America’s main fleet are well recorded, less well known is the terrific battle waged on the radar picket line, the fleet’s outer defense against Japanese marauders. Weaving together the experiences of the ships and their crews—drawn from ship and aircraft action reports, ship logs, and personal interviews—historian Robin L. Reilly recounts one of the most ferocious air and naval battles in history. The US fleet—and its accompanying airpower—was so massive that the Japanese could only rely on suicide attacks to inflict critical damage. Of the 206 ships that served on radar picket duty, twenty-nine percent were sunk or damaged by Japanese air attacks, making theirs the most hazardous naval surface duty in World War II. The great losses were largely due to relentless kamikaze attacks, but also resulted from the improper use of support gunboats, failure to establish land-based radar at the earliest possible time, the assignment of ships ill-equipped for picket duty, and, as time went on, crew fatigue. US air cover during the battle is also described in full, as squadrons dashed from their carriers and land bases to intercept the Japanese swarms, resulting in constant melees over the fleet.

An illustrated exploration of the dramatic aerial combats between the US Navy's long-range bomber and Japanese flying boats in the Pacific War. Edward Young explores these rarely written about combats, examining the aggressive and strategic tactics deployed by both US Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy Air Force and analyzing the technical improvements installed throughout the war. The PB4Y-1/2 Liberator/Privateer was the US Navy's first four-engined, land-based bomber, adapted and allocated to fight the U-boat menace in the Atlantic and protect the vast reaches of the Pacific Ocean. The long range, speed, armament and bomb load of the PB4Y-1 enabled the US Navy's Pacific squadrons to adopt more aggressive tactics. The PB4Y-1, and its follow-on PB4Y-2, engaged in dangerous bombing missions against Japanese installations, shipping strikes, and air combat. On the other side, with its doctrine of making the first strike against an enemy fleet, the Imperial Japanese Navy recognized the vital importance of maritime reconnaissance, relying on carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft, ship-borne floatplanes and, for long-range maritime patrol, flying boats. The Japanese would continue to develop their aircraft throughout the war, resulting, among others, in the H6K 'Mavis' and the H8K2 'Emily', which despite never achieving a victory, was regarded by the Allied pilots as the most difficult Japanese aircraft to destroy. Enriched with specially commissioned artwork, including armament and cockpit views, battlescenes and technical diagrams, this title analyses technical specifications in detail. By including first-hand accounts, aviation expert Edward Young provides a detailed account of these one-sided yet dramatic and aggressive combats.