Book Reviews From The Hook Magazine

Sidewinder: Creative Missile Development at China Lake; Ron Westrum; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 1999; hardcover, 352 pages, illustrated. $32.95

This interesting biography of what could arguably be called the most successful piece of aviation ordnance ever produced takes a little dedication to get through, but the reader will be rewarded with a better understanding of the creative and production process involved and a history of the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile.

The story is as much about the designers, after all, as it is about the weapon that has flown with many of the world’s air forces for more than 40 years. It has seen both discouraging failure and ultimate success in combat over much of the world’s arenas, including Vietnam and the Middle East. The missile’s first combat success actually came as early as 22 September 1958, when a flight of Chinese Nationalist F-86s dispatched four Communist Chinese MiG-15 Fagots during the so-called Quemoy-Matsu Crisis.

The author is obviously not that well-versed in Naval Aviation’s history (such as noting on Page 49 that Air Force pilots flying the North American FJ-1 Fury — a Naval design) or its unique lingo. The book slips in and out of engineerese, with overly long dissertations about meetings and design conferences that left me glassy-eyed.

What became the Sidewinder missile grew out of a need for defense against Soviet bombers of the 1950s. Originally, unguided rockets and first-generation air-launched guided missiles were used. The Air Force used the former in such evocative interceptors as the Lockheed F-94C Starfire and the big Northrop F-89 Scorpion. The second type included the trouble-plagued Hughes AIM-4 Falcon, which flew with the delta-winged F-102A Delta Dagger. These early combinations served a purpose and did give the Soviets pause, but they were at best stopgap measures until a more dependable missile could be developed.

Ron Westrum gives a well-written overview of U.S. philosophy and development of the air-to-air missile, the use of military think tanks in the western U.S., the roles of tinkerers and gadgeteers in the immediate post-war atmosphere of the Cold War, and the intense competition between companies and labs. Head designer Bill McLean favored infrared instead of radar homing, but ran into a storm of controversy. His opposition declared that IR was good only in clear weather. He eventually won out, and even got the missile named for the southwestern rattlesnake that uses infrared sensing to seek out its prey.

The photos in the book are somewhat mundane and at times a little odd. For instance, on Page 132, a Sparrow III on an H-2, without an explanation other than this missile was a competitor of the AIM-9. Also, this publisher still does not pay much editorial attention to keeping military designations uniform — or correct. “F-3D” — is that a Demon? If so, the designation should be F3H, or is the meaning an F3D Skyknight?

Developments, in-fighting, and introduction of the third-generation AIM-9 after Vietnam bring the story into modern times. By March 1975, AIM-9Ls, with their characteristic double-canard fins, were ready for service. The -9L saw considerable action in 1982 at opposite ends of the planet: the Falklands in the South Atlantic and over Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley.

I would like to have seen more on the actual combat career of the AIM-9. The author barely devotes a paragraph each to various post-Vietnam arenas. Perhaps he felt there were other books that could more adequately cover this area, but it would have been nice to read much more on the Middle East, the early ’80s Falklands War and the 1991 Gulf War. Instead, he relies heavily on another Naval Institute Press publication, Clashes, admittedly a fine book, but using it denotes a certain laziness, or running out of steam by the end of this book.

Corsairs and Flattops; Marine Carrier Air Warfare, 1944–1945; John P. Condon; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 1998; hardcover, 138 pages, illustrated, index. $27.95

Prior to World War II, Fleet Marine Force squadrons had deployed on USS Lexington (CV-2) and Saratoga (CV-3) with over 60 percent of the Marine pilots rotating through the squadrons. In January 1939, the Secretary of the Navy refined the mission and organization of Marine Aviation to include the mission of acting as replacement squadrons for carrier-based Naval aircraft.

When the war began, operational requirements and the demand for carrier decks were so strong that carrier training for Marine Aviation and Marine flight students in the Training Command became essentially nonexistent from 1942 until fall 1944. It was then decided to put Marines and their Corsairs aboard CVs for increased fighter cover against Japanese suicide planes and CVEs for ground support during amphibious landings.

The sudden notice of Marine squadrons deploying on carriers and in Corsairs too, created severe operational losses just getting ready to go. Essex (CV-9) Marine squadron lost seven pilots and 13 F4Us in the first week of deployment due to bad weather and navigation problems. Some Marine Corps squadron tours were short, with disastrous results as kamikazes hit and knocked Franklin (CV-13) and Bunker Hill (CV-17) out of action. Overcoming the initial problems, the 18 Marine squadrons that were deployed did an outstanding job on their respective carriers.

This short but highly readable and well-documented account tells the story about Marine Corps aircraft deployed on the fast carriers and CVEs during the last year of World War II. Filled with personal accounts of action, MGEN Condon, USMC(Ret), tells of the hurried training and deployment of the squadrons and the lessons learned that were used five years later in Korea. The photographs that complement the text are new and well-captioned. The only error noted is the misidentification of Japanese aircraft in two pictures.

This book is highly recommended for historians and lovers of Marine Corps aviation.

Summer 2000

Dark Sky, Black Sea: Aircraft Carrier Night and All-Weather Operations; Charles H. Brown, U.S. Naval Institute Annapolis, Md., 1999; hardcover, 252 pages, illustrated. $34.95

The author of this book has been there, thus when writing about launching into a black night or recovering on a pitching deck in terrible weather, he writes with the authority of first-hand knowledge. His narrative text occasionally struggles to maintain an entertaining flow as he focuses on history to complement his own experiences. I’d have preferred him writing another memoir rather than combining history with what he, himself, had seen.

That said, it is still an interesting, useful account of how the U.S. Navy built up its all-weather capabilities. There is a good prologue of early carrier night ops, with a foreword by the late CAPT Richard E. “Chick” Harmer, USN(Ret), one of the Navy’s night-fighter pioneers. There are little nuggets, such as learning that VADM Marc Mitscher, commanding Task Force 38 in the Philippines, ordered the removal of radars from his Hellcats to prevent the Japanese from capturing the new technology if a fighter was shot down. Postwar development is covered in brief sentences, enough to tell the story.

The text needs an editor to cut extraneous or superfluous adjectives that intrude on the narrative. That’s not really the fault of the author, but of the publisher. I question the assessment on Page 73 of action in Korea as not as “intense” as World War II. Tell that to the AD and F9F pilots who flew over a cold, unforgiving sea and equally inhospitable terrain. Or to blandly mention on Page 72 that LT Guy Bordelon “received a medal” for destroying five enemy intruders at night leaves the reader asking, “What medal?”

The author mentions several night kills during WW II. In fact, of the few bona fide five-kill American night-fighter pilots of the war, several of them included day kills in their tallies. A knowledgeable editor could have addressed these and other points.

Postwar developments include the AD-5Ns of VC-35, and by May 1956 the narrative becomes first-person as the author begins his own experiences as a VC-35 pilot aboard USS Lexington (CVA-16). He carries the story through the introduction of the A-4, certainly exciting times for carrier air.

Chapter 6 brings the book into the modern era with the introduction of the seminal McDonnell F-4 Phantom II, which brought true all-weather operations to the flight deck. This section also includes the F-8D Crusader, supposedly the night-fighter version of Vought’s thoroughbred. In this section, the author notes the lack of limited radar defense against low-flying bombers. F-8 and early F-4 radars couldn’t sort targets out from ground clutter.

As XO and CO of VA-112, one of the least-known Scooter squadrons that served in Vietnam, the author gives a fine account of light-attack operations in 1966. There is a particular good description of an Alfa strike on Haiphong, then a busy night mission that attracts 23mm flak.

The period following Vietnam describes new technologies and carriers, although the action in August 1981 against Libyan Fitters involved F-14s from Nimitz (CVN-68), not Kennedy (CV-67). Tomcats from Kennedy did get two MiGs in 1989, though. Surprisingly, while discussing the 1991 Gulf War, and describing then-LCDR Mark Fox’s MiG kill, the author fails to include the second MiG kill by then-LT Nick Mongillo, off Fox’s wing.

All in all, it’s not a bad book, and I find its value coming from someone who has flown the missions he describes.

Lindbergh; A. Scott Berg, Berkley Books, New York, N.Y., 1999; hardcover, 628 pages, illustrated. $16.00

Although the general reader might not know that transAtlantic pioneer Charles A. Lindbergh was heavily involved with Naval and Marine aviation, if only for a five-year period, he actually saw considerable combat in the Pacific. But that part of this curious, complex man’s life is only a relatively small portion of this wonderful biography.

Surprisingly few full-length treatments of Lindbergh’s experiences have been published. There are, of course, many magazine stories, mainly focusing on his May 1927 New York to Paris flight. And there is a great 1957 film biography starring Jimmy Stewart — probably one of the best aviation films ever made, and a wonderful tour de force by this veteran actor who had himself flown combat missions as a B-24 pilot over Europe.

No wonder Scott Berg’s book received the 1999 Pulitzer Prize. It is beautifully written and deeply researched, displaying Lindbergh for all that he was: courageous, a gifted aviator, a philosopher, but also incredibly shy and egocentric, with a nasty, almost misanthropic streak. Most certainly, though, after what he and his family suffered for nearly 50 years at the hands of the public and media, his soured outlook on humanity may be understood.

Tall with striking Nordic features that attested to his Swedish heritage, the 25-year-old from Minnesota was ill equipped to handle the worldwide outpouring of admiration and crazed adoration that followed his flight on 20–21 May. He married an equally shy daughter of an American diplomat and together they toured the world. Anne Morrow Lindbergh achieved her own measure of fame as an accomplished writer, but always remained in the shadow of her husband, who seldom appeared to give anything but the most basic of married affection and concern.

When their first child was kidnapped and murdered, the crime left terrible scars on both of them. Anne retreated into her own inner sanctum and diaries, while Lindbergh seemed to increase the height of the wall between himself and his family, and the rest of the world. And when it was certain that world war would once again come in the late 1930s, he used his fame to expound an isolationist policy that eventually turned President Franklin D. Roosevelt against him.

After Pearl Harbor, Lindbergh quickly offered his services to his government, but the president turned a cold shoulder to the aviator’s promises to fully support the war effort. However, with the war going badly for the first 12 months, no one wanted to waste such a experienced man’s skills. Lindbergh traveled to the Pacific, flying 50 missions with USAAF P-38 and Marine Corps and Navy F4U squadrons. He even managed to see several aerial engagements, shooting down a Japanese Sonia observation plane. (As the author notes, Lindbergh was, after all, trained as a fighter pilot just after WW I.)

One shudders to think of the consequences if this civilian flier had been shot down and captured. Even the status from his 1927 flight would not have been enough to save him at the hands of the Japanese. It appears that Lindbergh never stopped flying, even sampling many advanced aircraft, including first- and second-generation jets after WW II.

An odd aspect of the biography is that the Lindberghs never seemed to want for money. Many lucrative financial offers came his way after the transAtlantic flight, but even after 30 years, it appears he came and went as he pleased. His family moved many times, finding expensive houses in exotic locals — often to escape the intensity of media intrusion.

He bought cars and aircraft seemingly on a whim.

But then, who would not want to boast that he had Charles Augustus Lindbergh as a customer?

Scott Berg writes: “Nobody had a broader perspective on the earth’s physical changes over the past four decades than Charles Lindbergh . . . [in 1927] he had seen the expanses of North American wilderness in a way no man had before. ‘The crushing impact of modern science and industry was only getting under way,’ he would later note; but ‘civilization’ rapidly encroached upon the land and the sea. What was more, Lindbergh increasingly shouldered the blame: ‘The primitive was at the mercy of the civilized in our twentieth-century times . . . and nothing had made it more so than the airplane I had helped develop. I had helped to change the environment of our lives.’”

This is a strange but accurate assessment toward the end of his life from the man himself. Undoubtedly, it’s one of the best aviation biographies written.

Adversary: America’s Aggressor Fighter Squadrons; Rick Llinares and Chuck Lloyd; Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen, Pa., 1999; hardcover, 142 pages, illustrated. $29.95

This team of experienced, enthusiastic aviation photographers always produce an attractive product. It’s plain they truly enjoy what they do, and why not! Getting up close and personal with a variety of first-line U.S. bases, flight crews and their aircraft would get my juices flowing any time.

America’s military once had a thriving subculture — the adversary program and its colorful squadrons. Designated Navy, Marine and Air Force units specialized in giving fleet aviators their first taste of combat — safe though it was. The 1986 movie “Top Gun,” now something of a cult favorite, focused on the earliest of these important postgraduate flight schools. But sadly, the once-mighty program is a shadow of its former self, and frontline squadrons must make do with greatly reduced adversary resources and schedules.

This book describes the current adversary units, although it seems to have more coverage of Navy and Marine Corps activities. Squadron and instructor biographies give flavor, and some really good color photography fleshes out the design. I do wish, though, that there was more variation in how the F/A-18s, A-4s and F-16s were shown. Plane portraits over snow-capped Sierra peaks, echelons, with one aircraft breaking off, or a close-up of an F/A-18’s cockpit are fine, but not in so many repetitions. Flight line shots are good, too, but I would like to see more pictures with people around the planes — maintainers and pilots manning up, strapping in or preflighting.

But, this book’s still a nice paean to what was and what is in the adversary program and a ready reference for modelers.

Fighter Aces of the USA; Raymond F. Toliver and Trevor J. Constable; Schiffer Military History, Atglen, Pa., 1997; hardbound, illustrated, appendices, index, 400 pages. $59.95

This large and comprehensive book covers not only 1,400 American aces, but also has a chapter on the enemy aces covering WW II Japanese Army and Navy, German Luftwaffe pilots and, most interestingly, Soviet pilots during the Korean War. This revised edition, in highly readable text and hundreds of black and white photographs, provides a picture of the pilots that shot down five or more enemy aircraft. The authors take the reader through the origin of the term “ace,” how it has evolved over the years in both U.S. air services, and traces the weapon systems, tactics and aircraft as they all matured from the fragile biplanes of WW I through WW II to Korea and Vietnam. The discussion of the evolution of what constituted an enemy kill and how it was credited between the various services during the different wars and theaters of operations is an interesting subject in itself.

The book is divided into chapters on aces in World War I, World War II USAAF aces in the Pacific and European theaters, U.S. Navy and Marine Corps Pacific aces and those of Korea and Vietnam. Each chapter is well illustrated with pictures of the aces and the aircraft flown, plus the aces’ own combat account and capsule biographies. The appendices list all the U.S. aces, their hometown, rank, unit and victories by the wars.

Low Level Liberators: The Story of Patrol Bombing Squadron 104 in the South Pacific During World War II; Paul F. Stevens, Nashville, Tenn., 1997; softcover, 318 pages, illustrated. $23.00

The Asian theater of any war seems to engender the term “forgotten.” It’s now au courant to refer to the Korean War as the “Forgotten War,” and those Army aviators who fought in the CBI as being forgotten, certainly at the far end of the supply chain.

MacArthur’s Philippine campaign of the first quarter of 1945 has not received its due, perhaps because of the personality behind it, or perhaps because the war’s main drive in the Pacific was headed to Japan by that time.

Now, however, there are a few memoirs appearing by those who fought in the Philippines, and one surprising book comes from an unexpected source. Low Level Liberators is the firsthand account of VPB-104’s action-filled combat tour from November 1944 to April 1945. The narrative follows the expected sequence from early, youthful rambunctiousness, going to war amid training, away to Hawaii and then to New Guinea, flying the Consolidated PB4Y-1 — the Navy’s version of the Army’s B-24J. This high-winged, four-engine bomber was a good choice for flying long over-water missions in the Pacific. Well-armed defensively, with at least ten .50-cal. machine guns, the Liberator was, however, a complex, demanding machine.

There’s lots of first-time information about this unknown group of Naval Aviators and aircrews and how they took one of the Navy’s largest aircraft on some fairly strenuous missions, including low-level attacks against Japanese shipping and facilities, and more than a few aerial engagements against anything from float planes to fighters to four-engine flying boats. In fact, according to the book’s last page showing the squadron’s combat record, VPB-104 claims no fewer than 38 enemy aircraft destroyed in the air, along with 262 Japanese ships sunk representing nearly 116,000 tons.

The author and his crew also accounted for a four-engine Kawanishi Emily flying boat, considered the best flying boat of the war and a tough opponent to destroy in the air. This particular Emily was carrying a Japanese vice admiral on his way to Tokyo to receive his fourth star from the Emperor.

This self-published book is fairly large, both in format and page count. The occasionally grainy wartime photos are for the most part interesting, especially the personal photos showing actual combat. I don’t particularly care for the wartime silhouettes of enemy aircraft and ships just to break up space. Graphically, the best part of the book is Alex Durr’s artwork. I wish there were more of his sketchy, immediate treatment of some of the book’s narrative.

However, the book is a fine history of a little-known collection of squadrons and crews fighting a war that many people didn’t know about at the time, and even now, more than 50 years later.

Stars in the Corps: Movie Actors in the United States Marines; James Wise Jr. and Anne Collier Rehill; U.S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Md., 1999; hardcover, 247 pages, illustrated. $28.95

Retired Naval Aviator Jim Wise has a good series going. His 1998 book, Stars in Blue, dealt with Navy personalities, and Stars in Khaki, describing Army stars’ military careers, will be out soon. Stars in the Corps follows the original format and is a pleasant browse, filled with interesting, little-known facts and revelations.

Your knowledge of the people would be helped if you were born before 1950, but for film buffs of all ages, this is a fine, ready reference. Many of the people discussed were of the WW II generation, with a few bridging the period to Vietnam.

A few errors inevitably have crept in. “Second banana” Ed McMahon couldn’t have flown Cessna 180s in Korea, as that type did not appear until after the war. More than likely, he flew L-19s or Consolidated OY-1s. Although the authors don’t mention it, he was probably assigned to VMO-6.

Also, one of George Peppard’s most popular films, “The Blue Max,” a tale about WW I German aviators, is left out of his credits.

If you have any interest in the movies, this new book, along with its earlier companion, and the forthcoming volume about the Army, form a great trio of reference and page-turning fun about actors with roots in the military.

Fall 2000

The Second Luckiest Pilot: Adventures in Military Aviation; Donald K. Tooker; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 2000; hardcover, 227 pages, illustrated. $26.95

This entertaining book contains a collection of 14 stories about the author, a highly decorated Marine Corps pilot, and his Marine friends who relate their adventures and narrow escapes while flying in World War II, Korea and Vietnam.

The book begins with the author’s tale of having to eject from his flaming Crusader in the middle of the Pacific. Burned and badly injured, he winds up adrift under an overcast and wondering if he will ever be found. However, he is picked up a few hours later by a Navy ship that just happens to be near. The second story concerns a member of his squadron a day later that also experiences a flameout and fire while over the mid-Pacific, except that his ejection seat fails to fire. After climbing out over the canopy rail, his chute streams and he free-falls from 15,000 feet to the water. Barely alive, this “luckiest pilot alive” is picked up by a passing minesweeper to be returned to a Stateside hospital. Amazingly, though falling nearly three miles, he recovers fully.

Other tales include the story of the crash of ENS Jessie Brown, the Navy’s first black Naval Aviator, followed by the dramatic story of a one-armed pilot landing his Corsair on a CVL in Korea. One of the more amazing stories concerned a pilot who almost lost his eye in a crash at Guadalcanal, later chopped off the tail of a Japanese aircraft over Okinawa and, years later, survived a fiery crash of a Huey helicopter after being shot down in Vietnam. Yet another describes a flight student’s “accidental” bailout in a N2S.

These stories and others about the hazards of military flying are engrossing, well-written and illustrated with artwork and the author’s personal photographs. Time spent reading this book is rewarding, and not only for the smiles the stories bring.

Low and Slow: A Novel of Navy Flight Training Behind Round Engines; D.E. “Butch” Bucciarelli; Xlibris Publishing, 2000; softcover, 316 pages. $16.00

Low and Slow is a fast-moving, well-written novel revolving around the main character, who joins the Navy through the Aviation Officer Candidate School program and, despite a couple of “speedy” boards along the way, graduates from pilot training in the late 1950s. Our hero, who acts Navy but thinks civilian, experiences the thrill of flying the SNJ at NAAS Whiting and Barin Fields, carrier qualifying on USS Antietam (CVS-36) and continues on to fly the T-28 and AD at NAAS Cabaniss Field.

While in training, he has a midair in formation and a forced landing on a beach, drives his new MG sportscar like a madman and in the process meets a variety of Southern judges and policemen. He also meets a lot of Marines from preflight through advanced training who try to have him thrown out of training, flies with lots of great Navy instructors and students, makes a cross-country to NAS North Island and explores the wonders of MexPac and Tijuana, and in the process meets and conquers a number of the fairer sex. Sounds like a typical 1950s student.

The book is fun to read, and Bucciarelli captures the flavor of Pensacola and Corpus. His descriptions of the students, civilians, flying and flight training are right on the money and bring back memories of this reviewer’s time there.

Winter 2000

Flying Black Ponies: The Navy’s Close Air Support Squadron in Vietnam; Kit Lavell; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 2000; hardcover, 376 pages, illustrated, appendices. $32.95

Most historians divide the Vietnam War in the air into the Rolling Thunder bombing campaign that included U.S. Air Force F-105s and B-52s and the intense, carrier-based war fought by Navy VA and VF squadrons, and the long, bloody ground conflict fought by the grunts of the Army and Marine Corps. There’s little written, except in short paragraphs in larger histories, of the few in-country squadrons of various aircraft that fought in company with the traditional infantry units. However, Naval Aviation established an important presence with two units: the Seawolves of HAL-3 and the Black Ponies of VAL-4.

Working in sometimes tense but respectful concert, these squadrons flew Hueys and the unique North American OV-10A Bronco, respectively. Although the Seawolves have received some lengthier coverage over the years, the Black Ponies have usually been relegated to only a few sentences in supportive text. That has changed with Kit Lavell’s well-written, intensely personal memoir/history of his squadron. Nothing beats an account by someone who was there and actually flew the missions he describes — and if the writer also happens to be good at his job, so much the better.

He has also used various historical archives and interviews to round out the backdrop of factual data that an account such as this requires. Using snappy, crisp writing with a great introduction that throws the reader into the cockpit, the author instantly achieves his stated though traditional objective. He sets the stage with a short, cogent description of what became VAL-4’s main arena: the multimouthed water jungle of the Mekong in South Vietnam. The Brown Water Navy, which formed a vital partnership with the Black Ponies, is quickly described as well. However, the river flotillas reappear constantly in the narrative; after all, supporting their operations was at the heart of the Black Ponies’ mission. Tough Viet Cong defense of the meandering waterways of the Rung Sat Zone led to the need for close air support for the American and South Vietnamese patrol boats.

It was a tough, unrelenting war over the flooded rice paddies, through which the Viet Cong’s men and supplies slipped by at night and fought by day. This was a different conflict from the more glamorous, better-chronicled war flown by carrier crews, a point well made by the author. He describes the design and development of the unique little OV-10, one of the so-called (at the time) COIN (counterinsurgency) aircraft. It was heavily armed but underpowered and poorly ventilated (no air conditioning!), which might come as surprises to readers who didn’t know the Bronco up close.

Choosing the first group of VAL-4 pilots is an interesting area. The author discusses the sources, the unusual aspect of certain combat in Vietnam and building one of the Navy’s most unusual though short-lived squadrons ever. Indeed, the actual aircraft were loaned by the Marine Corps to circumvent the USAF’s control of land-based attack assets. Lavell seldom misses a chance to twit the Air Force. The excellent narrative is salted with untold stories, some humorous, mostly exciting and irreverent, of combat in the Rung Sat. The exotic names of South Vietnam abound — Binh Thuy, Vung Tau, Rach Gia, all were sites for the various dets of the Ponies and their cohorts of HAL-3.

The Naval Institute has published several excellent volumes on the Vietnam War in the last few years that are not the regular historical survey, but instead focus on a specific area or unusual topic. Flying Black Ponies is a fine addition to this growing list.

Carrier Air Group Commanders; Robert L. Lawson; Schiffer Military History, Atglen, Pa., 2000; hardcover, 215 pages, illustrated, appendices. $45.00

Few terms rank with that of CAG (commander, air group) in our business. These are men of legend and history, men who provide the leadership that has turned overwhelming odds to victory. If names like McCampbell, O’Hare, Ramage and Stockdale ring a bell, it’s because of what they did as air group (or air wing) commanders. Although technically an obsolete term, the title CAG still bears with it a professional impact considerably out of proportion to its relative rank.

Bob Lawson’s excellent treatment begins with a history of carrier air wings and their composition. This is followed by a look at the history of the position of CAG — evolving from a lieutenant commander-level job on USS Langley (CV-1) in 1927 to that of the captain-level “Super CAG” in 1986. If this sounds like boring reading, it isn’t. Lawson has included lots of fascinating information about the men who filled the jobs, both the good ones and a couple of duds as well.

An early chapter contains short biographies on a number of CAGs, including an expanded caption covering one of the two Marines to command a Navy air wing. It’s here you’ll find the stories of some of the Navy’s greatest heroes — McCampbell, Ramage, Elder and Stockdale. The fact that some listed in this chapter aren’t all that well-known outside the business doesn’t make them less impressive, or important, to those of us who worked for them.

The final section contains an eye-watering selection of color photos of CAG birds — mostly the multihued aircraft we’ve come to associate with the “double-nuts” side number. The selection includes a lot of aircraft you might not usually associate as CAG birds — FJs, A3Ds, an ES-3 and even an SNB. Most of the photos are in color, and measure up well to Lawson’s exacting photo-quality standards. Drawings are used to illustrate some of the earlier biplane and World War II types.

Mistakes are few and appear to be at the publisher or editor level. A few captions are misplaced. More importantly, it’s sad that the publisher deleted Lawson’s carefully crafted index.

Having said that, Carrier Air Group Commanders is a superb work and scores highly as informational reading and a reference volume. This is a winner, a sure-fire center of attention in any collection of carrier aviation.

Dictionary of American Naval Aviation Squadrons — Volume 2, the History of VP, VPB, VP(HL) and VA(AM) Squadrons; CAPT Michael D. Roberts, USNR(Ret); Naval History Office, Government Printing Office; CD-ROM, illustrated, appendices. $19.00

This offering is the second in a series of Naval Aviation squadron histories prepared by the Naval Aviation History Office. This volume is in the same format as Vol. 1 that covered VA, VFA and VAH squadrons. Each patrol squadron is covered with its lineage, squadron insignia, operational history, wing and squadron commanding officers, operating bases and the type aircraft flown. Many of the aircraft and most of the squadron insignia are in color, which greatly enhances this volume.

Vol. 2 covers Navy patrol aviation, guidelines for squadron lineages and insignia, squadron histories and 14 appendices that cover a wide variety of information about the VP community.

The unfortunate thing is that Vol. 2 is available only in a CD-ROM and not in a hardbound book format as was the first volume. On the positive side, the CD-ROM is easy to install and navigate on both Mac and PC computers.

With the purchase of the CD, many other references are included with Vol. 2, such as Squadron Histories Vol. 1, United States Naval Aviation 1910-1995, 15 monographs that include Naval Aviation in WW I, A History of U.S. Naval Aviation (1911–1925) and other unique reference works.

To have such a reference library at your fingertips for only $19.00 seems too good to be true. I would urge all aviation enthusiasts to order this CD-ROM from the Government Printing Office. It’s a treasure that provides instant and authoritative reference material on Naval Aviation.

I look forward to the release of Vol. 3 in the series that will address the history of the U.S. Navy fighter community.

Spring 2001

Combat; edited by Stephen Coonts; Tor/Forge Publishers, New York, N.Y., 2001; hardcover, 765 pages. $27.95

Ex-A-6 pilot Stephen Coonts has another book out. Well, sort of. He edited and contributed a novella to Combat, an anthology of 10 pieces by well-known authors in the techno-thriller field. Coonts in his foreword discusses techno-thrillers and cites the stories that follow as fine examples of the genre. He chose well. No two stories are the same, yet all are about warfare from today to the near future. The subjects range in subject matter from aircraft to the creation of Space Force as the fourth U.S. service, and from super tank and super infantry ground action to pure computer battle, and from combat on a space station to submarines and SEALS. The enemies also vary — Libya, Iran, China three times, criminals, anyone with a computer, a renegade Russian, Algeria and a Balkan faction.

Combat’s format results in a mix of literary quality. Did each author intend a short story or a novel before Coonts had them stretch or reduce their writing to become a novella? Some seem truncated while others have unsatisfactory endings. All, however, are good reading.

The best of the lot for Tailhookers is Barrett Tillman’s “Skyhawks Forever.” Tillman is certainly known to The Hook readers for his hundred or so articles over the years, but there may be some who are unfamiliar with his fiction. “Skyhawks Forever” is a good place to start. The acknowledgment list includes who’s who in carrier aviation and the Tailhook Association itself. Tillman’s expertise as a writer is as strong as ever, backed impressively with imagination and a storyteller’s skills. What could be more exciting? A team of retired Scooter drivers get to sink a ship and dogfight a Flanker over Los Angeles. Tillman’s description of air action is nothing short of being there. There are enough twists and plot turnings to keep any reader happy. Only a writer intimately familiar with carrier operations could make this story believable.

Despite the list of advisors, a few errors survived all the way to print. Each, however, will probably be unnoticed by general readers and a challenge for Skyhawkers to pick out after all the years.

Carrier air plays a part in “Leadership Material” by Dale Brown, and there’s the V-22 in Coonts’s “Al-Jihad.” Those familiar with Miramar will get a kick out of the setting and F/A-18s in Larry Bond’s “Lash Up.” For the true tailhook aficionado, though, only “Skyhawks Forever” will do, though we find ourselves wishing for the complete novel for more of Tillman’s Sierra Hotel adventure.

TBD Devastator Units of the U.S. Navy; Barrett Tillman; Osprey Aviation, Sterling Heights, Mich., 2000; softcover, 96 pages, illustrated. $17.95

TBD Devastator is a one-of-a-kind book on the aircraft that equipped our carrier-based torpedo-bomber squadrons from mid-1937 until after the Battle of Midway. What remained of them were quickly replaced in the carrier air groups by the more modern and effective Grumman TBF Avenger.

At the time of its initial delivery in 1937, the TBD was the most modern aircraft in the Navy. It was a monoplane with retractable landing gear and folding wings that initially confounded the pilots not accustomed to all the “gadgets.” The TBD, besides being a torpedo plane, was also a horizontal bomber equipped with the Norden bombsight operated by the second pilot lying between the pilot’s feet. However, the Devastator was underpowered, short-legged and slow, especially when carrying the standard but ineffective Mk 13 aerial torpedo.

The book thoroughly describes the development of the TBD, its introduction, prewar operations and problems with torpedo technology. It continues with the TBD’s use in 1942 in early carrier raids, the Battle of Coral Sea and finally the aircraft’s disastrous involvement in the Battle of Midway, in which only four of 41 TBDs launched against the enemy were recovered.

Tillman skillfully continues with an overall assessment of the aircraft, squadron colors and markings and the ongoing squabble about current efforts to recover a Battle of Coral Sea TBD off Florida’s coast. Personal accounts of prewar and combat action are liberally used to make the history of this aircraft come alive.

Most important to historians are excellent tables that include prewar and wartime operational losses by aircraft and crew along with detailed tables of aircraft and crews on every TBD wartime strike. The author also provides an excellent description of the development of the carrier air groups and tactics during the life of this aircraft.

The book is produced in the standard high-quality Osprey Combat Aircraft series format with plenty of great photographs and color plates, including unusual “Barkley” TBD paint schemes and stills from the VT-8 color movie made by John Ford.

This is a book that all historians should have on their bookshelves.

The Navy; RADM W.J. Holland, USN(Ret), Editor-in-Chief; Naval Historical Foundation, Washington, D.C., 2000; hardcover, 352 pages, illustrated. $70.00

A companion to a previously published volume on the U.S. Marine Corps and to an upcoming effort on U.S. Naval Aviation, this massive tome is a truly fine effort that uses the writing talents, operational experience, knowledge and decades-long dedication of many well-known and not-so-well-known veterans. Its very large format takes full advantage of a fine collection of photographs and fine-art paintings and illustrations, allowing a spacious layout for graphics and type. The size permits the reader to actually read the narrative of each chapter, something of a problem in today’s publishing where cost is so much a consideration in the many military books that appear each year. This book is simply one of the best overviews of the American Navy I have ever seen. It is impressive in every respect, a great ready reference as well as a fine gift on many occasions — graduation, commissioning, birthdays or retirement. The chapters are essays on a full range of topics that range from the earliest history to today’s fleet and the people who sail it. The well-chosen photos and paintings truly complement the text.

The early chapters detail America’s emergence as a world and naval power, with interesting sidelights on the “society” of the Navy. There is a particularly poignant assessment of the Civil War and its effect on American history. A surprising drawback, however, is that the otherwise authoritative section on World War I has nothing on U.S. Naval Aviation, which was very active from British and Italian bases in the last 15 months of the war. Succeeding chapters portray Naval Aviation’s growth, however, and include a fairly good display of photos.

The conflict between the Navy and the Army during the 1920s regarding the Navy’s role, and especially that of its aircraft, is covered as is the development of the aircraft carrier. Flag officers like William Moffett and Joseph Reeves take positions as proponents of Naval Air, especially when it wasn’t fashionable or career enhancing to do so.

The book’s lengthy World War II chapter is probably the book’s most appealingly written. U.S. Naval Institute editor and former battleship sailor Paul Stillwell knows his subject and chats in his unique, folksy style, pulling together a huge panorama of the two-ocean war of the 1940s, and makes great use of interviews and memories.

The Korean War, just now attaining some importance in public memory, is well described, and Naval Aviation enjoys a short portion of the large section on the three-year conflict. This section is actually part of a very large chapter dealing with post WW II events, something that somewhat shortchanges the coverage and no doubt caused the author some problems. No matter.

Dr. Ed Marolda is up to the task and does a fine job of covering the 40-year Cold War, including the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis and the exasperating, debilitating and ultimately unsuccessful Vietnam War. Marolda discusses the building global confrontation between the Free World and Communism, and the role U.S. Naval forces played in deterring the adversaries in Moscow and Peking. The 1991 Gulf War rounds out this large essay, describing the Navy’s role in this short, decisive conflict.

Retired captain and Naval Aviator Rosario “Zip” Rausa, a former editor of Naval Aviation News and current editor of ANA’s Wings of Gold, writes the chapter on carrier air. His personal experience and knowledge of his subject give the narrative a special flavor, making it more than another review of sea-based aviation’s history. It is a beautifully written description of what carrier air power has become in the 1990s, developed from the preceding eight decades.

Other chapters in the book describe various communities — some not so well known — in the Navy, including the Judge Advocate Corps, enjoying some fame because of a popular, long-running television series. The civil engineers, more popularly known as the Seabees, receive attention along with the Medical Corps and Supply Corps, not often highlighted in books on the military.

Well-published author and publisher VADM William P. Mack offers a special chapter on traditions. There is even a section on museums and displays that highlight the Navy and its people and history.

All in all, The Navy is a unique, well-done book that everyone will find something of interest in, or will enjoy as a detailed overview of our service.

Eyes of the Fleet: A History of Naval Photography; Art Giberson; Wind Canyon Books, Inc., Niceville, Fla., 2000; hardcover, 181 pages, illustrated. $49.95

Eyes of the Fleet, a well-written and engrossing history of naval photography, treats the reader to an overview of the beginnings of naval photography at Pensacola in 1914 and follows its development through the consolidation of military photography in 1992 and the movement of the Defense School of Photography from Pensacola to Fort Meade, Md., in 1998.

The father of naval photography, Walter L. Richardson, began his distinguished career as an amateur photographer and cook aboard USS Mississippi (BB-23) at the Pensacola Navy Yard in 1914 after transporting material there to establish an aeronautical training base. LCDR Henry Mustin and LTJG John Towers quickly recognized Richardson’s talent and the importance of photography in aviation. During World War I, Richardson established the Naval School of Aerial Photography at NAS Miami, became Naval Aviator No. 582 and headed the Navy’s photographic section in Washington, D.C.

A Naval School of Photography was established at NAS Anacostia in 1920, and in 1923 the Miami and Anacostia schools were combined into the Naval Schools of Photography at NAS Pensacola.

From WW I onward, naval photography grew as a professional organization along with industry efforts to develop better cameras, film and processing systems. During WW II, photo intelligence and interpretation became essential for battle planning. The use of aerial, surface and undersea photography quickly blossomed, becoming a standard means of gathering intelligence in future conflicts. The sea services used the Combat Photo Units and LCDR Edward Steichen’s Naval Aviation Photographic Units to document the war. Different techniques and equipment were used in Korea and Vietnam as photography progressed from the bulky Speed Graphics to the 35mm camera, TARPS, satellite imagery, computers and digital cameras.

Eyes of the Fleet is an excellent, comprehensive book, and liberally illustrated to tell the story of a vital profession. The reader will appreciate the fine contribution of author Giberson in this fascinating account.

Lockheed T2V/T-1A Seastar; Steve Ginter; Steve Ginter Publications, Simi Valley, Calif., 1999; softcover, 73 pages, illustrated. $15.95

Volume 42 of the author’s excellent Naval Fighters series covers the T2V/T-1 Seastar, a short-lived basic pilot and NFO training jet.

The T2V was designed to replace the non-carrier capable TV-1 (T-33) in basic training jet squadrons. As the first Navy aircraft with a boundary layer control system to improve the low-speed landing characteristics, the new aircraft incorporated a raised instructor seat in the rear, leading-edge slats and an enlarged tail surface. It was equipped with a tailhook and strengthened landing gear for carrier landings.

The aircraft began its service with BTG-9 at Pensacola and was in service less than two years before being replaced with the more capable T2J-1 Buckeye. Most of the Seastars went to Navy and Marine Corps air stations and service squadrons to serve as a proficiency and navigation trainer.

The book details the workings of the Seastar along with its operational specifications, all covered with excellent photographs. There are nearly 100 photographs alone of the aircraft as a station/service squadron hack. This aircraft deserves to be recognized, as it served a valuable function as an interim carrier-capable basic jet trainer and a safe and reliable proficiency and navigation aircraft during the 1960s and 1970s.

Ginter’s first-rate research and editorial skills have resulted in another highly recommended book in the Naval Fighter series.

Around the World With the U.S. Navy: A Reporter’s Travels; Bradley Peniston; U.S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Md., 1999; hardcover, 248 pages, illustrated. $25.95

Although well written, this book is yet another of the collection of essays, vignettes, exposes that seem to be appearing with too much regularity detailing how one author spent time with the Navy to get an “inside view” of how the service does business. I’ve kind of had my fill of each writing generation’s brand of technical voyeurism.

The descriptions and essays, which in this type of book can quickly deteriorate to cloying, predictable admiration, are pretty well balanced, however, as the writer visits every community — surface, subsurface, aviation — and the subvariations in between. Not an easy task in such a short book.

The format is tried and true: establish the venue, e.g., “Here I am aboard this huge aircraft carrier.” Then include descriptions of special activities, interviews with COs, aviators, flight crews, chiefs and sailors. Then, a little philosophizing about where this particular community fits in the Navy overall and how its members see themselves vis-a-vis their jobs and current policies. The text is written in clean, crisp prose, and the author does try to put different spins on familiar stories. He occasionally falls prey to inaccuracies; I wonder where he got his performance figures and related numbers. His section on the P-3 Orion crews leaves me scratching my head. I don’t think any P-3 crew would be moving at 450 mph, or flying 1,500 miles to their op area before beginning their mission. P-3 flights are — max — 12 hours, along with a 3-hour preflight and 1-to-1.5-hour debrief.

The Orion chapter does have good coverage of the VP Navy, which is not always included in these “travelogues.” The ASW mission and the Elint mission are well described. The last operation has taken on increased importance after the Cold War, especially in the Balkans.

Sections on the VFA and VF communities in the late 1990s touch upon operator and maintainer attitudes, particularly considering the rather unpopular consolidation of the F-14 Tomcat squadrons at one site at NAS Oceana in the mid-90s. Even the VR Navy, another often overlooked group of hard-working, dedicated Navy Reserve men and women, has its story told in more than just a few fleeting paragraphs.

SEALs, minesweepers, base operators and maintainers, even repair ships (when was the last time you read anything about them in a commercial book?) round out the narrative’s lineup.

Shield and Sword: The United States Navy and the Persian Gulf War; Edward J. Marolda and Robert J. Schneller Jr.; U.S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Md., 1999; hardcover, 517 pages, illustrated. $36.95

Released 10 years after Desert Storm and well after the other services have had their turn at the publishing chalkboards, the Naval Historical Center, through Naval Institute Press, has released its official history of the war. Although copyrighted in 1998, the account wasn’t actually available until well into the following year. Now published by Naval Institute Press, Shield and Sword is an excellent piece of work and covers virtually every aspect of the Naval war that can be imagined.

The book starts with a basic historical background leading up to Desert Storm, including the significant events in the Persian Gulf that would lead to the war. Naval Aviation, not surprisingly, gets a good portion of the coverage.

Other aspects of Naval warfare are also featured, though, including quarantine operations, subs, and logistics — all critical to the war effort. If one warfare specialty seems to get scant mention it would be the SEALS, who would probably prefer to remain in the shadows anyway.

Strong points include a frank discussion of what the Navy had problems with — mines in particular — and a fascinating section covering the decision not to launch a Marine amphibious assault on Kuwait. Not many punches are pulled here, and even the odd flag officer, both Navy and Allied, comes under scrutiny.

Although this is by no means a photo book, there is a fair selection of photographs and maps included as well as several illustrations that nicely fill in where photos may not be available.

Shield and Sword includes more than 50 pages of footnotes and a bibliography that is almost as long. What is missing is a comprehensive, official list of ships, units and commanders in the war, a la Samuel Elliott Morison’s classic Two Ocean War series of historical works from World War II.

Writes of Flight: The Making of a World War II Naval Aviator; James W. Vernon; Vernon Books, Camarillo, Calif., 2000; softcover, 229 pages, illustrated. $13.00

The author, after two years of hard studies at the Montana School of Mines in Butte, wanted a break to do something stimulating in the summer of 1942. Faced with the draft, he joined the Aviation Cadet program at the age of 19, and at the end of the war was flying F6F Hellcats as a member of VBF-87 in USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) waging war against the Japanese homeland.

In a most engaging narrative, the author details his personal experiences from mid-1942 to mid-1946, when he learned to fly in the Civilian Pilot Training program through training at Livermoore, Corpus, Cuddihy and Kingsville. After receiving his wings, the author went on to VB-87 at NAS Wildwood flying the SB2C Helldiver.

After seven weeks of flying the “Beast,” the air wing was reorganized and the author happily joined VF-87 to train in the F6F Hellcat. Following work ups with the new Randolph (CV-15), Carrier Air Group 87 arrived in Hawaii at the end of 1944. Following further reorganizations, Vernon, now part of VBF-87, found himself deploying in May 1945 aboard Ticonderoga to the war against Japan.

The author’s recollections about his training and characters he meets, life in the squadron and aboard ship, the varying emotions concerning day and night landings, and the dumb things he did in the cockpit and on liberty are memories that are sure to strike a spark of recognition from Naval Aviators everywhere.

It’s often a surprise to read a self-published book that is as meaningful to this reviewer as this little gem. Jim Vernon’s work is among the best personal accounts about WW II Naval Aviation that I have read. Pick one up and see if you agree.

Summer 2001

Nuclear Weapons and Aircraft Carriers; VADM Gerald E. Miller, USN(Ret); Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington D.C., 2001; hardcover, 296 pages, illustrated, index. $ 32.95

Jerry Miller’s account of the development of nuclear weapons in carrier aviation is a well-told tale by an eminently qualified narrator. As a retired vice admiral who commanded 2nd and 6th Fleets, he is intimately familiar with the evolution of nukes and what they meant to the Tailhook navy. In fact, he argues convincingly that even though nobody ever launched for real with “special weapons,” the ability to do so was essential to the survival of Naval Aviation following World War II.

Miller traces the influence of a relatively few individuals who were instrumental in providing carriers with a nuclear delivery capability. They began with Deke Parsons, the weaponeer on the Hiroshima bomb. Though not an aviator, his ordnance expertise and forceful advocacy of nukes paved the way for the Navy to compete successfully with the independent postwar U.S. Air Force. Others such as Dick Ashworth, Chick Hayward and Jig Dog Ramage also were major influences through the trying days of the Truman administration and the Revolt of the Admirals.

In fact, one of the few aspects not covered in this excellent book is Navy Air’s ability to deliver nukes on Communist targets, forcing an end to hostilities in Korea. The subject is extensive and complex, spanning more than three decades from 1945 to the withdrawal of carrier-based nukes from the SIOP in 1976. Aside from the significant challenges of developing nuclear weapons were enormous difficulties in designing, building and using suitable aircraft and ships, all of which figured in the mix.

From marginal platforms such as the AJ Savage to proven warriors such as the A-3 Skywarrior and A-4 Skyhawk, Naval Aviation found a will and a way to perform the mission. Some veterans of that era now smile in remembrance of the naive attitudes of some JOs: “We thought we’d launch against a nuclear target, return to the ship and eat popcorn while watching the movie that night,” says one Tailhooker. Others regarded their survival prospects as minimal. In the words of the A-4 community, “One man, one bomb, one way.”

If you only have time to read part of Jerry Miller’s book, make it Chapter 9, a fascinating discussion of nuclear targeting. In addition to the obvious requirements such as intelligence and weaponeering, his insider’s perspective demonstrates the tacit challenges including education of DoD, political and academic audiences. Miller concludes that the huge majority of those he attempted to educate on the process were chillingly comfortable with the prospect of 8,000 American nukes being released, let alone a larger number from the Soviets. Whether from indifference or denial, the resulting lethargy was an eye-opening experience.

Miller also describes the evolution of delivery tactics such as loft bombing and the “over the shoulder” technique. Even in the Vietnam War, when Tailhookers went to GQ more qualified in nukes than conventional ordnance, the need to remain current in special weapons remained an overriding factor. Miller notes that busting a nuclear exercise was the surest way to lose a squadron command, and the perceived requirement of steaming within reach of nuclear launch points effected day-to-day CV schedules. Miller offers an astute analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of nuclear weapons and, by extension, nuclear propulsion on the Navy at large. In the late ’40s, when the Air Force nearly succeeded in killing carrier aviation, the nuke option was probably the major factor in keeping flattops afloat. However, Hyman Rickover’s fiefdom incurred long-term problems, especially among exceptionally bright Annapolis graduates who were dragooned into the nuke program against their preferences. Additionally, though it’s beyond the scope of this book, a case can be made that throughout the ’90s the nuke power/submarine domination of Navy leadership was at the heart of the decade-long Tailhook witch hunt. Those who made careers of managing nuclear reactors, and therefore were never exposed to combat, clearly failed in their most basic leadership obligation — preserving the warfighters and keeping them on board. A decade later the retention problems have not been cured, and that topic may be worthy of Jerry Miller’s next book.

Punk’s War; Ward Carroll; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 2001; hardcover, 224 pages. $24.95

Ward Carroll insisted that the front cover jacket design for his first novel, Punk’s War, be “edgy.” That says a lot about the book, but not everything.

If you know Carroll, you know that he is a leading-edge innovator. If you don’t, you’re in good hands, as he embodies many of the elements of his own catharsis that he underwent as he progressed from a first-tour junior officer to CAG operations officer to excise some of his junior officer “angst.”

Carroll doesn’t rely on technology to carry his tale like other recent novels, but instead uses human drama and conflict in crises to tell his tale of Punk, an F-14 pilot at odds with a commanding officer who bends the rules to suit himself and his ambition. Along the way, Carroll successfully weaves in a complex cast of characters, issues and humor that will take anyone who has “been there, done that” right on a journey to the JO bunkroom, ready room, liberty and in harm’s way. And if you haven’t been there, you’ll get a great sampling of what it’s like without any window dressing. In doing so, Carroll demonstrates a keen eye for human drama as well as describing the gap of junior officer frustration and senior officer responsibility and leadership.

Punk’s War takes the reader to a carrier patrolling in the Persian Gulf during tensions with Iran and Iraq. The story begins with an early morning Alert 5 turnover during the fifth month of a six-month cruise in which interpersonal relationships are strained even in the best of times. Punk’s War is a treat for the reader — some of the characters emerge stronger, some weaker and some become frustrated as they face one other, operational challenges, career decisions and separation from loved ones.

Carroll also rewards the reader during breaks in the action with a marvelous explanation of the rites of callsign creation and a lively give-and-take between Punk and an Air Force F-117 pilot over pros and cons of their respective services.

Punk’s War is a gripping read and will, no doubt, be ideal for adaptation to the screen and worthy of a sequel or two. This reviewer was thoroughly engrossed and grateful for the discussion of the tough issues of the day for both sides of the generation gap. Don’t borrow this book from your buddy — it’s one you buy for your bookshelf to rest alongside The Caine Mutiny, The Bridges at Toko-Ri and Run Silent, Run Deep.

Spyplane: The U-2 History Declassified; Norman Polmar; MBI Publishing, Osceola, Wis., 2001; hardcover, 278 pages, illustrated. $21.95

Following World War II, the emergence of the Soviet Union as a nuclear power and the rise of the communist People’s Republic of China created the need for a high-altitude aerial reconnaissance aircraft. The need became a driving force in the late 1940s and early 1950s for the U.S. military. Existing aircraft such as the PB4Y and P2V were heavily modified for recce and snooper missions, but these propeller-driven types proved too vulnerable to interception. Several were shot down or damaged by communist fighters while on their missions. Only a plane flying above 50,000 feet would be immune from such a threat, and thus the U-2 was born. A highly sensitive program, it was not welcomed initially by all levels of the U.S. military and political communities.

While other books and magazine articles on Lockheed’s spyplane have appeared over the years, Spyplane is the first formal biography of this evocative Cold War warrior’s design and operational service from 1956 to 2000, focusing on world concerns and American programs that generated the U-2. This is not just another history of an airplane, but rather of the idea and seminal concept with which to fight the Cold War — and win!

Design and development of the U-2’s all-important camera systems are well covered, as is the aircraft’s complex fuel system, showing how hard it was to bring designer Kelly Johnson’s vision to flying reality.

The U-2’s first flight over the USSR and the Soviet reaction are described clearly and convey the urgent need for intelligence regarding Soviet ships and aircraft production programs. International activities included sorties over the Middle East, especially during the 1956 Suez War. A young pilot, Francis Gary Powers, flew a high-level mission to obtain photography of the Sinai battlefield. Polmar’s narrative describes the growing Soviet frustration at not being able to catch the intruders, which they thought were British Canberra jet bombers modified for snooper missions.

The list of intensive schedules of flights over the USSR makes for some gripping reading. The caliber and stamina of the U-2 pilots were truly unusual, although one young aviator nearly killed himself sucking on what he thought was his usual candy. To his horror, he discovered the lemon drop was actually a potent suicide pill placed in its usual pocket by an Air Force technician! Another U-2 pilot removed his oxygen mask to light up a cigarette and started a fire, requiring him to make the first ejection from a U-2.

Concern over the so-called “missile gap” of the late 1950s proved unfounded. At the time, however, fear of a growing Soviet lead in intercontinental missiles and the success of initial U-2 overflights of the USSR prompted the Eisenhower administration to make another important mission in May 1960, just before an important summit meeting between President Eisenhower and Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev. Supported by dramatic photographs, Norman Polmar describes the Soviet destruction of this U-2 flown by Gary Powers. The event also saw the loss of a Russian MiG-19 whose pilot was killed when his interceptor was engaged by a surface-to-air missile (SAM) battery and destroyed — though it was “blue on blue,” it was the first kill by a SAM.

Digging into previously classified CIA history, Polmar reveals the hidden aspects of the U-2’s relationship with the spy agency. Careers rose and fell with the fortunes of the U-2 program. He describes early missions over Southeast Asia and the Middle East in the 1960s, the last of which raised Israeli hackles to the point that Defense Minister Moshe Dyan threatened to shoot down the offending U-2 using an American-supplied F-4 Phantom.

The author’s coverage of the 1962 Cuban missile crisis comes late in the narrative, but it provides a cogent, detailed description of this tenuous time. If the reader wasn’t alive or old enough to understand, there were a few days when most American citizens thought World War III was at hand!

For tailhook enthusiasts, there is also the story of the short-lived experiment of launching and recovering U-2s aboard carriers in 1966. At least one such operational mission was flown to observe French nuclear tests.

The last chapter describes post-Cold War operations, including the 1991 Persian Gulf War and environmental missions. With detailed endnotes and black-and-white photographs, this book is the best account of Lockheed’s Dragon Lady.

The First Hellcat Ace; CDR Hamilton McWhorter III, USN(Ret), with Jay A. Stout; Pacifica Military History, Pacifica, Calif., 2001; hard cover, 231 pages, illustrated. $29.95

While growing up I used to read Carrier War that detailed TF-58’s activities up to the end of 1944. Lavishly illustrated, it showed one picture of VF-9s “One Slug” McWhorter putting his tenth kill marking on his Hellcat. I always wondered about the man, and now I have the answers.

McWhorter grew up in Georgia and, like so many of the children of the Depression, he received his first taste of aviation while flying in a traveling air circus’s Ford Trimotor. Trips to the local airport to watch the planes continued to peak his interest. In college he joined the Civilian Pilot Training program that taught thousands of young men and women to fly, and after two years of college he joined the Aviation Cadet program and received his wings in February 1942. After fighter training he joined the newly formed VF-9, and the hard-playing, hard-flying squadron under LCDR Jack Raby first saw combat in F4F Wildcats in November against the Vichy French during Operation Torch. After returning to ConUS, the squadron was the first unit to convert to the new F6F Hellcat. Teamed with the new USS Essex (CV-9) in March 1943, the combat-seasoned squadron fought in the Central Pacific for 10 months before being relieved in March 1944. During the period, the squadron shot down 120 Japanese aircraft and LTJG “Ham” McWhorter became not only the first Hellcat ace, but also the first F6F double ace. All this in an elite squadron whose pilots included Gene Valencia and Chick Smith.

After a tour as a fighter instructor at NAS Melbourne, Fla., the author joined VF-12 in July 1944 to deploy in Randolph (CV-15) in January 1945. Six months later the air group was relieved after participating in the invasions of Iwo Jima, Okinawa and strikes on Japan. During this tour the author scored two more kills, bringing his total to 12.

This superb book tells an amazing story about a Naval Aviator and fighter ace. It does not glamorize air combat but reflects on the fun, hardship and realities of war faced by thousands of young men who flew aircraft off carriers during World War II.

Skyraider: The Douglas A-1 “Flying Dump Truck”; Rosario M. Rausa; Nautical and Aviation Publishing Co. of America, 1982, 2001; hardcover, 239 pages, illustrated. $28.95

It’s good to see this fine aircraft biography reissued so long after the death of its designer, Ed Heinemann, in 1988. The author, known to everyone in the trade as “Zip,” is currently the editor of ANA’s Wings of Gold magazine, served two tours as the editor of Naval Aviation News and received the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation’s ADM Arthur Radford writing award in 2001. He has several books and magazine articles to his credit, including co-written biographies of Ed Heinemann and of R.G. Smith.

As a former Spad pilot, the author has produced a labor of love, and he obviously takes great pride in his admiration and experiences in the Douglas A-1 Skyraider he flew in Vietnam. Skyraider is not just a technical history — there are the obligatory developmental details, appendices on British and French service, as well as performance tables and bureau number schedules. But the meat of this volume is the career of the plane itself, and the experiences of the pilots and crewmen who flew her in peace and war, from the Mediterranean to Korea and Southeast Asia.

Perhaps some of the stories are better known than others, but the episodes in 1965 and 1966 wherein the old, slow Skyraider scored two kills against North Vietnamese MiG-17s have never been told in such detail. A “first” is the account of the July 1954 dogfight near Hainan Island — might sound familiar to a certain EP-3E crew today, as well as countless carrier crews of the 1960s — off Vietnam, when AD-4s of VF-54 engaged Communist Chinese Lavochkin LA-7 prop fighters and destroyed two of them. Though the event was hushed up, it served to establish a principle concerning military law on the high seas. Then there’s the first-time story of pre-1964 American involvement in Vietnam with the Skyraider when American Navy crews were training South Vietnamese airmen to fly and fight the A-1 in 1960.

Besides the well-written, entertaining narrative, there are dozens of photographs, many of which have never been published. Many models and situations are described, and many of the pictures give a good idea of just how capable, durable and big a machine the Skyraider was.

U.S. Naval Air Station Melbourne, Florida: Fighter Pilot Training Base, World War II; William R. Barnett; XLibris Corp., USA, 2001; soft cover, 188 pages, illustrated, bibliography. $16.00

This attractive, self-published book concerns Navy fighter pilot operational training and the development of the Melbourne airport (built in 1934) into a large fighter training naval air station during World War II.

With the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Navy was forced into a two-ocean conflict with the Axis. One of several problems for the Navy was training thousands of pilots and, of course, building new airfields to train these pilots. The new Navy flight training program, approved in February 1942, established the Operational Training Command to relieve the fleet squadrons from providing combat training, carrier qualification and fleet aircraft familiarization to newly winged pilots. Eight new operational training bases, consisting of a main field and two satellite fields, were built in 1942 in Florida to add to the four (Jacksonville, Banana River, Miami and Key West) already in use.

NAS Melbourne, along with its satellite fields — ALF Valkaria and Malabar — and a gunnery/bombing range at Lake Hell-’n’-Blazes, was officially established on 20 October 1942 as a fighter training base. Flight training began immediately in war-weary F4F Wildcats, replaced beginning in June 1943 by the new Grumman Hellcat. By 1944 more than 150 Hellcats were operating virtually 24 hours a day to turn out new fighter pilots. Experienced fighter pilots such as Ed Pawka, Al Vorse, Ham McWhorter and David McCampbell were among those who trained nuggets in F6Fs.

The author relates an extremely interesting history of the base and the people on it and also about the town and how it supported the war effort and personnel. Melbourne also tells the story about how Navy pilots were trained during the war and the author’s experiences of going through preflight at Athens in spring 1943, primary in the N2S, basic and advanced at Corpus Christi, and finally operational training at Melbourne beginning in June 1944. After completing operational training, he “volunteered” for night fighter training and was sent to NAS Vero Beach before joining VF(N)-52 in 1945. The war ended before his air group got into combat.

This well-written account deals interestingly about a little-known aspect of Navy flight training in WW II, most notably how the Navy sorted through thousands of candidates to find the best pilots for the fleet.

Fall 2001

Fly Navy: Naval Aviators and Carrier Aviation, A History; Philip Kaplan; Metro Books, London, England, 2001; hardcover, 256 pages, illustrated, index. $19.95

This author of five previous aviation histories has blended a fabulously rich text with beautiful illustrations and photographs to create a superb portrait of past and present carrier aviation. Making excellent use of extensive research based on archives, diaries, published memories and personal interviews with past and present aircrew, plus spending time in Pensacola and at sea aboard British and American carriers, Philip Kaplan tells an interesting, highly readable and accurate story of the history of the aircraft carrier, the aircraft, and the men and now women who sail on board and fly from their decks.

The chapters, using a masterful blend of personal stories with factual information and photographs, tell the story of the development of aircraft carriers and the carrier aircraft used, the daring World War II Royal Navy strike on Taranto in antique Swordfish biplanes, the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and their kamikaze attacks, the action involved in the carrier air strikes of WW II, Korea, Vietnam, the Falklands and the Persian Gulf. Besides the air history, the book also covers RN and U.S. carrier operations around the ship and on deck, the LSO and “batsman,” flight training and women in aviation and Navy families. A chapter entitled “Sliders” covers the care, feeding and recreation of all hands.

Personal accounts from past and current pilots, aircrewmen, flight deck personnel and ships company such as Eric Brown, RN, David “Sharkey” Ward, RN, Bob Elder, Alex Vraciu, Paul Gillcrist and the CO of HMS Illustrious, to name a few, bring this book to life in providing probably one of the best and personal pictures of carrier aviation today.

Fly Navy is lavishly illustrated with exciting drawings and 200-plus black-and-white and color photographs of ships, aircraft and, most importantly, the people who man them. The author’s experience as a photographer and art director are brilliantly evident in his selection and layout of illustrations, most of which have not been seen before.

This is one the best books I have seen that provides an accurate, informative and personal portrait of carrier aviation. Happily, the book is affordably priced and may be found at Barnes & Noble bookstores across the country. Save a place for this fine volume on your bookshelf.

The Naval Institute Guide to the Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet, 17th Edition; Norman Polmar, editor; Naval Institute Press, 2001; hardcover, 672 pages, illustrated, index. $85.00

One of the best editions of this tri-annual regular, it nonetheless just missed two major incidents—the collision of the USS Greeneville (SSN-772) with a Japanese fishing boat in February 2001 and the midair between an EP-3E and Chinese J-8 fighter the following April. The terrorist attack in October 2000 on Cole (DDG-67) is included, but in fairly general detail. Ships and Aircraft is not meant to be a yearbook of naval current events, but rather a ready reference of naval hardware to help the reader who wants to know just what is an EP-3E, or the dimensions of Cole to supplement news reports and more in-depth treatment of these events.

One thing that distinguishes Ships and Aircraft from other publications such as Jane’s is its introductory chapters on programs and organization. These opening sections provide helpful background for the pages that follow as they describe in detail individual classes and types of ships and aircraft within the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard, as well as related civilian platforms.

The 17th edition has truly fine, well-reproduced photos. The book’s large format allows the pictures to be shown to their best advantage. Naval Aviation is described in two lengthy, in-depth chapters, giving each service’s mission, organization and individual aircraft lineup.

Though a bit expensive, this volume is a key item on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the fighting capability of our Navy.

The History of U.S. Electronic Warfare, Volumes I, II, III; Dr. Alfred Price, Association of Old Crows, Alexandria, Va.,
Vol. I: The Years of Innovation — Beginnings to 1946; (312 pages, 1984) $30
Vol. II: The Renaissance Years, 1946–1964; (391 pages, 1989) $42
Vol. III: Rolling Thunder Through Allied Force, 1964 to 2000; (609 pages, 2000) $54

When you ride the Washington Metro Yellow or Blue lines through Alexandria, Virginia, you might notice a building by the Braddock Station that says “Association of Old Crows.” That bunch with the odd name is the professional organization for Electronic Warriors, those individuals frequently known as Crows or Ravens. About 20 years ago the AOC commissioned Englishman Alfred Price to write the “official” history of U.S. electronic warfare. After a long wait, the three-volume effort is available.

The Association could hardly have picked a more qualified individual than Dr. Price to produce this series. The author, no stranger to the EW field, is a former RAF Crow and has written more than 30 books about aerial warfare, including the groundbreaking Instruments of Darkness that covered the “war of the wiggly amps” during World War II.

This series isn’t so much about technical “beeps and squeaks” as it is about a broad history of the development of EW gear, tactics and units. The threat that drove this progress is discussed at length, and each volume is full of first-person interviews from the men who designed, flew and fought in this frequently shadowy arena. Receiving coverage are both active (jamming) and passive (receiving) EW, with the second volume in particular providing fascinating insight into the problems (and dangers) of monitoring the Soviets as the Cold War developed.

It’s probably no stretch to say there is a good amount of material on the subject that has never before seen the light of day. (According to one source at AOC, the Pentagon security review delayed the last volume long enough to allow the inclusion of Operation Allied Force.) Appendices in each volume are full of reference and background material on EW gear, technical data and threat systems.

Photo sections are limited but cover the basics. The strength of these books is the detailed and heavily footnoted historical text that makes up the body. Each of the four services are covered, though not surprisingly the Air Force and Navy predominate since Vietnam as the suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) mission area grew in importance. Army ground-based EW, while covered, is overwhelmed by airborne gear. Navy-related subjects include most of the expected aircraft as well as some blackshoe systems such as the SLQ-32. The Prowler and Whale receive their due as well as the electric versions of the Skyraider and Skyknight. The section on the Linebacker strikes of 1972 include some of the best analysis of the B-52 losses to SA-2s this reviewer has seen.

As befitting such a limited-run series, the cost is not cheap. The trio goes for $100 when bought together, or a lot more separately. These works are available through the AOC either at their Alexandria office or on the Web at http://www.aochq.org (follow the pointers under “mementos”). The series is strongly recommended for anyone interested in electronic warfare or what it hath wrought.

Martin SeaMaster P6M; Stan Piet and Al Raithel; Martineer Press, Bel Air, Md., 2001; softcover, 236 pages, illustrated, appendices. $35.00

On 21 July 1955, the sleek gloss-blue, four-engine jet XP6M-1 seaplane made the first of many flights to begin what five years later was Martin Aircraft’s last chapter in seaplane production. After years of research, two well-respected authors have produced a fact-filled book on Martin’s last flying boat, the jet-powered P6M SeaMaster. The aircraft was also to be the Navy’s last seaplane project to lift free of the water, thus ending Martin’s 30 years of producing seaplanes such as the PM-1, PB2M Mars, PBM Mariner and P5M Marlin.

The book details the origin, development, construction, testing and eventual cancellation of the SeaMaster in 1960 after building 10 types of these fascinating aircraft. The information in the text is complemented with superb black-and-white and color photographs and diagrams. The SeaMaster was exceptionally active in the development of air-to-air refueling, conventional and special weapons delivery systems and advance ship/submarine and shorebasing concepts.

This is a superbly detailed book on a little-known but spectacularly beautiful Navy aircraft that, though representing the pinnacle of U.S. seaplane design, helped close the chapter on Navy flying boats.

Douglas D-558-1 Skystreak, Naval Fighter No. 56; Scott Libis; Steve Ginter, Simi Valley, Calif, 2001; softcover, 66 pages, illustrated. $15.95

Near the end of World War II it was obvious that the U.S. needed high-speed research aircraft to explore supersonic flight if it wanted to remain dominate as a world air power. To accomplish this, the government split the work between the Army Air Force and the Navy to avoid any duplication of effort. The result for the Army was the Bell X-1. For the Navy, the aircraft that was produced was the Douglas 558-1 Skystreak.

On 20 August 1947 a bright crimson Skystreak with CDR Turner Caldwell at the controls streaked over Muroc Air Base in Southern California for a new world speed record of 640 mph. Five days later LCOL Marion Carl broke Caldwell’s record by 10 mph. The Skystreak was retired in 1953, replaced by faster research aircraft.

This fascinating addition to Ginter’s Naval Fighter series is filled with plenty of interesting facts concerning this important aircraft. Aircraft development and the various variations of the Skystreak are covered in detail, and photographs and handbook illustrations abound. In addition to documenting the aircraft’s history, author Libis provides a listing of the plane’s test pilots, an account of the crash of the No. 2 aircraft, and details concerning the race to be the first aircraft to break the sound barrier. The last portion of the book lists all Skystreak flights in detail.

This is another example of Ginter’s painstaking effort to document little-known corners of Naval Aviation in enough detail to satisfy the hungriest of aviation enthusiasts. When considering the wealth of information between the covers and the book’s bargain price, there is little excuse for not having this gem in an aviation enthusiast’s collection.

Flight Song: A Novel of a Nugget Flying With the Fleet; D.E. “Butch” Bucciarelli; Xlibris Publishing, 2001; softcover, 371 pages. $16.00

Butch Bucciarelli, a veteran attack pilot, has produced the second in a trilogy describing a fictional but highly typical, energetic young Naval Aviator. The first installment, Low and Slow, deals with the adventures of a young San Franciscan paisano as he overcomes the many challenges of earning his Wings of Gold. In the current installment, ENS Dario D’Angelo receives orders to fly AD-5 Skyraiders, though he had hoped for the more glamorous jet-powered aircraft.

Our hero’s bizarre adventures continue as he is assigned to a NAS North Island-based airborne early warning squadron, suffers the standard problems in adapting to life in the fleet, but quickly asserts himself as an aggressive, competent young pilot who loves his aircraft and its mission.

Of particular interest to the tailhook-oriented is the description of flying in the venerable Able Dog, one of the fleet’s most versatile aircraft, and the relationships the hero establishes within the squadron and on the beach. There’re the inevitable love interests as well — it’s fascinating as well to read of his resourcefulness as he handles a situation in which two women he’s pursuing both show up to greet him at his ship’s arrival.

As we carrier types expect in all good novels, there is action in abundance that ranges from a ditching at sea to a low-level flight over enemy territory to a Spad-vs.-MiG engagement.

Flight Song is a fast-paced and interesting read, one that is bound to bring a smile to a Naval Aviator’s face as he enjoys the tale and recalls the fun and adventure in the way things were — and ought yet to be.

VIDEOS AND SOFTWARE

MiG Alley; Empire Interactive, San Francisco, Calif., 1999; PC flight simulation, 400MB. $42.99

I’ve been fascinated by airplanes since I was a child. In my younger days it was picture books, magazines, old movies and model airplanes. As I grew up, that fascination grew right along with me, eventually turning into a career in Naval Aviation.

In August 1998 I bought my first “high-end” personal computer and discovered that PC flight simulations were on the cusp of exceeding many of the capabilities of the military simulators I had trained in at the FRS. As an experienced military aviator, my threshold for realism and immersion in a PC flight sim is pretty darned high. Certainly for a veteran military pilot or NFO, the vast majority of today’s flight simulations equate to little more than arcade games with respect to realistic aircraft and weapons behavior.

But as the power and sophistication of modern PCs advance by leaps and bounds every few months, so too does the realism found in the latest PC flight simulations. Empire Interactive’s MiG Alley is one of those few flight sims out there that seems to get most of it right and can provide a veteran aviator with an enjoyable, challenging and realistic historical jaunt against the enemy.

Set in the first year of the Korean War, MiG Alley offers a gamer flying opportunities in the F-51, F-80C, F-84E and F-86A/E/F. In some scenarios you can also fly the MiG-15. The play includes simple missions designed to hone particular skills in air-to-air or air-to-ground mission areas in a series of campaigns that allow you to explore the capabilities and limitations of these aircraft. These games build to a highly detailed and complex campaign called “Spring Offensive” that follows the UN ground offensive of 1951 and tasks the player with managing the entire air campaign.

Folks who never got enough of strike planning at CVW Fallon dets should love this part of the game, although there is an automatic mission generator function for those few who did not. Finally, a many-v-many, instant-action mode is provided when all you want is to mix it up and flame a few MiGs with your F-86E.

MiG Alley sports a robust flight model that gives each aircraft represented in it a unique and very different feel that affects the way you employ it in combat to get the best results. In general terms, these early jets were beasts to fly when compared to the Super Hornet of today. Analog cockpits, unaugmented flight controls and low thrust-to-weight, slow-spooling engines made combat a visceral flying experience that lent new meaning to “staying ahead of the jet.” The weapons systems were equally primitive, with manual bombing, rockets and machine guns the order of the day. The one bright spot was the advent of the radar-ranging gunsight, which by today’s standards was a fairly primitive piece of kit that worked only when it wanted to.

If you’re looking to expand your understanding of the air combat environment of the Korean War in a way you never have before, MiG Alley is for you. Particularly for those Tailhookers who are now out of the military cockpit, a well-executed PC flight sim like this one is also a grand way to get a portion of that old aviation adrenaline rush back.

Don’t forget your joystick, and a throttle and set of rudder pedals wouldn’t hurt, either — if you want the maximum in game immersion and flying fun.

Winter 2001

U.S. Naval Aviation; M. Hill Goodspeed, editor-in-chief, Richard Burgess, editor; Hugh Lauter Levin Assoc., Southport, Conn., 2001; hardcover, 352 pages, illustrated. $75.00

Classic aircraft, famous ships, the leaders and shipmates of our historic past and present as well as a glimpse into the future — it’s all here. Wow, what a book!

U.S. Naval Aviation is the work of Hugh Lauter Levin Associates, specialists in large-format illustrative books. They produced this one in conjunction with the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation and have cooked up a winner.

The first thing you notice is the cover — a heavy, cloth binding with deep gold lettering and a massive circular crest on the front. It’s a big one too, more than 14 inches tall and 10 across. And visual impact doesn’t begin to address what’s inside.

Between the book’s covers you’ll find about every aspect of Naval Aviation imaginable — lighter-than-air, Marines, Coast Guard, helos and even some (but not too much) land-based patrol. But let’s face it — the centerpiece of our trade is the carrier and, just like in real life, it dominates everything else around it. You’ll find a lot of familiar faces here, the heroes of days gone by, as well as a lot of the not-so average and everyday players that fill out the team that keeps U.S. Naval Aviation going and has led it to victory at sea.

This book could be subtitled Only the Best, as in the areas of writing, photography and artwork the editors have gone out of their way to find uniquely qualified individuals to portray our business in the finest fashion.

Coverage includes the expected subjects, such as carriers, aircraft and men, as well as the less obvious, like flight gear and uniforms. Each of the 14 chapters is written by a different individual, many of whom should be familiar to this audience. ADM Leighton “Snuffy” Smith and VADM John “Black” Nathman contributed. Barrett Tillman, Dave Parsons and Peter Mersky also cover areas of their expertise, and they grabbed former Blue Angel and newly minted RADM Pat Walsh to write about what it means to be “An Ambassador in Blue.”

The photography reproduced exceptionally well in most cases, and the captions are pointed and informative. The variety and quality of the photographs cannot be overstated, particularly since they’re not always subjects you might expect. For instance, two different inflight shots of SB2U Vindicators, one pre-war Navy and the other in Marine gray, are eye-popping in detail and interest. There are many more such examples.

Caption errors are few and generally show an attention to detail rarely found in a book with this level of illustration. The works of Bob Lawson (not all properly credited, unfortunately), Ted Carlson and some superb official work are featured, and very few of the photos are split across the “gutter” as in many other productions.

The artwork displayed is from some of the more great men who have inspired us with their genius on canvas, including Grinnell, Dietz, Wilbur and the incomparable R.G. Smith.

Rest assured, this is certainly not just another “Tomcat and Hornet” effort. In a field seemingly full of half-baked picture and coffee-table books on carriers and the Navy, this one really stands out. Be advised, it’s not inexpensive. But the best don’t usually come cheap. The publisher states that discount houses like Costco will be selling it if you’re looking for a bargain.

United States Marine Corps Air Stations of World War II; Mel Shettle, Jr.; Schaerte Publishing Co., Bowersville, Ga., 2001; hardcover, 179 pages, illustrated, index, appendix. $35.00

This, the author’s third book on World War II Naval Aviation air stations, is a treasure. Wartime fields such as Miramar, Cherry Point, El Toro, Santa Barbara, Ewa, Mojave and El Centro are documented together with older Marine Corps air stations — St. Thomas, Parris Island, Quantico and others. This thoroughly researched book outlines the history of each field, how it was used and what squadrons and aircraft it operated. More than 170 excellent photographs, most not seen before, complement the text.

In addition to facilities and fields, the book also details the Marine’s development of dive bombing and the use of the SBD and SB2C, its barrage balloon and glider programs, the Women Reserve and its contributions to Marine Aviation, and Marine multi-engine night fighters. Also included are brief biographies of famous Marine World War II aviators such as Pappy Boyington, John Glenn, Joe Foss, Tyrone Power, Ted Williams and Ed McMahon.

Mel Shettle, in an excellent effort as an author and historian, has put together a worthy addition to his first two books on Navy air stations during WW II.

MiG-17 and MiG-19 Units of the Vietnam War; Istvan Toperczer; Osprey Publishing Ltd., New York, N.Y., 2001; softcover, 96 pages, illustrated. $18.95

No. 25 of the popular Combat Aircraft series from Osprey, this book will serve to shed new light and open new questions on the shadowy history of Vietnam People’s Air Force (VPAF). Beginning with a history of the early formation of the VPAF, the author, a flight surgeon in the Hungarian Air Force, tells of North Vietnam’s pilots’ first training and aircraft. He also wrote Air War Over North Vietnam (Squadron/Signal, 1998). This larger-format book was an all-inclusive history of the VPAF from 1949 to 1977.

Of course, the main focus of the new book is the Vietnam air war, and it is in this area that knowledgeable readers will be the most interested and the most critical. It’s plain that Dr. Toperczer has included more than a little communist propaganda — perhaps mainly misinformation — maybe in exchange for having gained such widespread admission to North Vietnamese pilots, files and photos. However, he does try to walk a tight line to ensure a true history.

The photos and color profiles are quite interesting, although some are repeated from the early Squadron/Signal book. Others are new and add to the book’s appeal. Iain Wyllie’s cover painting is also well done. There are line general-arrangement aircraft drawings and several short appendices showing unit facts and kill claims against the U.S. Navy and Air Force.

Perhaps the full, true story of these encounters will never be written. The information on both sides is often unclear and conflicting. For instance, describing the loss of the VA-212 A-4E flown by LTJG Al Crebo in April 1967, the author counters the U.S. claim that the Skyhawk was hit by a missile. This battle-damaged Scooter was the subject of one of the best-photographed combat air actions of the early war by virtue of stunning pictures of Crebo’s mortally wounded aircraft as he struggled to return to his carrier. (Douglas and Ed Heinemann sure built ’em tough!) Ultimately, he ejected and was rescued.

The author writes that Crebo’s A-4 was hit by MiGs, and he even offers the name of the VPAF flight leader. In 1982, this reviewer received a letter from a pilot who was flying on Crebo’s wing on the way back to Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31). Stephen R. Gray maintained the damage came from an SA-2 missile. There are other instances of either confusion or lack of facts, again on both sides, and if nothing else, it leaves much room for research and spirited discussion.

Although they served in the greatest numbers throughout the world during the Cold War, MiG fighters have not had the major exposure, at least in English, that their Western counterparts have enjoyed. This volume and the closely following book on VPAF MiG-21 units should rectify that situation to an extent. In the meantime, this new title is an excellent addition to literature on the air war in Southeast Asia.

Douglas A-4A/B Skyhawk in Navy Service, Naval Fighters No. 49; Steve Ginter; Steve Ginter Publications, Simi Valley, Calif., 2001; softcover, 177 pages, illustrated. $29.90

Prolific aviation author Steve Ginter has branched off into other subjects in the last few years such as his recent “Air Force Legends” series, but his raison d’etre remains U.S. Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, with an emphasis on carrier aircraft. With Douglas A-4A/B Skyhawk in Navy Service, he’s done it again, turning his attention to the earliest fleet models of the noble Scooter.

The layout is familiar: a brief introduction with photos of the prototype and pre-production aircraft undergoing flight tests and evaluation, followed by 34 pages of technical details, photographs and diagrams. You want to know the specifics for painting that A4D-1 you have parked in the back yard? The information’s here, along with crisp, cleanly produced photos of all the flight, control and weapons systems.

After a brief summation of the A4D-2, Ginter moves into the unit histories, 57 of them, starting with NATC Pax River and running through every fleet and T&E operator before ending with Fleet Air Gunnery Unit, Pacific. The Reserves are even represented toward the end of the book — the Navy called up VA-776 at NAS Alameda and VA-831 at NAS New York during the Pueblo Crisis in early 1968, and both operated the A-4B.

There are a few surprises as well. This reviewer had never heard of the Naval Aircraft Torpedo Unit (NATU), but was familiar with some of the more esoteric operators of “Heinemann’s Hotrod,” including the Naval Aircraft Special Weapons Facility at Kirtland AFB, N.M., (great patch!) and the two anti-submarine fighter squadrons, VSF-1 and VSF-3 at NAS Alameda. Otherwise, it’s fleet, fleet, fleet with lots of photographs mixed in with brief squadron histories, cruise summaries and squadron emblems. Particularly interesting are the photos of VA-72 — in 1956, the first A4D-1 operator — doing its carquals with an “L” tailcode for CVG-7. The air group shifted to the more familiar AG the following year.

There remain the occasional glitches found in other Naval Fighters publications. Most of the time he refers to squadrons as establishing and disestablishing, which is the correct terminology, but once in a while the odd “Attack Squadron XX was commissioned on …” sneaks in. Still, the overall effort is outstanding, and the books in this series keep getting better with every edition.

Once again, Ginter’s produced an excellent effort that will allow both the fan of tailhook aviation and the veteran Black Knight, Challenger, Boomerang, Waldoman, Bronco and Rampager to recall how it was in the good old days. If you’re into Douglas products, attack aviation and/or the classics of early carrier jet aviation, this is a must-have book.

Flying With Iron Angels: Carrier Air Group 14 and USS Wasp (CV-18); Charles Houston; Charles Houston, Fresno, Calif., 2001; hardcover, 480 pages, illustrated, appendices, index. $40.00

Many today can’t begin to appreciate what transpired in the Pacific during WW II and the sacrifices made by those defending our country against a determined foe. However, a great deal of information is beginning to surface as WW II veterans and their children are unlocking these memories.

Iron Angels is an account of Air Group 14’s deployment in USS Wasp (CV-18) from January to November 1944. CVG-14, made up of VF-14, the Iron Angels, VB-14, VT-14 and later VF(N)-77C, flew combat in strikes on Marcus and Wake Island, the Battle of the Philippine Sea, the invasions of Guam and the Marianas, strikes on Palau, Iwo Jima, the Philippines and Manila, Okinawa, the Battle of Leyte Gulf and the sinking of Yamato.

The author, a VF-14 plankowner with four kills, uses daily diaries, action reports and memories of air group veterans to tell the story of his air group during six months of intense combat. The format has its rewards, as it is interesting to read two or three personal accounts of the same action and observe different perspectives.

Not only does the interesting narrative cover combat operations, but it also details life in the squadron and aboard ship, as well as Navy flight training and techniques for day and night carrier landings.

Iron Angels is one of the finest self-published books this reviewer has seen. Professionally done, it is appealingly designed and filled with sharp photographs, maps and outstanding combat art. Iron Angels tells not only about the grimness of war, but also about the brotherhood, good humor and devotion to duty that binds young men together in time of conflict.

Sea Legs; RADM Paul T. Gillcrist, USN(Ret); Writer’s Showcase, New York, N.Y., 2000; softcover, 366 pages. $18.95

This is the third release in a series by this familiar author and Tailhook member RADM “Gator” Gillcrist. Following Feet Wet and Vulture’s Row, Sea Legs is yet another trove of stories from the admiral’s sea chest of memories.

According to the book’s epilogue, Sea Legs contains stories that didn’t make it in his earlier works. While described as “vignettes” in the text, the reader probably can be forgiven for thinking that more than a few of these stories were first told in a ready room with the more traditional fleet introduction: “This is no s#@*.”

Some of these pieces are howlers. His series of stories from his days at El Centro’s Fleet Air Gunnery Unit (FAGU) in the mid-’50s includes a plethora of jewels — like how he talked the Federales into giving him back a jet another pilot had “lost” in Mexico, for instance. Or the time he jumped a division of FJ-3 Furys near El Centro in his F9F Cougar with only 500 pounds of JP remaining, just to prove a point. Not all of them are funny — in fact several are head-shakers. If nothing else, they’ll point out how much things have changed in the Naval service over the last half century.

This work spans the years and runs from pranks at the Naval Academy through combat in Vietnam to the end of his last tour at the Pentagon. It’s not a hard read — Gillcrist is a great story teller and a joy to spend time with. Anyone with a love for sea stories and any sense of history should enjoy this one.

With Hostile Intent; Robert Gandt; Signet, New York. N.Y., 2001; softcover, 368 pages. $6.99

Bob Gandt is known for a half-dozen nonfiction books, including the well-regarded Bogies and Bandits that tracked an FRS class through Hornet training. In his first novel he builds on that knowledge to produce a solid tale about modern carrier aviation, warts and all.

The venue is the Roadrunners of VFA-36 embarked in USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) during a Persian Gulf deployment. In a well-plotted series of subsets, Gandt ties in a dedicated Iraqi Fulcrum CO opposed by heroes and heels on the American side. Some may seem stock characters, but all play a role: an ambitious, egomaniacal squadron CO, his alcoholic exec, a long-suffering ops o, a couple of female aviators, a tough-as-nails CAG, and an all-too-realistic, one-dimensional Navy undersecretary intent on advancing himself at the expense of anyone else. For intrigue there’s an estranged journalistic couple: he’s a despised mouthpiece for Saddam by day and a valuable HumInt source by night; she’s a gorgeous TV personality in love with a Hornet pilot.

At the center of the multi-layered conflict is CDR Killer DeLancey, Roadrunners’ skipper, and his ops o, LCDR Brick Maxwell. There’s bad blood between them dating from Desert Storm when DeLancey claimed a MiG kill achieved by a pilot immediately KIA. Since then DeLancey has run his score to four over Kosovo and Iraq, and has ace fever. CAG and the XO know him for what he is but can’t displace him since he’s a pet of the undersecretary. It leaves the squadron badly fractured by split loyalties.

With combat ops pending, the Roadrunners receive two women Naval Aviators: tall, raunchy Spam Parker and short, retiring B.J. Johnson. Parker quickly alienates everybody but the CO, giving him the romp of his life and thereby forcing him into her camp. Before he knows it, DeLancey has been compromised and cannot get rid of a weak pilot. Johnson, living in Parker’s shadow, is hard pressed to survive the brutal reality of ready-room life. Her only ally in the squadron is ops o Maxwell, who becomes exec when his friend Devo Davis is killed on a flight with Parker.

From there on it’s a roller coaster ride: raw sex, unrequited romance, professional back stabbing, innovative murder, back-alley shootouts, a ramp strike, a multi-bogey furball and an intentional blue-on-blue. Suffice it to say that the Fulcrum driver is among the most sympathetic characters in the book — a good guy who happens to have different paint on his jet. It’s a satisfactory twist to an enjoyable tale.

Above and Beyond; Charles Patrick Weiland; Pacificia Press, Pacificia, Calif., 1997; hardbound, 290 pages, illustrated. $29.95

This is a well-told story about the author’s Marine Corps experiences in WW II. His love of aviation got him into the Civilian Pilot Training program in college in the fall of 1939 and the Marine Aviation Cadet program in June 1940. After receiving his wings at the newly opened NAS Miami in May 1941, he and many of his contemporaries were plowed back as instructors at Pensacola. After building up his flight time and flying skills, the author was assigned in April 1942 to Marine Observation Squadron 251 flying the F4F-3 Wildcat.

VMO-251 was transferred to American Samoa in mid-1942 prior to the Guadalcanal invasion where the squadron served as a replacement pool for the undermanned squadrons in combat for the next six months. After shooting down a Japanese Zero over Guadalcanal, Weiland returned to MCAS El Toro in May 1943 and transitioned to the F4U Corsair. He assumed command of VMF-452 and began a series of adventures at MCAS Mojave getting his squadron in shape to go overseas. On Christmas Day 1944, the squadron was immediately ordered to join Air Group Five assigned to USS Franklin (CV-13). Quickly training for carrier work, the air group deployed, only to be decimated by a kamikaze hit on Franklin after one day of combat.

The author’s highly readable story is illustrated with many seldom-seen photographs. The story is one of dedication and insight into forming a squadron in the middle of the desert and taking it to war.

I highly recommend this book as another of the excellent recent personal accounts of WW II.

Spring 2002

Fire on the Hangar Deck; CAPT Wynn F. Foster, USN(Ret); U.S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Md., 2002; hardcover, 175 pages, illustrated. $26.95

The Navy suffered three horrific carrier fires during the Vietnam War. That on board USS Forrestal (CVA-59) in which 127 died became the best known due to the extensive film footage shot during the event and the subsequent Navywide training film, “Trial by Fire.” Enterprise (CVA(N)-65) suffered a major flight deck fire off Hawaii in 1969 with the loss of 27 sailors. But the first of these was Oriskany (CVA-34), which had a hangar deck fire in 1966 while in the Gulf of Tonkin.

Oriskany was among the most valiant carriers of the post-World War II period, yet it remains one of the more obscure despite its eight combat cruises in Korea and Vietnam. On 26 October 1966 a mishandled magnesium flare started a fire that was to kill 44 and injure many. This book is an account of that event.

Wynn Foster, a.k.a. “CAPT Hook” and former CO of Oriskany-based VA-163, is uniquely qualified to write about this subject. This work, an expansion of his earlier article in the Wi ’88 issue of The Hook, benefits from access to the official JAG report and additional years to interview survivors. Twenty-four pages of photographs include four ship’s diagrams that aid greatly in the understanding of the event.

It’s a quick read — Foster doesn’t waste words on speculation or by “pointing the finger,” but tells the story of two unsupervised and undertrained 19-year-old sailors who caused the disaster while the carrier was trying its damnedest to keep pace with the heavy tempo of combat operations off Vietnam. Included is story after story of men who awakened to find their ship on fire, and their heroic efforts to save it, or frequently their own lives as well. Also described is the quick death of pilots and aircrew who died in their racks due to events beyond their control. Facing SAMs over Haiphong is one thing, but a fire at sea is something no one signs on for.

The author describes in detail the series of investigations that followed this event in which the ship’s skipper, CAPT John Iarrobino, correctly emerges as a hero who succeeded in saving a ship that could well have been lost that morning.

Anyone having sailed on a Navy ship can verify that damage control training is almost a religion. And it pays off — ships such as Cole (DDG-67), Samuel Roberts (FFG-58) and Stark (FFG-31) were saved because of the time, effort and sweat the service invests in this area. If it’s true that such training is written in blood, then the lessons learned during the ordeal of Oriskany and her sister carriers has paid off handsomely.

This is an excellent book, and well worth a read.

U.S. Navy Dive and Torpedo Bombers of World War II; Barrett Tillman and Robert L. Lawson; Motor Books Publishing Co., St. Paul, Minn., 2001; softcover, 128 pages, illustrated, bibliography. $24.95

The authors, both well-respected historians, have produced another interesting, well-written and beautifully illustrated book on Naval Aviation during the Second World War.

Screaming out of heaven in a near-vertical dive, flying low to attack enemy warships or providing air support to the Marines on a Pacific island, the VT and VS/VB aircraft, whether in carrier air groups or based ashore, played a pivotal role in victory in the Pacific. This photo history covers not only the principle dive and torpedo bombers of WW II — the SBD Dauntless, SB2C Helldiver, TBD Devastator and TBF/TBM Avenger — but also touches upon their predecessors — the Curtiss SBC and SB3C, Vought SB2U Vindicator, Northrop BT-1, Brewster SB2A Buccaneer and Great Lakes BG-1.

The proposed replacements of these aircraft, such as the Douglas BTD-1, the Grumman TB3F that became the AF Guardian and Vought TBU Seawolf, are not forgotten. Also included are the short-lived Martin BT Mauler and the Douglas XBT2D-1, which evolved into the highly successful AD/A1 Skyraider.

The book uses 200 great photographs (half of which are in color) together with pilot and aircrewmen quotes and anecdotes to tell the story of dive and torpedo bombers in action during WW II. Other aspects of the war, such as the evolution of carrier air groups and how the VT and VB aircraft were used during the various campaigns, are also covered.

As a bonus, the land- and sea-based patrol bombers such as the PBY, PB2Y, PB4Y, PV, PBM and PBJ are also recognized for their role in long-range reconnaissance and attack missions.

This book is a splendid companion to the authors’ Carrier War and must not be overlooked as a resource or for the pure enjoyment of reading a story well told.

U.S. Navy F-4 Phantom II MiG Killers, 1965–’70; Brad Elward and Peter Davies, Osprey Publishing, Oxford, England, 2001; softcover, 96 pages, illustrated, appendix. $18.95

This new title, No. 26 in Osprey’s Combat Aircraft series, is the first of a two-volume set. The second, to be published later this year, will deal with Navy (and the few Marine) F-4 MiG killers from 1971–’73. Following this highly successful series’ format of text, photos, a folio of color profiles and various appendices, Elward’s and Davies’ book discusses in detail many of the kills achieved by F-4 Phantom crews in the first half of the air war over Southeast Asia.

Several of the engagements have never been described in such detail, such as the first F-4 kill and loss on 9 April 1965 involving VF-96’s LTJG Terrance Murphy and ENS Ronald Fegan. These two young aviators engaged Communist Chinese MiG-17s and shot one down, but were themselves shot down in an incident that was hushed up until recently. Details were only hinted at but never confirmed, and the dogfight probably formed the basis for the “classified … it could end my career” fight described by Tom Skerrat to Tom Cruise in “Top Gun” in which Maverick’s father was shot down and killed.

The first official kills by VF-21 on 17 June 1965 are also recounted, with the confirmation of a second kill by LT Dave Batson and LCDR Rob Doremus. In fact, the first appendix lists a surprisingly short list of Navy F-4 kills of 14, with one noted as never having been officially confirmed — 9 May 1968, a crew from VF-96 that included CAPT John Heffernan, an Air Force exchange pilot, with LTJG Frank Schumacher as his RIO. Unfortunately, service rivalries might have gotten in the way. It wouldn’t have been the first time, and even the F-8 community might have been susceptible to this type of denial when the kill involved an aviator from outside the Navy.

There is the obligatory but nonetheless interesting discussion of problems with the over-restrictive rules of engagement and with the air-to-air missiles, namely the AIM-7 Sparrow and especially the early models of the AIM-9 Sidewinder. Even the Israelis had trouble with the AIM-9B, realizing that unless the shooter was directly behind the target, the Sidewinder’s success was not assured. At the time, they much preferred a well-placed half-second of gunfire and trained to that highly demanding weapon’s requirement.

The photos are great, although the book’s format sometimes results in pictures being smaller than most would like. The color profiles by Jim Laurier are also well done, and are in keeping with most of the profile artwork throughout the series.

A color folio also includes four maps showing route paks, MiG-kill locations and MiG bases.

One of several mistakes describes Ronald “Mugs” McKeown as “shown here in his Admiral’s dress blues” when he is obviously wearing an O-5’s three stripes. Small points aside, this new addition to an open-ended series of great, affordable references adds a lot to the growing literature on the Vietnam air war.

Douglas A-4E/F Skyhawk in Navy Service, Naval Fighters No. 51; Steve Ginter; Steve Ginter Publications, Simi Valley, Calif., 2001; softcover, 169 pages, illustrated. $29.90

While a fair number of books have appeared over the years concerning the A4D Skyhawk, there’s always room for more as additional details emerge on specific models of the A-4. Steve Ginter’s 51st volume in his long-running Naval Fighters series covers the Navy’s operation of the E and F models of “Heinemann’s Hot Rod.”

An incredible 40 squadrons flew the A-4E, A-4F or the J52-P-408 powered “Super Echo” and “Super Fox,” plus fleet replacement squadrons, the centers, the Blue Angels and even one representative from the reconnaissance/heavy-attack community, RVAH-3.

The first 61 pages cover the development of the aircraft known as the A4D-5 before Robert Strange McNamara got mightily confused in 1962. Ginter has as usual nailed the layout that is heavily illustrated with detailed photographs and illustrations from NATOPS and other manuals.

The Douglas A-4E/F Skyhawk incorporates a lengthy section on weapons and ordnance carried by the aircraft, almost a catalog of the air-to-ground — and occasional air-to-air — weaponry of the period. From there the pub delves into mud-mover ordnance as well as mines and the internal 20mm guns.

We next turn to the squadron histories with emblems and beaucoup photos of the aircraft, from the good old days of full color to the subsequent subdued fleet and adversary squadron markings. The sequence is familiar: Ginter provides a brief history of each unit with its establishment date and continues to concentrate on its use of A-4Es and/or Fs. The fleet composite squadrons, VCs -1, -2, -5, -7, -12 and -13, occupy about two to three pages each with the combat squadrons receiving the majority of the coverage. Also presented are the adversary and instrument RAG units such as VA/VF-43 and -45, VF-101/-171 Det Key West, VF-126 and VA-127.

Notably, the only reserve operator listed is VA-776 out of NAS Dallas, but the text explains it was called up for the Pueblo crisis in 1968 with A-4Bs and immediately shifted to A-4Es. As we remember, the era of the Pueblo call-up was not the Naval Air Reserve’s shining moment, but lessons learned led to the reorganization of the Naval Air Reserve.

In a possible oversight, there is no mention of VC-8 or VC-10, both of which one would think had flown the A-4E/F. However, a little research reveals that VC-10 briefly operated an EA-4F during the late 1980s but otherwise operated TA-4Js, while VC-8 flew A-4Cs and continues to fly TA-4Js. In fact, despite the formal “retirement” of the noble Scooter from TraCom, VC-8 continues to fly the Navy’s last examples out of NavSta Roosevelt Roads.

Overall, it’s another outstanding effort from Naval Fighters and a worthy memorial to the Scooter. This is a good one for all attack true believers and A-4 fans, and if I ever win the lottery, this is the “private jet” I intend to go after.

NUGGETS

Low Level Liberators: The Story of Patrol Bombing Squadron 104 in the South Pacific During World War II; CAPT Paul F. Stevens, USN(Ret); self-published by the author, 1997; softcover, 318 pages, illustrated, appendices. $26.00

A belated carrier squadron and air group commander, Paul Stevens spent his war in B-24s (PB4Y-1). This well-authenticated book describes his role in a fascinating account of the aircrews who fought in a different kind of war — Navy land-based aviation. Tailhooker Stevens’ book is a fine addition to the history of our war against the Japanese.

Summer 2002

San Diego’s Navy: An Illustrated History; Bruce Linder; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 2001; hardcover, 256 pages, illustrated. $45.00

This book is a pleasurable browse through San Diego’s longtime link with the Navy. The author, a retired captain and son of a naval officer, grew up in San Diego and is obviously writing about something for which he has a deep affection. His story includes a detailed account of Naval Aviation begun in 1911 when pioneer aviator Glenn Hammond Curtiss settled on the city as a winter location for his activities.

Of particular value is an interesting collection of photos, some in color. Several of the pre-World War II views are priceless, such as one of portly Grumman F2Fs of VF-3B over Point Loma, made even more ungainly by having their main landing gear down. The growth of North Island is dramatically shown in pictures as development migrates around the coastline.

The binding theme is the long friendship between the city and the Navy, and the symbiotic relationship is well documented in text and pictures. Facts and dates abound, making this a detailed reference besides telling the vital story of one of this country’s most important naval sites. The appendix contains a list of the 13 ships named for the city or for surrounding areas.

Coverage includes post-WW II development, the Korean War period, establishment of Miramar as a master jet base and testing such exotic types as the delta-wing Consolidated XF2Y Sea Dart jet fighter, which used water-ski landing gear.

Sunburst: The Rise of Japanese Naval Air Power, 1909-1941; Mark R. Peattie; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 2002; hardcover, 392 pages, illustrated. $36.95

Undoubtedly one of the most important books concerning World War II to appear in the last decade, this large work fills a big, though relatively unnoticed gap in aviation historical literature. For an organization that played so major a part in mid-20th century military history, Japanese naval aviation has seen little exposure outside Japan. That which has been written usually describes specific aircraft, like the legendary Zero, or the Imperial Japanese Navy’s participation in such major actions as Midway or Leyte. Although behind in modern warfare in the early 1900s, Japan got in on the ground floor of carrier-based aviation with the help of western countries, especially Great Britain. It was assistance the British and their allies would regret in 25 years.

In an interesting note, the first combat involving Japanese naval aircraft occurred soon after the start of World War I in China, in September 1914, a point perhaps lost to most historians. After the war, Japan quickly began building aircraft carriers. In fact, the world’s first ship built as a carrier from its start was the little Hosho, of only 8,000 tons displacement with a 75-ft. flight deck, completed in 1922.

The author gives an excellent description of the evolution of naval aviation training in Japan, citing the differences between it and the training received by American Naval Aviators. Many of his sources appear to be Japanese-language references, so checking is hard and information cited from these documents must be taken at face value.

The main text is only 200 pages, with the remaining 200 pages devoted to appendices, biographies of important aviators and endnotes. The photographs are occasionally different and often show IJN carriers, which are not common in previously published histories of the Pacific war’s naval action. Besides the aircraft drawings, there are also several unusual elevations of IJN flattops. All told, this well-researched book is a long-needed reference on an important, overlooked subject.

The narrative is very much a scholarly treatise, not a popular history. The author is a vested academic with teaching credentials at several colleges and a Ph.D. in Japanese history from Princeton. Thus, his language is often rigid and his subject knowledge obviously less than first hand.

Sunburst has so many aspects that it is impossible to cover them in a typical review. There are descriptions, never seen in English, of the bloody air war over China in the late 1930s, where the IJN tries out its theories and hardware, not always with success. Flying a vast menagerie of aircraft obtained from around the world — England, the Soviet Union, America, and France — the Chinese evidently put up a stouter defense than is credited in most works on the subject. It was not until the arrival of the Zero in 1940, in limited numbers and operations, that the Japanese fielded a seemingly unbeatable aircraft, at least for the moment.

Not surprisingly, while the United States had by the 1930s been formulating various campaigns against Japan, the Japanese had sketched out similar actions against American carrier forces, taking advantage of growing capabilities of IJN aircraft, particularly in range. The story of the development of the A6M Zero and its partners in carrier aviation—the Aichi D3A dive bomber (Val) and the Nakajima B5N torpedo bomber (Kate) — is told, placed in the context of Japan’s military operations and of other countries’ related aircraft, such as Germany’s Ju 87 Stuka, and the U.S. SBD Dauntless.

Sunburst is a happy surprise that should be part of any military historian’s library.

Humble in Victory; RADM Peter B. Booth, USN(Ret); Dockside Publications, Pensacola, Fla., 2001; softcover, 452 pages. $15.00

Humble in Victory is a provocative tale of Indian Ocean combat in the year 2010. The centerpiece of a massive naval build-up there is the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and one of its embarked F-27 stealth Phantom III fighter squadrons, the Red Rippers. The scenario is centered on the control of the vast strategic oil reserves in and around the volatile Middle East.

Though some might find parts of Pete Booth’s tale far-fetched, the events are nothing more than straight-line extensions of actual issues of the 1990s that involve China, the U.S. Navy, gender, dollar influence, politicians and oil. Booth gives the reader powerful insight concerning the potential consequences of the disgraceful weapons technology transfer to foreign governments and the influence of big foreign money on the political process and national security. While Booth describes the adverse effect of radical social engineering on warfighting capability, he also recognizes the truly professional, highly motivated female service members that perform splendidly under the most arduous conditions.

Tailhookers will easily relate to the time-honored notions of courage, duty, honor, loyalty, trust and sacrifice spread throughout the tale. In contrast, the reader will find crooked politicians and arms purveyors on the take — greed at its worst!

You will meet some of the following characters in the book: the Ripper skipper, CDR Wendy “Iron Lady” Montrose; her top pilots, LCDR Dave “Blues” Anderson and LT Becky “Big Sister” Turner; the carrier’s tough XO, CDR Angela Batori and the cunning weapons officer, LCDR Stan Miller.

Within the nation’s beltway, President Virginia Roberts Stallingsworth stirs the pot of intrigue while doling out the largess from clandestine sources while avoiding, at all costs, any hint of confrontation or backbone. Deep within a Pentagon command center, VADM Stan Sarodsy and his top combat aide, RADM Nancy Chandler, engineer a fast-moving China/U.S. retaliatory strategy to protect the precious oil fields and avenge an incredibly sad tragedy at sea. Finally, far afield, the skipper of China’s top stealth fighter squadron, MAJ Ying Tsunami, ponders an unlikely rendezvous high above the Indian Ocean with a gorgeous Red Ripper.

RADM Booth’s vast experience as a Tailhooker shows throughout this “must read” book. This reviewer admires his willingness to speak out on the many troublesome issues confronting our nation. As one reader said, “Move over, Tom Clancy. There’s a new kid on the block.”

Vietnam Air Losses: U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps Fixed-Wing Aircraft Losses in Southeast Asia, 1961–1973; Chris Hobson; Midland Publishing, Hinckley, England, 2001; softcover, 192 pages, illustrated, appendices, index. $29.95

“Sierra Hotel” is this reviewer’s short appraisal of this outstanding reference publication. The author has done a masterful, carefully researched and thorough job in providing a detailed listing in chronological order of U.S. military fixed-wing losses during 12 years of war in Vietnam. Each listing provides the type of aircraft lost, serial number, unit, aircrew and their status (POW, KIA or survived). Besides cold facts, each aircraft listing includes a well-written narrative of what happened to the aircraft, the crew and their mission.

Vietnam Air Losses is illustrated with clear, crisply captioned and interesting photographs of the aircraft used in Southeast Asia. Interspersed within the listings are excellent general informational paragraphs on individual types of aircraft, campaigns and weapons, all of which lend considerable interest to the text.

Adding to the usefulness of the book as a reference, the author has included comprehensive appendices that detail USAF, USN and USMC orders of battle. The Navy listing includes not only the carriers, air groups and aircraft assigned, but also includes detail on VP squadron detachments in Vietnam and Thailand and other land-based VC, VQ, VAPs, VRC, VX and VW detachment operations.

Adding to the value of this reference is a summary of service losses by year, fixed-wing losses by surface-to-air missiles and MiGs, and a listing of aircrew associated with each aircraft lost. Capping things off is a glossary of operation, code and project names used during Vietnam.

This volume, a bargain at less than $30, is a gold mine of information. If there is one book that the serious student of the Vietnam War should have on his library shelf, this is it!

Iron Hand: Smashing the Enemy’s Air Defences; Anthony M. Thornborough and Frank B. Mormillo; Patrick Stephens Ltd., Somerset, England, 2002; hardcover, 310 pages, illustrated. $39.95

On 24 July 1965 the first American war plane was hit by a surface-to-air missile (SAM) over Vietnam. Three days later the Air Force launched a major strike on the new threat and promptly lost six F-105D Thunderchiefs and five pilots for their efforts. Over the next 10 years, more than 200 aircraft were shot down by SAMs alone. Little noticed is that more than 50 have been lost in combat since.

The suppression of enemy air defenses (SEAD) has been a critical part of strike warfare for almost four decades, with billions of dollars spent to develop lethal (things that blow up) and non-lethal (jamming) weapons to reduce the vulnerability of aircraft we send into harm’s way.

SEAD is one of those areas that only rarely seems to lead to “Joint” solutions. The term isn’t even pronounced the same among the services — it’s “see-add” in the Navy and “seed” to the light-blue suiters. Other than the recent (since 1995) use of the incomparable EA-6B by everyone, both sides have pretty much gone their own way. In the area of lethal suppression, the Navy has made all attack aircraft capable of conducting the mission while the Air Force has largely relied on its specialty Wild Weasels for more than 35 years.

The whole business is nobly covered in a new book from Anthony Thornborough and photographer Mormillo, plus a pair of listed assistants. Through a tremendous amount of research and some excellent work, the author and his crew have produced what may be the best book currently available on this critical warfare area. Thornborough obviously knows the subject — and while you don’t have to be an ECMO to enjoy the text, it wouldn’t hurt as it’s full of “AN/ALQ” nomenclature that goes with the equipment. It’s also full of excellent first-person aircrew interviews that span the period from Vietnam to Operation Allied Force.

The work is about 90 percent U.S. related, with some content on the Israelis, particularly where they used American equipment or their combat influenced us. And while the world isn’t quite awash in books on the subject, what’s out there typically centers on the vaunted Weasel forces. And while there are plenty of pages here rightfully dedicated to the “Thuds” and Phantoms of yore, this book stands out in that the Navy receives its due. Indeed, Chapter One deals almost entirely with the Navy and points out that it was in the business first, with fascinating pieces on the genesis of the AGM-45 Shrike and VA-23’s first deployment with the radar-homing weapon.

Not only did the Navy deploy with an anti-radiation missile (ARM) prior to the Air Force, but Shrike, Standard-ARM and HARM are all Navy-initiated projects, as was the Prowler’s ALQ-99 jammer. The Navy also destroyed a SAM site in North Vietnam two months before the Weasels bagged their first.

The last chapter deals with “coming attractions” in terms of potential Prowler replacements, the F-22 as well as improvements in the threat. The Russian S-300 and S-400 missiles, if the press releases can be believed, have eye-watering capabilities. Lest we forget, the “high sanctuary” we’ve exploited since Desert Storm was bought and paid for by the lessons learned and equipment bought after Vietnam. We tend to forget that the Navy lost more than 100 aircraft to enemy defenses in 1967 alone.

If the U.S. intends to maintain its hard-won ability to establish air superiority worldwide wherever and whenever it wants, it will have to figure out now how to deal with the constantly changing threat, particularly in a world where a lot of people seem to be training to fight us specifically.

This book is easily the best this reviewer has seen on the subject.

MiG-21 Units of the Vietnam War; István Toperczer; Osprey Publishing, Oxford, England, 2001; softcover, 96 pages, illustrated. $18.95

A follow-on book to the author’s history of MiG-17 and MiG-19 units in Vietnam (see The Hook, Wi ’01, Page 61), this offering is No. 29 in Osprey’s Combat Aircraft series.

The folio of color profiles is good, although the MiG-21 usually flew in unexciting natural metal with limited individual markings mostly relegated to nose numbers and occasional kill markings. A few were, however, camouflaged in hurried applications of greens and grays.

The color folio includes photos mostly of museum display aircraft and an unusual two-page presentation of postal stamps commemorating various events of the Vietnamese experience in the air war such as milestone shootdowns of American aircraft and the capture of their crews.

The Vietnamese People’s Air Force (VPAF) received its first MiG-21s in late 1965, and the C and D models had engaged U.S. aircraft by early 1966 with the 921st Fighter Regiment based at Noi Bai Air Field, northwest of Hanoi. The narrative gives details of careers of North Vietnamese aces, of which an appendix notes there were 13. The top VPAF ace, to whom the author dedicates the book, Nguyen Van Coc, scored nine kills while flying with the 921st.

The author seems to finally put to rest the legend of 13-kill ace “COL Tomb,” the final victim of VF-96’s ace team of Cunningham and Driscoll on 10 May 1972. He also ventures that this F-4 crew was actually shot down by another MiG-21 pilot, Le Thanh Dao, who had spotted the Showtime 100 F-4J, snuck in behind and shot a missile up its tailpipe. The accepted reason for the loss has always been a SAM. Interesting.

The MiG’s first kills were Firebee reconnaissance drones, two of which were shot down in March 1966 with Atoll missiles. The MiGs took on manned aircraft in the month that followed, but the inexperience of the VPAF pilots and problems with the Atolls resulted in lost aircraft because of fuel starvation and no kills. The first victory for the MiG-21 over manned aircraft was an F-105 on 7 June 1966, although the USAF didn’t record a loss on that day. This difference highlights an ongoing conflict in this and the previous MiG-17 book: that of getting claims and records to agree. There are constant variances between American and Vietnamese logs, and the Americans often attributed a loss to flak or SAMs, not MiGs.

The first MiG-21 kill was achieved by an Air Force F-4 on 26 April 1966. And VF-162 CO, Dick Bellinger, scored the Navy’s first kill over the Fishbed the following October.

Toperczer’s book is full of interesting tidbits from the VPAF’s side of the war. For example, during the USAF’s legendary Operation Bolo MiG sweep on 2 January 1967, two Vietnamese aces, including Nguyen Van Coc, were shot down by COL Robin Olds’ Phantoms. To add insult to injury, the action occurred over the MiGs’ home field at Noi Bai.

The book describes as well the period of ferocious action from May to September 1972, plus the equally intense December engagements. While both sides lost a lot of aircraft and crews, the high-flying B-52s seemed immune to even the MiG-21. However, the author writes about the loss of a B-52D on 28 December at the hands of MiG-21 pilot Pham Tuan. The VPAF expended considerable effort to intercept the bomber boxes during Linebacker II, but the Air Force always credited any loss to flak or SAM. In fact, it gave credit for a VPAF MiG-21 and a Silver Star medal to a B-52 tail gunner.

It’s obvious from the narrative that until 1972 actions, the USAF saw more engagements with the MiG-21 than did the Navy, probably because most of the Fishbed bases were inland. The Navy’s main area of responsibility revolved around Haiphong Harbor and the eastern portion of Hanoi. But during the late stage of the war, and predictably taking advantage of the 1968 bombing halt up north, the VPAF had rejuvenated its flagging strength in all areas and had added several new, late-model MiG-21s from their Soviet benefactors.

All in all, the treatment is a fascinating look at the VPAF’s war, which leaves plenty of room for discussion on both sides.

NUGGETS

U.S. Carriers at War; Peter Kilduff; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 1997; hardcover, 128 pages, illustrated. $31.95

Originally published in Britain in 1981, this well-illustrated book has been revised and reissued. The superb assortment of World War II photos spans U.S. Navy carrier aviation from 1941 through 1945, with chapters divided into topical headings including torpedo pilots, Bombing Three, the Red Rippers Over Casablanca, CVEs and CVLs, to ace Dave McCampbell, night fighters, late-war strikes at Kure naval base, and Intrepid’s (CV-11) 20-month combat career. Many of the scores of photos have been reproduced often over the years, but most are rendered in excellent clarity. Combat shots include air-to-air stills as well as CVs stricken by kamikazes. Whether you were there or wish you were, this book will be of interest.

Fall 2002

No One Left Behind: The Lt. Cmdr. Michael Scott Speicher Story; Amy Waters Yarsinske, Dutton, New York, N.Y., 2002; hardcover, 292 pages, illustrated. $25.95

One of the promises any American aviator takes with him when he enters combat is that if he is shot down, his command will do everything possible to bring him back. Besides their own personal courage and beliefs, this oath of support is one of the few things that aviators can carry with them as they head toward their target. To have this promise forgotten or denied would be to expose a huge chink in the armor of our aircrews. Such is the premise of this book.

What happened on 17 January 1991 on one of the first missions over Iraq? Did one young F/A-18 driver lose the fight not only with the enemy but also the fight to stay alive until he was rescued? Have we left someone out there for more than 11 years to languish somewhere in the bowels of an Iraqi prison longer than any other American POW ever has?

This book will at times confuse and anger the reader as he absorbs the descriptions of opportunities lost early on, and even more shocking, in years following the shootdown, to retrieve VFA-81’s LCDR Scott Speicher or even to determine whether he is alive.

Beginning with a description of the mission, Ms. Yarsinske quickly gets down to cases, listing reasons for the lack of a SAR effort to retrieve Speicher early on. There was uncertainty of the location of his loss, a delay in reporting eyewitness accounts, even at the highest staff levels, problems with the PRC-112 personal survival radios staying with crews who punched out, and the feeling by other crews that no one could have survived the huge flash where they last saw Speicher’s strike-fighter.

Although its inclusion smacks a little of sensationalism, the author suggests one chilling scenario supposedly supported by other Navy and Air Force aviators who were out there that dark night over Iraq: Speicher had been inadvertently shot down by another U.S. aircraft, a “blue-on-blue” incident. Later on, when reports of a downed aviator prisoner began trickling in from non-American observers and agents, disbelief and confusion only helped prolong delays in efforts to investigate. Could the U.S. government have simply forgotten the downed pilot for 10 years?

It is fairly certain that instead of being downed by an Iraqi SAM, as reported early in the war, Speicher was struck by an air-to-air missile from a MiG-25 blasting its way through the American formation. “It was that MiG that shot Spike down,” the book quotes the squadron commanding officer, CDR Michael Anderson, “I had [the MiG] … and I could have taken him out.” Frustrated, Anderson evidently had the MiG in his sights but couldn’t get firing clearance from the orbiting AWACS controller.

Speicher apparently ejected from his stricken Hornet, which far from having blown up, actually pancaked in the desert, its engine, canopy and other pieces creating a well-defined crash site. Satellite imagery revealed the ejection seat, indicating the pilot’s successful escape. However, the seat was gone when investigation teams finally reached the site in December 1995, and evidence was strong that Bedouin nomads had dragged it — and probably its pilot — off for bartering purposes.

The effect of Speicher’s loss on his family and squadron was certainly predictable, but the uncertainty of his exact status was even more heart-rending, especially when his status was changed from KIA to MIA by President Clinton only 10 days before he handed off to President-elect Bush.

This incredibly detailed book is unlike several recent books on Naval Aviation. Author Amy Yarsinske, a former Naval Reserve intelligence officer married to a former Naval Aviator, seems at ease with Naval terminology and lore. She obviously believes that Scott Speicher has survived all these years and that his government has not done nearly enough to get him back.

The last two chapters pad the book as the author restates what has already been discussed with an unnecessary call to rescue Speicher, who has been promoted in absentia to captain. If at some time he does return, the questions his incarceration, treatment, and rending of faith will raise a national uproar.

The Liberty Incident: The 1967 Israeli Attack on the U.S. Navy Spy Ship; A. Jay Cristol, Brassey, Inc., Washington, D.C., 2002; hardcover, 294 pages, illustrated, appendix, index. $27.50

On 24 May 1967 USS Liberty (AGTR-5) received orders from JCS to proceed to a position in the Eastern Mediterranean close to the coast of the Sinai Peninsula to gather intelligence. After taking on linguists at Rota, Spain, Liberty sailed for her assigned station on 2 June, six days before the outbreak of the Six-Day War between Israel and the Arab nations. On 7 June the first of five messages were sent to Liberty directing the ship to haul clear of the combat area. From here the situation went downhill.

At almost 1400 on 8 June the first of two separate flights of Israeli jets rolled in to attack what the Israeli navy had identified as an Egyptian naval vessel. These were followed by surface attacks by three Israeli motor torpedo boats that fired five torpedoes at Liberty, fortunately scoring only one hit. After a little more than an hour, an Israeli search-and-rescue helicopter identified the vessel as American, and shortly after that one of the five messages sent by JCS to move clear was finally received. Thirty-four Americans were killed and 171 wounded in this tragic blunder by Israel and the United States.

The attack was quickly investigated by the U.S. Navy and 10 other U.S. government entities. Additionally, the event was scrutinized by three Israeli investigations. All arrived at the same conclusion that the attack was not premeditated but was instead a tragic mistake. Unfortunately, virtually everything about the studies was classified, and it took at least 10 years for the findings to be known. In the interim, though, many of the Liberty crew and others believed a giant cover-up had taken place and that the attack was a conspiracy on Israeli’s part.

Based on the author’s 14 years of extensive research, the book convincingly sets the record straight as it details every aspect of the attack through a well-written, detailed and impartial narrative that probes the many inquiries and investigations as well as the conspiracy theories, tall tales and TV programs about the Liberty attack.

The author, well qualified to write this book, is a carrier aviator and a retired JAG captain specializing in international law and the law of naval warfare. He originally began the project looking for a “smoking gun,” and conducted more than 500 interviews of those directly involved from the United States (ADM Isaac Kidd and VADM Don Engen, together with Dean Rusk and Robert Strange McNamara), Israel, England and Egypt. After reviewing official investigations and more than 3,087 documents, including the original Navy message, he concurred with the investigations that the attack was indeed a tragic and costly mistake.

Problems with the U.S. Navy communication system, rivalry between the Israeli navy and air force, the mistaken identity of Liberty by the Israeli navy and the fog of war surrounding the ongoing Six Day War were factors in the mistaken attack. Contributing to the confusion after the attack that generated conspiracy and cover-up theories was deliberate U.S. government misinformation (a polite word for “lies”) about the nature of the ship’s mission. It helped little that U.S. and Israeli investigations remained classified for 10 to 25 years, and only recently were brought to light.

The author’s conclusions likely will not satisfy most of the hard-core conspiracy theorists, but the compelling facts revealed and placed in a convincing context will go far in laying this incident to rest as a colossal blunder by Israel and the United States Navy.

The Naval Institute Guide to Combat Fleets of the World, 2002–2003: Their Ships, Aircraft, and Systems; A.D. Baker III; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 2002; hardcover, 1,152 pages, illustrated, appendices, index. $195.00 for volume, $159.95 for CD ROM

For anyone who relies upon a dependable reference for aircraft, ships and weapons systems information, there is absolutely nothing that compares with the Naval Institute’s Combat Fleets of the World. Published biennially for more than 25 years, the current edition takes on increased significance in light of the enormous changes in the world since September 2001. Superbly comprehensive and authoritative, the 1,152-page volume provides accurate, up-to-date information concerning the military capabilities of more than 180 countries and territories. Illustrated with more than 4,500 photos and drawings, the reader will be fascinated as he makes his way through well-organized descriptions of aircraft, weapons, weapons systems and sensors, as well as commentary on personnel strengths, organization and bases.

Particularly valuable are author Baker’s preface comments as he places in perspective the impact of recent events on the capabilities of military forces to cope with international developments. Author of Combat Fleets of the World since 1978, Baker is widely respected through his more than 60 books on naval history and technology as well as his diverse experience in naval leadership and government. He is a recipient of the Navy’s Distinguished Civilian Service award.

Though not likely to be found on the shelf of the casual reader who might be reluctant to pay the book’s $195 cost, the researcher or hard-core military enthusiast will find the book absolutely essential and the price a bargain, given the wealth of material between the covers.

The Independence Light Aircraft Carriers; Andrew Faltum; The Nautical & Aviation Publishing Co. of America, Mt. Pleasant, S.C., 2002; hardcover, 160 pages, illustrated, appendices, notes, bibliography, glossary, index. $34.95

Andrew Faltum has pulled a lot of information together from many sources and made it available in one concise volume. This book is a follow-on to his earlier book, The Essex Aircraft Carriers.

The book begins with the design and shakedown phase of the Independence-class light carriers’ service. Faltum begins, “These proud ships were a successful gamble to provide carrier air power to the fleet at a critical point in the war. They were not the best carriers possible — they were a wartime expedient that would not be repeated in the postwar Navy. But they all entered service quickly and contributed more to victory than if they had been completed as the light cruisers that served as their point of origin.”

Authorized in 1942, all nine light carriers were built by the New York Shipbuilding Corp. at Camden, New Jersey, and all were commissioned in 1943. As with their contemporaries, the CVEs, the design philosophy for the CVL was to accept “good enough,” using hull designs already in the pipeline in order to have fast carriers operational in a hurry. The author takes us through the wrangling between the politicians, the Navy ship builders and the aviators to determine what these ships would be.

Two characteristics desired in the light carrier were speed and range, and the Navy was building a large number of light cruisers with just those qualities. The author details the original names and hull numbers of those cruisers and pairs them with their ultimate names and hull numbers as carriers. They were designated as CVs and numbered sequentially along with the fleet carriers, but were redesignated CVLs — though keeping their hull numbers — in July 1943.

Unfortunately, the beam-to-length ratio that gave them their speed also gave them a minuscule hangar deck (smaller even than the Sangamon-class CVEs). As a result, the flight deck loadout was pretty much what they had. The author explains the iterations of the planned (and actual) air groups: Some factions wanted all-fighter groups, while others opted for all-attack.

The initial air group consisted of 24 F4F Wildcats and one composite squadron with 12 SBD Dauntless dive-bombers and nine TBF Avenger torpedo bombers. The inclusion of an H-2 hydraulic catapult in the conversion design made launching this loadout possible. It was so successful that a second catapult was retrofitted in each of the light carriers.

Routine catapult launches and no possibility of an off-center landing on the narrow flight deck made the CVL pilots pre-eminent experts in carrier operations. Needless to say, rapid pull-forwards and pullbacks were a necessity on the crowded flight deck, and the ship’s flight deck crews were second to none in their expertise and professionalism.

After the F6F-3 Hellcat entered service in summer 1943, the authorized complement of the CVL air group was established at twelve fighters, nine dive bombers and nine torpedo bombers. The SBDs, without folding wings, proved a problem on the narrow flight deck and cramped hangar, and never flew combat from the CVLs. The air group composition in October 1943, and for the rest of the war, became 24 fighters and nine torpedo bombers.

The arrival of the first CVLs in the Pacific came at an auspicious time. The U.S. Navy prior to 1943 had seldom (if ever) operated more than two carriers in a task group. For the Central Pacific raids during the spring and summer of 1943, ADM Pownall had up to seven carriers available, three fleet carriers (Essex (CV-9), Lexington (CV-16), and Yorktown (CV-10)) and four light carriers (Independence, Princeton (CVL-23), Belleau Wood (CVL-24), and Cowpens (CVL-25)).

An important part of these raids was to figure out the best way of operating with all those carriers. Three basic plans were tried: one six-carrier task group, three two-carrier task groups, and two three-carrier task groups. The latter was deemed the ideal carrier group size so, as more and more carriers became available during 1944–’45, regardless of the size of the task force, the task groups contained either two fleet carriers and a light carrier, or one fleet carrier and two light carriers.

In succeeding chapters the author details every major action involving light carriers through the end of the war, when their mission shifted overnight from warship to photo-op subject. Included are accounts of “Halsey’s Typhoons,” which brought damage to his ships and very nearly got him and McCain court-martialed. The composition of each light carrier’s air group is chronicled, along with vivid descriptions of the combat they and their squadrons engaged in during each battle or campaign.

In a final chapter titled “Aftermath,” author Faltum covers Operation Magic Carpet immediately following the war, Independence’s role in Operation Crossroads, the post-war mothballing, and Cabot’s (CVL- 28) subsequent reactivation and modernization. Also told is Bataan’s (CVL-29) Korean War service as an aircraft ferry, an ASW platform and a close air support ship with the Marines’ VMF-212 and –312. Langley (CVL-27) and Belleau Wood’s French service and Cabot’s service with the Spanish navy are cataloged as well, including the heart-breaking saga of Cabot’s demise and eventual scrapping.

The book’s appendices provide technical data, including plan views and side elevations, individual ship’s histories, camouflage measures (with side elevation illustrations of several patterns). and a short treatise on the two-ship Saipan (CVL-48) class. The book follows up with extensive chapter notes, an impressive bibliography, a short glossary, and a more-than-useful index.

This is a fine book, a welcome book to the student, researcher, or any tailhooker. If you are unfamiliar with the light carriers, or are simply interested in the ship type and their exploits, you’d have to do a lot of searching to find this information elsewhere.

Shang Log; CDR J.J. McBride, USN(Ret), Paper Tiger Publishing, Santa Fe, N.M., 1999; hardcover, 464 pages, illustrated. $25.00

OK, JOs, you think you have it rough because the auto-dog is out on your nuke? How ’bout a nine-month cruise, 120 days of which were in combat, flying tired attack aircraft that are grounded one entire line period because two birds went in the water on launch. Consider the loss of six air wing aircraft and two pilots during the trip, only one of which was combat related. Add into this mix a ship that is on almost continuous water hours, suffers frequent systems casualties (little things like the ACLS, radar, cats and steering) and has berthing areas pushing temps in excess of 120 degrees. What you end up with is the infamous “CasRep-’70” Vietnam deployment by USS Shangri-La (CVS-38).

This edition is the third printing of a little-known (only 90 copies in the first two printings), self-published effort by CDR J.J. McBride, who was safety officer for the A-4C Skyhawk-equipped Clinchers of VA-12. McBride kept a meticulous cruise diary which, when combined with some excellent historical research, has been turned into a fascinating book that details the entire deployment on a day-by-day basis.

Shang was a World War II-era 27-Charlie Essex-class carrier that, despite its “anti-submarine” designation, was making its last deployment with Attack Carrier Air Wing Eight embarked. CVW-8 was an East Coast outfit with three quarters of its squadrons coming from AirPac, in this case “old” Crusaders, Skyhawks and Fudds and not the then-glamorous Phantoms, Intruders and Corsairs. To cap things off, the ship was scheduled to be decommissioned and three of its squadrons disestablished immediately after its return home.

There’s no MiG chasing here, no “there I was in the flak- and SAM-filled skies over Hanoi” war stories. This work does involve, though, a lot of combat operations in lousy conditions. At this point in the war the men of CVW-8 were flying their aircraft into South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, frequently at night against an elusive and indistinct enemy. There’s no system bombing here — just Skyhawk pilots using the old iron bombsight and carrying only three to five Mk-82s on most missions.

Above all, it’s about a close-knit squadron of men who did their best with what they were handed. The author describes colorful visits to fabled Olongapo, Yokota and a too-short R&R with the family between line periods. All this while they’re flying off a ship that appears to be self-destructing during an effort that most of the fliers suspect is fruitless.

Negative points in this effort are few. There is the occasional typographical error and the photos, while numerous and excellent for content, are overly grainy and did not reproduce particularly well. Nonetheless, Shang Log offers a fascinating first-person glimpse into what was certainly one of the more obscure carrier deployments of the Vietnam War.

Winter 2002

Reaper Leader: The Life of Jimmy Flatley; Steve Ewing; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 2002; hardcover, 384 pages, illustrated. $36.95

Though Jimmy Flatley had far-reaching influence over Naval Aviation from just before America’s entry into World War II until his untimely death from cancer in 1958, there has been very little written about this giant who stood barely five feet, six inches. Dr. Steve Ewing has redressed this omission in fine style, writing an admiring and factual biography that places its subject well within historical and personal perspectives.

With access to family records, correspondence and to surviving veterans who knew and flew with Flatley, the author’s text is crammed with little-known historical tidbits and backgrounds that flesh out the story of one of this country’s premier aviators.

Although Flatley was a fighter pilot, it’s interesting to learn that an early squadron assignment found him with VP-4F flying Douglas PDs and Consolidated P2Ys, the latter the ancestor of the famed PBY Catalina. In December 1941 he was with VF-2, the Flying Chiefs, flying the Brewster F2A, the Navy’s first monoplane fighter. Throughout all these stories and experiences, the author builds his theme of Flatley as a naval leader, both in the air and on the ground.

As XO of VF-42 in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942, he was frustrated by the lack of American fighters and control from the ship. He was not overly impressed by the Zero, the main Japanese naval fighter, but warned of the high quality of Japanese pilots. His comments concerning enemy capabilities received high marks at senior levels.

After Coral Sea, he was ordered to form VF-10, flying F4F Wildcats. The squadron took the name Grim Reapers, and naturally, as the CO, Jimmy Flatley became Reaper Leader. Following his tour as Commander Air Group Five in USS Yorktown (CV-10), wherein he helped introduce Grumman’s F6F Hellcat to combat in August 1943, Flatley never flew combat again. But he certainly had seen enough to help him train many of the younger aviators who came after.

As a member of then-RADM Marc Mitscher’s staff, he rode out the complicated yet decisive Battle of Leyte Gulf in October 1944, which in effect marked the end of Japanese carrier aviation. Flatley also saw first-hand great decisions being made by some of the greatest American naval leaders.

The author writes a very unusual chapter assessing Flatley’s strong points using the contemporary officer fitness report as his framework. This in-depth evaluation of Jimmy Flatley’s makeup and accomplishments results in entertaining, occasionally insightful reading that borders on being nosy — but that’s what a biography often does.

In spring 1950 he was disappointed at not getting a ship command. Instead, he was ordered to NAS Olathe in central Kansas as the commanding officer. Flatley sat out the Korean War, watching from the sidelines, but characteristically made the best of it and channeled his considerable energy toward the common good. Frankly, it is hard sometimes while reading this account not to marvel at Jimmy Flatley’s consistently buoyant attitude toward whatever was task was at hand.

In July 1952, he took command of the USS Block Island (CVE-106), the first of two carrier commands. Following this, Flatley became deeply involved with assessing Naval Aviation’s disastrous safety record and ultimately helped develop the Naval Aviation Safety Center, which became today’s Naval Safety Center.

He next commanded NAS Norfolk, soon followed by USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39). While Flatley’s career might have seemed on track, it soon became apparent that he was stalled at the O-6 level — his name was not on the next few flag selection lists. However, his regular tough, upbeat attitude won through, and Flatley was selected for rear admiral in July 1957.

Dr. Ewing covers Flatley’s late career highlights, including family and professional developments, which were cut short by a surprising diagnosis of cancer. Within a year, Jimmy Flatley was dead, a tremendous loss for his beloved Navy and especially Naval Aviation.

There’s a lot in this biography, and it certainly bears a second reading. Ewing has filled a void in the open-ended forum of Naval Aviation history in chronicling the life of one of this country’s most important though little-known personalities that gave so much to his country and his profession.

Dark Sky, Black Sea: Aircraft Carrier Night and All-Weather Operations; Charles H. Brown; U.S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Md., 1999; hardcover, 254 pages, illustrated, appendices, notes, glossary. $36.95

Dark Sky, Black Sea traces the development of all-weather and night aircraft carrier operations from 1925 to the present. The author, a veteran Naval Aviator, participated in many of the operations recounted. His thorough research recalls the first attempts at night carrier landings in 1925 aboard the first U.S. carrier, Langley (CV-1).

FCLPs of that era were conducted at NAS North Island to a simulated deck illuminated by kerosene flares. Once at sea, the ship was located by observing the masthead light, flying a pattern at 100 feet and descending in the approach turn while looking out to pick up Paddles for a straight-deck landing. The sudden tug of the arresting wire must have felt mighty satisfying.

The impetus for night operations increased greatly during the early World War II years, as our ships were attacked at night by Japanese bombers. Aircraft instrumentation was rudimentary, as were airborne radars and shipboard control of intercepts. Imagine groping around in the night trying to intercept the bogey, then closing to gun range!

Gradually as the war progressed, training in all-weather and night operations was standardized and expanded, and night bombing tactics were developed. Although the overall results of night strikes were minor in comparison to daylight strikes and air engagements, the WW II night fliers proved that air groups could fly and fight at night.

CAPT Brown’s recounting of night and all-weather operations during the Korean War provides insight into an extremely challenging period for Naval Aviation. With jet aircraft entering the fleet, their higher launch and recovery speeds severely strained the capability for safe operations from straight-deck carriers. By the end of that war, the Navy began outfitting carriers with Tacan, angled decks and the landing optical aid system. The author closes with vivid descriptions of Naval air combat in Vietnam — an era when night carrier operations became standard.

Dark Sky, Black Sea masterfully documents technical advances in both carrier systems and aircraft that dramatically reduced the dangers of night and all-weather carrier operations. The credibility of the book is affirmed by a number of lively anecdotes by well-known Tailhookers. Telling the story behind the claim that “the night belongs to us,” the book will bring back a flood of memories to anyone who has flown through the dark sky above a black sea.

Black Aces High: The Story of a Modern Fighter Squadron at War; Robert K. Wilcox; St. Martin’s Press, New York, N.Y., 2002; softcover, 264 pages, glossary. $24.95

Bob Wilcox’s third Naval Aviation book takes the reader into the cockpits and ready room of the VF-41 Black Aces aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71) during the 1999 NATO war against Serbia. Wilcox was with the squadron for two weeks as the campaign came to an end.

Having turned their aging F-14A Tomcats into strike-fighters in the months prior to deployment, we go with the two-man crews as they spearheaded new methods for pinpointing, identifying and destroying various Serbian facilities and positions, including Serb fighters in mountain hide-outs. Along with the many successes, the reader also experiences the initial failures that take place with new, untested techniques. How the early failures are turned into successes is a tribute to the professionalism and resourcefulness of not only the aircrews, but all the support personnel engaged in the efforts to ensure that the aircraft, once launched, can identify and hit targets. One gripping story is a much-too-close encounter with a SA-6 SAM battery as a section of Black Aces attempt to carry out their assigned task.

This is a story by the participants themselves, and if there is any drawback to this approach, it lies with the author sometimes straying to nonrelated but aviation-oriented anecdotes that affect the performance or well-being of his subjects. Less detail would have been more than sufficient to convey the impact of these distractions.

It’s been quite some time since an approach similar to Wilcox’s has been published. The 1986 book Over the Beach by Zalin Grant, the story of VF-162 Hunters off Oriskany (CVA-34) during the Vietnam War, comes closest.

Overall, Black Aces High is an excellent, informative read. The book is valuable especially for those who wish to get a feel for what carrier aviation accomplished in what has already become yet another “forgotten” war.

Angles of Attack: An A-6 Intruder Pilot’s War; Peter Hunt; Ballantine Books, New York, N.Y., 2002; softcover, 368 pages, illustrated. $6.99

This newest Gulf War memoir is excellent; it really does put the reader in the cockpit. Like the A-7 Corsair, its stablemate in the Navy’s attack community, the A-6 Intruder flew its final combat sorties in the six-week action that ousted the invading Iraqis from Kuwait. Intruder squadrons flew from all six carriers deployed during Desert Storm (as well as two Marine Corps shore-based squadrons), and one A-6 aviator tells a story that covers the buildup of Desert Shield and the nightly launches that devastated Iraqi naval and land assets.

Peter Hunt’s enthusiastic account is one of the best this reviewer has read recently. The focal point is, of course, his experience flying 45 combat missions with VA-145 and the close bond with his bombardier-navigator. The descriptions of the prewar activities as the squadron, air wing and carrier prepare to deploy give a fine insider’s view of carrier aviation. The work ups are described in detail that might at times slow the reading, but Hunt carries the story well with the result that these portions are well worth the time. Hunt tells what it was like flying combat from one of the Navy’s oldest aircraft carriers, USS Ranger (CV-61).

Peripheral areas like a port call in the Philippines, the loneliness of Christmas Eve at sea — during which he decides to sort out his personal survival items — and thoughts of family so far away are some of the most appealing aspects of Hunt’s work.

The author and his BN participated in the Battle of Bubiyan that saw the destruction of several Iraqi navy PT boats, thus eliminating that threat. They also flew during the last major attack on Iraqi units along the so-called “highway of death” as the invaders torched the Kuwaiti capital and tried to flee.

Though a rather large paperback, the writing flows well and the author has a nice, personal style. Unfortunately, the book concludes on a sour note as he relates his dissatisfaction with the post-war Navy, the impact of the Tailhook scandal and the resulting “rot from within.” Family separation also plays a hand in his decision to leave, as does the demise of the A-6 community with no replacement after the A-12 debacle. Nonetheless, Angles of Attack is a fine effort that tells the story of one of the Navy’s stalwart aviation communities during its last combat deployment.

The Golden Age of Naval Aviation: An Aviator’s Journey, 1939–1959; A.M. “Mike” Granat; Milklen Press, Poulsbo, Wash., 2002; softcover, 266 pages, illustrated. $17.95

This self-published book tells of a Naval Aviator who seized every opportunity offered by the Navy to finish his career having flown 30 different types of aircraft from the smallest, the Culver Cadet TS2C target drone to the largest, the Super Constellation. During his 20 years in the Navy, author Granat flew props and jets, fighters, seaplanes, transports, drones and bombers.

His love for aviation led him to join the Navy in mid-1938, after which he served as a PBY aircrewman in the dark days of 1942 in the South Pacific. He was selected for flight training in 1943 under the NAP program, after which he was plowed back as an instructor in the PV Ventura. He flew F8F Bearcats in VF-3 as well as drones in VX-2 at Chincoteague. His varied career included stints as flight deck officer on a CVL and OinC of NATTC school at NAS Miramar. He later served as OinC at Adak and finally flew throughout the Far East with VR-7.

Each tour presented different challenges, experiences and the chance to fly various aircraft, which the author interestingly relates in each chapter laced with wit and fascinating sea stories.

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo; CAPT Ted W. Lawson; Brassey’s, Dulles, Va., 2002; hardcover, 223 pages, illustrated. $24.95

The inaugural volume in Brassey’s new Aviation Classics series, this riveting, first-person republished account of the Doolittle raid on Tokyo in April 1942 still carries the intensity of the original. The story of America’s first strike against the Japanese homeland is well known, but Lawson’s youthful narrative, hardened by his heroic experience and tempered by the editorial expertise of his collaborator, sportswriter Robert Considine, sheds new light on the joining of two rival services’ enthusiasm and skill toward one goal: hitting the enemy hard in retribution for their attack on Pearl Harbor.

This new edition includes an illuminating introduction by Ted’s widow, Ellen. Married barely a year, the two were separated by Ted’s participation and injury in the raid. They were not reunited until he returned to Washington’s Walter Reed Army Hospital for convalescence after his harrowing survival experience in China following the crash of his B-25 off the coast in a driving rainstorm. Besides numerous lesser injuries, he ultimately suffered the loss of his right leg. The squadron surgeon, along on the mission, had to perform the amputation in a rural clinic before Lawson and his crewmates could begin their journey out of China.

By the way, when the first Random House edition appeared in 1943, the cost was … are you ready? … $2.00!

Spring 2003

Above and Beyond: The Aviation Medals of Honor; Barrett Tillman; Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington, D.C, 2002; hardcover, 295 pages, illustrated. $29.95

More than 100 American airmen have received the Medal of Honor since World War I. Barrett Tillman’s new book is a fresh look at these warriors and their exploits

The book’s first chapter, “Heritage of Valor,” provides a wealth of information on the aura, the legend and the myths of the medal. Tillman compares the medal to its counterpart for other nations, such as the British Victoria Cross, and deals with the changing criteria for the MOH through the years. Mentioned too are some who are commonly believed to have received the medal — the Army’s Colin Kelly, for instance, and some who probably should have, such as Marion Carl and Swede Vejtasa.

The final chapter includes things one may not have thought of — the B-17 Flying Fortress has been the mount of more winners (17) than any other aircraft, while the Grumman F4F Wildcat leads all fighter and Navy/Marine types, with eight.

Other chapters are arranged by war and service, with each recipient covered individually. What’s unique about this effort is that Tillman doesn’t rely solely on the official (and frequently stilted) citations, but upon interviews with numerous experts and witnesses of the events along with as many of the surviving medal recipients as he could locate. What you get is a Paul Harvey-like “the rest of the story” that includes interservice rivalries, some self-service and a fair dose of politics, courage, heroism and sacrifice.

The author likewise covers other aviation-related awards, and men who received the medal while prisoners of war. In many cases, Tillman has been able to list the specific aircraft flown for the event by serial or Bureau Number.

Among the familiar names such as Bong, Estocin, O’Hare and Foss, the reader will find many whose valor have been lost to history. Typical of these is the first pilot to be awarded the Medal of Honor, a Naval Aviator named Charles Hammann, who with the obscure rank of “Landsman for Quartermaster” flew floatplanes in the Italian theater during World War I. The destroyer named for him, USS Hammann (DD-412), would later be sunk alongside Yorktown (CV-5) during the Battle of Midway.

Though there is no photographic section in this work, there really doesn’t need to be. Pictures are limited to head-and-shoulder shots or drawings of the recipients. The attractive dust cover features the heroic mug of legendary Marine fighter pilot John Smith.

Most of us can count the number of Medal of Honor recipients we’ve met on one hand. This book provides us with unusual and well-presented insight into the medal and the men who won it.

Punk’s Wing; Ward Carroll; Signet Books, New York, N.Y., 2003; softcover, 336 pages. $6.99

Hard as it is to write a highly successful debut novel, it’s even harder to follow it with one of equal or higher appeal, even when using the same main character and general venue.

Ward Carroll, however, has written what is arguably one of the best second novels in recent memory. LT “Punk” Reichert has finished his tour with the VF-104 Arrowslingers described in the first book, Punk’s War. Punk now rotates to the F-14 FRS as an instructor and immediately runs head-on into the problem of a struggling female student and her entourage, as well as Congressional and Navy enforcers bent on making sure she completes the intense pre-fleet introduction to the F-14. Added to this are Punk’s own problems of a rather ill-advised engagement and the death of his best friend in a midair.

Carroll’s second writing effort shows a maturing style from his first novel, good as that was. He addresses many of today’s ongoing concerns — some old, some new — in the current air Navy: the pressure on flight students (even after they get their wings), conflict and confrontation with and between LSOs, senior officers and high-level civilian observers who sometimes get in the way, but sometimes have valuable contributions to make. Then there’s the pressure, fear and disappointment that surround this volatile mix of people and situations. It’s all here in a tour de force that will have experienced heads laughing, then nodding in tight-lipped “been there” agreement.

There’re lots of golf references in this book (Carroll is an avid golfer), a ratcheting up of character flaws and foibles, and an unusually detailed look at post-winging FRS training never addressed by other tech-fiction writers. A chapter that will bring a knowing smile details the choosing of callsigns by the RAG instructors.

Perhaps the most important such reference is the one that signals the end of the book, namely the 9/11 attacks and their subsequent meaning to the members of Punk’s FRS group as Carroll brings them to the fleet and to their first missions over Afghanistan. The final chapter of the book includes a tension-filled sequence as Punk and his friends arrive in theater and fly a bombing mission deep into Afghanistan.

This exciting, spot-on tale of a Naval Aviator is clearly destined to be popular with those who are flying or have flown the Navy’s aircraft. Ward Carroll has clearly carved out a niche for himself in the highly competitive arena of fiction writers.

AWACS and Hawkeyes: The Complete History of Airborne Early Warning Aircraft; LCDR Edwin Leigh Armistead, USN; MBI Publishing Co., St. Paul, Minn., 2002; hardcover, 207 pages, illustrated, appendices. $24.95

AWACS and Hawkeyes is a carefully researched, comprehensive account of the role that AEW has played in modern air warfare. LCDR Armistead provides the reader with a record of the development of AEW in the Navy and the Air Force from the operator’s perspective.

Early AEW development was driven by the threat to carriers from Japanese low fliers early in World War II, and later from the Soviet bomber threat to U.S. forces. Early Navy and Air Force aircraft were severely limited by the lack of airborne automatic tracking capability and mechanical limitations, most notably equipment cooling systems. Eventually, technology produced more powerful radars and great advances in computer performance. The author points out that the 1960s were a period of significant organizational changes in the AEW community with the establishment of VAW squadrons and standardized training. AEW operators built the professional foundation during operations in the Vietnam War, upon which today’s VAW squadrons reside.

The scope of this book goes well beyond what might be expected to include the development of AWACS, operational mishaps along the way and AEW development in countries elsewhere in the world.

The development details of countless versions of Navy and Air Force AEW aircraft and systems overwhelm the reader at times, yet he is left with a clear sense of the pivotal role that AEW has played in modern air warfare. LCDR Armistead has given us a book that is a worthy tribute to those who made AEW what it is today.

Sailors to the End: The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It; Gregory A. Freeman; William Morrow, New York, N.Y., 2002; hardcover, 307 pages, illustrated. $25.95

This book, the only full-length treatment of the devastating fire aboard CVA-59 in July 1967, is a classic example of what happens when someone with little knowledge of the subject attempts an “insider account” of the event. It’s actually two different books — the first finds the author struggling to set the stage as he describes an aircraft carrier and the people that man it. In this, he makes all-too-frequent errors in history and terminology that frankly are quite distracting.

However, as he finally gets into telling the incredible story of the fire, its beginning and the heroic efforts of all the crew to save their ship, he settles into a dramatic, flowing narrative that carries out his promise to the crew to, first and foremost, tell their story .

Freeman devotes several pages to describing several old bombs delivered by the ammunition ship Diamond Head (AE-19) a few days before the fire. According to his running account, the carrier’s ammunition officer — whom he never names and interchangeably calls a sailor and an officer — becomes incensed when he discovers that these old, fat bombs were in crates with what appear to be manufacture dates of 1935, 32 years before. It is these bombs, loaded on several A-4s, particularly the bombs on John McCain’s aircraft, that quickly explode after the inadvertent firing of a Zuni rocket from an F-4 across the flight deck, setting in motion the terrible sequence of events that took 134 lives.

More likely, the “1935” was part of a lot number, and the senior ordnance officer might have mistook it for a manufacture date. Also, no bomb in use at that time, no matter how new it was, would have withstood the tremendous heat of the initial flare-up caused by the Zuni hit, and would have “reacted” (exploded) just as quickly.

The Forrestal fire resulted in the creation of the Navy’s Insensitive Munitions Program, part of the Naval Ordnance Safety and Security Activity. Today’s weapons contain an explosive mixture that withstands such intense heat. Soon after the Forrestal blaze, bombs also began receiving an ablative coating that further protected the bomb.

Finally, it is hard to believe, and actually probably impossible to prove, that such ancient ordnance was still in the system. A bomb that old was probably made by the Army and would not fit on Navy aircraft without massive modification, which 30 years or more later would have been completely uneconomical to try.

Yet, the author does quote several people who were there, even a 20-year-old A-4 pilot. At this point, the days of teenage Naval Aviators such as George Bush or Don Engen were long gone. Perhaps as a NavCad, he might have been 22 or 23, after nearly two years of flight training, but not 20. He would have had to begun flight training when he was 18! We meet this individual again later in the book, and I am confused as to whether he was indeed a pilot or perhaps a sailor, which makes his age more plausible.

Other errors? Well, I’ll just mention a few. No carrier ever had three deck-edge elevators. The “co-pilot” of a World War II dive bomber, probably an SB2C Helldiver? Obviously, he means the rearward-facing gunner, who had a rudimentary set of instruments, but no flight controls. Describing the portly G4M Betty bomber as not only a fighter, but as “beautiful.” And, my personal favorite, the “important role” of the Midway-class carriers during WW II. He uses “night rats” for “midrats” and “ceiling” for “overhead.” And much more, including the “radio intercept officer” for an F-4 backseater, instead of radar intercept officer. This writer desperately needed a knowledgeable editor, but his publisher apparently decided to forego this luxury. I have to blame the publisher for including two photos of Forrestal well outside the period in the book. The outside back cover shows A-7s on the flight deck — Corsairs didn’t join a Forrestal air wing until nearly four years after the fire. One of the interior photos plainly shows such late 1950s types as Cougars, Furys and Skyraiders. Are we to understand that no one connected with this book could find a photo of the carrier during this mid-1960s time frame?

Despite this, the story is heroic, almost Olympian at times, as young sailors stand by their stations, terribly hurt, in endless agony as they try to overcome the tragedy unfolding all around them. When Freeman begins weaving individual stories of survival and accomplishment into the main narrative, he does well. Even now, 35 years later, it’s still appropriate for us to be proud of Forrestal’s crew, the ship’s company and air wing.

Unfortunately, when he writes about the post-fire investigation, he begins to slip back into a halting description. He has an arduous task, trying to bring all the different facets of the fire and its cause together with the terrible months of rehabilitation and healing the crew faced. Then, there’s the captain, John Beling, who had received word before deploying that he would be promoted to rear admiral after the cruise. Through a series of twists and turns during the investigation, it seems that his career might be saved by no less a senior officer than CNO Admiral Tom Moorer, who knew Beling and did his best to shield him from the system’s wrath. Eventually, however, Beling was shipped off to Iceland, his career apparently ended.

Actually, CAPT Beling did not fare as badly as the author would have us believe. He received a Legion of Merit for his work on the CNO’s staff, and was also promoted to flag rank a year after the fire. His billet in Iceland was that of Commander, Iceland Defense Force and Commander, Fleet Air Keflavik. Given the tenor of the times at the height of the Cold War, this assignment was not the backwater job the author would have us believe.

There’s a lot in this book that should have been better, from both the author’s and the publisher’s standpoints. And at first, I was inclined to recommend not reading it. But the crew’s story deserves to be read and understood, even though the present author did a less-than-perfect job of writing it. No one has covered the fire in such detail, flawed though it might be, and until something better comes along in the manner of Wynn Foster’s Fire on the Hangar Deck, the story of the fire in Oriskany (CVA-34), written by someone who knows what he’s writing about, Greg Freeman’s account of the Forrestal tragedy will have to do.

Zero Dark Thirty; Samuel Brantley; Hellgate Press, Central Point, Ore., 2002; softcover, 288 pages. $15.95

Zero Dark Thirty is not just another bang-bang, shoot-shoot combat autobiography. The reader finds out quickly that the book’s title forewarns the dark separation and isolation of those who have experienced actual combat from those who have not, a continual theme of the book.

Author Brantley divides his story into rough thirds. Most of the aviation-related material appears in the first part, which is a journey through the transformation from wannabe to MARCAD to winged Naval Aviator flying A-4Es out of Chu Lai in South Vietnam during 1968. Brantley provides substantial, colorful detail on flying the Scooter in close air support of mud Marines as well as day and night trips Up North.

Brantley clearly loves the A-4 — “The Scoot was a fabulous little device,” he asserts. Other parts of the book recall his experience as an LSO who got his boat qualification in order to be able to wave Marine Aviators in SATS (short airfield for tactical support) operations, which are carrier landings without ramp strikes. He also details the joy of special-weapons delivery and air combat maneuvering and makes the point that “single-seat aircraft are private places.”

The heart of the book begins with his subsequent assignment as a FAC to the first battalion of the 7th Marines, part of the ground force defending Da Nang. Brantley is among the best in describing the time-compressed, shocking violence of fire fights, continually describing the sound and images of combat. The Marines in this story are far, far away from the dope-smoking nutcases too often depicted in films — they are hard-eyed killers in an environment where “you can’t hesitate and live.”

Finally, Brantley must face the world back home where no one has a clue. The entire combat experience has separated him from those who have not — he has isolated himself from wartime personal relationships that all too often ended in fireballs or disjointed body parts. There is survivor guilt, then anger. His complete absorption with tactical aviation while training combat aviators with VMT-103 at MCAS Yuma precludes his caring about anything else. He loses his family, becomes disillusioned with the Marine Corps and essentially becomes a desert hermit, sleeping with his gun.

Combat veterans will recognize elements of Brantley’s story in their own lives. We’re thankful that most of us have adapted better.

Naval Fighters No. 51: Douglas A-4E/F Skyhawk in Navy Service; Steve Ginter; Steve Ginter, Simi Valley, Calif., 2001; softcover, 170 pages, illustrated. $29.95
Naval Fighters No. 52: Douglas A-4E/F Skyhawk in Marine Service; Steve Ginter and Steven Albright; Steve Ginter, Simi Valley, Calif. 2001; softcover, 66 pages, illustrated. $15.95

During Vietnam the Douglas A-4E and F Skyhawks were the workhorses of the Navy and Marine Corps light attack community, equipping more than 30 squadrons. Small, tough, honest and highly nimble, the A-4 still flies in the fleet today with VC-8.

No. 51 and its companion No. 52 of the Naval Fighters series covers in detail the two models of the Skyhawk that flew with the Navy and Marine Corps. The former provides 41 pages of both models’ development, aircraft description details and drawings, plus 19 pages of armament detail and ordnance carried by both.The last part of No. 51 is devoted to six Navy Cross citations of A-4E pilots, pictures and write-ups on the A4D-4 and A4D-6 aircraft, plus a chart detailing the main differences between the A-4C, -4E, -4F, -4L, TA-4F and TA-4J. More than 280 photographs, 13 of them in color, lavishly illustrate A-4 details and squadron color schemes.

No. 52 covers 14 VMA and MAT Marine active-duty and Reserve squadrons with brief histories, insignias and 170 or more photographs, 13 of which are in color. This volume also reviews the various Douglas A-4E/F models in plastic.

Both books are written in the usual Naval Fighters series format, accompanied by excellent research, photographs and information on the Skyhawk aircraft.

Lady in the Navy: A Personal Reminiscence; Joy Bright Hancock; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 2002; softcover, 304 pages, illustrated, appendices, index. $18.95

No one can tell the story of women in the Navy in World War I and the formation and work of the WAVES (women accepted for volunteer emergency service) during WW II and the post-war period with more authority than the author. Following Navy service as a yeoman (F) “Yeomanette” in 1917, she was from 1934 to 1942 the first editor of the BuAer newsletters that later evolved into Naval Aviation News. She joined the WAVES in 1942 and during WW II was their representative in BuAer. From the end of the war until 1953, she served as Assistant Chief of Naval Personnel for Women until her retirement in 1953 as a captain.

Hancock worked closely with such BuAer luminaries as RADM John Towers as well as CDRs Arthur Radford and Ralph Ofstie in 1940–’41 in the fight to convince the Navy that women were going to be needed in the coming conflict. After dragging its feet considerably, the Navy in 1942 finally created the WAVES and, by the end of WW II 8,000 officers and 78,000 enlisted personnel were in uniform, with 8,000 more in training.

Lady in the Navy is an illuminating, well-written and historically important account told by a remarkable lady who devoted herself both to the Navy and to the women whose capacity and ability to serve she never doubted.

Summer 2003

Stand Well Clear: More Adventures in Military Aviation; Donald K. Tooker; Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, Md., 2003; hard cover, 224 pages, illustrated. $26.95

Don Tooker, the author of The Second Luckiest Pilot published by Naval Institute Press, has produced another superb and highly enjoyable book containing 19 Naval Aviation tales. The stories run the gamut from hilarious to deadly serious as they cover events from World War II, flight training, Korea and Vietnam and flying an F/A-18 Hornet over Afghanistan.

Readers of these short stories will instantly identify with events that happened to themselves or their buddy. The reader will enjoy the commanding officer who asks his squadron to do something that the wardroom all thinks unnecessary, the flight surgeon who gives his all, the junior officer who tells it like it is to the XO who would rather hear a more diplomatic view or the pilot being caught in ugly weather with low fuel and few choices for landing.

Some of the stories come from flying F4Us in Korea shooting down Yak fighters; describing a bad day in June 1950 when a Navy pilot and three VMF COs are lost along with five F4Us, one F7F and a HO3S; and flying on the biggest air strike against North Korea. Others describe flying a Porterfield light plane during the civilian pilot training program in WW II; a first flight in an SNJ and “Oops, but we have to bail out now”; and the high-diving wife of the CO of MCAS Kaneohe. Two personal favorites involve a 1924 Detroit Page car used by four intrepid aviators in 1947 while at NAS Cecil Field, and the author’s daily commute by light plane from Oceanside to Van Nuys.

Well-written and filled with wit, this book is an appealing look at the humor and drama of Naval Aviation.

Acts of Vengeance; Robert Gandt; Signet Books, New York, N.Y., 2003; softcover, 354 pages. $6.99

Acts of Vengeance follows the well-received With Hostile Intent by former Navy pilot and Tailhooker Robert Gandt. It brings back its hero, Brick Maxwell, now a Super Hornet squadron skipper on USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76), operating in the waters off Yemen. Author Gandt, who knows his stuff, provides the reader with a plethora of whiz-bang, techno-action and old-fashioned knife-and-pistola duels.

Like a classic Western movie, the acts of vengeance are perpetrated by a really bad guy. He happens to be an Ubermench Arab, dedicated to getting lots of payback for the perceived offing of his family by the minions of the United States. He just happens to have been educated and trained as a Falcon pilot by the Yankees he has come to hate; he also managed to make lots of important political contacts, some of whom he has subverted in typical, slippery fashion. His idea of fun is scraping an opponent off on a rock during a Red Flag exercise and executing prisoners tied to a stake by strafing them. His real objective, though, is to humiliate the American infidels by sinking an aircraft carrier.

There are other bad guys, mostly on our side, who are fun to hate. But the real excitement is in the fast-paced action with something for nearly all military junkies — close air support, dropping cluster bombs on gomers, and sniping and perimeter-defense shooting by an out-manned Marine rescue team. There are SAMs and a guns-kill of a missile site. Air-to-air missiles fly and both sides lose aircraft in a climactic dogfight that is authentic in action and terminology. Finally, there is the Kilo-class diesel submarine that puts a couple of torpedoes into Reagan as part of the vengeance theme.

There is a plucky girl reporter and an “Alien” wing-person as love interests, too. But the main enjoyment in this book is Gandt’s pleasurable story telling and authenticity. Oh, yes — the Bad Guy survives his shootdown to sneak off into the desert to plot for a hoped-for sequel.

Genda’s Blade: Japan’s Squadron of Aces, Kokutai 343; Henry Sakaida and Koji Takaki; Classic Publications, Hersham, Surrey, U.K., 2003; hard cover, 208 pages, illustrated, appendices, index. $49.95

Minoru Genda was an exceptional Naval Aviator and leader who, before World War II, led Japan’s best-known aerobatic team. A key planner of the Pearl Harbor attack, he became head of the Japanese Air Self Defense Force in the 1950s. He also commanded the Imperial Navy’s most professional air group defending the Home Islands in 1945. Genda’s Blade is the first time the full story of the 343rd Kokutai has been told in English.

Henry Sakaida is acknowledged by many as the leading Japanese aviation historian in America. Co-author Koji Takaki is among the senior researchers in Japan. Together they have assembled the definitive work on Genda’s 343rd Air Group, the product of more than 20 years of research in the United States and Japan.

In late 1944 then-CAPT Genda reformed the 343rd and staffed it with the most experienced fighter pilots available. The land-based air group mainly flew the Kawanishi N1K2 Shiden-Kai, a potent interceptor with four 20mm cannon. The group, containing three fighter squadrons and a reconnaissance unit, was dedicated to defending the homeland against increasingly capable U.S. Navy carrier task groups.

With exceptional detail, the authors trace the evolution of the 343rd from establishment through five months of combat and demobilization at war’s end. Ironically, much of the story had to be “reverse engineered” via U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and Army Air Forces action reports. Most Japanese records were lost or destroyed, requiring additional spadework to fill in the gaps. Genda died in 1989, but many surviving 343rd personnel were willing to help, and the foreword is provided by LCDR Yoshio Shiga, Genda’s exec.

Sakaida is well known for his cockpit-to-cockpit matchups, and he continues the trend in this volume. He repeatedly mates American aircrews with their enemies, resolving the inevitable confusion of conflicting claims. The authors readily acknowledge that overclaiming occurred on both sides, and in the end the 343rd suffered a deficit kill ratio of about 1:3. The group earned a fighting reputation, though they lost nearly 90 pilots between March and August 1945, including four squadron COs. However, the amazing variety of their opponents is clearly shown: F6Fs, F4Us, PB4Ys, PBYs, PBMs, P-51s and B-29s.

The volume is richly illustrated with some 300 rare photos and a fine collection of aircraft profiles by artist Tom Tullis. Appendices testify to the authors’ exceptional research talent with TOE, pilot rosters and a full list of casualties. In short, Genda’s Blade raises the bar for Japanese unit histories — a standard that will be difficult to meet, let alone exceed.

Naval Air Station, Lakehurst; Kevin Pace, Ronald Montgomery and Rick Zitarosa; Arcadia Publishing, Charleston, S.C., 2003; softcover, 128 pages, illustrated. $19.99

The authors, all members of the Lakehurst Historical Society, have produced a gem of a book that covers 85 years of what is today the Naval Air Engineering Station, Lakehurst.

The base began in 1915, first as a private and then U.S. Army chemical warfare proving grounds during the First World War. At war’s end, Camp Kendrick was declared surplus. The Navy purchased the entire base in mid-1919 to be used as a site for a “dirigible field” that was to become NAS Lakehurst, the focal point of the Navy’s lighter-than-air operations and training for the next four decades until the LTA program was terminated in 1962. During this period, the base witnessed the rise and fall of the Navy’s rigid airship program, its use for German Zeppelin visits until the 1937 Hindenburg disaster and the development of the Navy’s extensive non-rigid dirigible program from 1939 through 1962.

Besides serving as the LTA headquarters, Lakehurst also saw service since 1924 as the Navy’s Parachute Rigger and Aerographer’s Mate school. With the end of WW II, Lakehurst began to diversify its aviation activities by becoming a helicopter experimental and training base in 1947. An O&R was established in the 1950s, and Reserve fixed-wing VS squadrons were based there in the 1970s. Lakehurst also became the Navy’s catapult and arresting gear test facility and training base for more than 30 years for aviation bosun mates.

The authors used 200 black-and-white photographs, most of which have not been published previously, which cover the people, facilities and aircraft to convey Lakehurst’s rich and varied history. Each photograph is accompanied by an informative caption. One error was noted — the helicopter on page 96 is a Bell HTL-1, not a Hiller HTE.

Aviation historians will enjoy this book for its superb coverage of this many-faceted air station.

Fall 2003

From the Flight Deck: An Anthology of the Best Writing on Carrier Warfare; edited by Peter B. Mersky; Brassey’s Inc., Washington, D.C., 2003; hardcover, 337 pages, illustrated. $29.95

The subtitle of this collection of 34 tales by award-winning historian Peter Mersky is the key — “the best writing on carrier warfare.” Any choices for the “best” are often arguable and controversial, and this anthology is no exception. However, it was not until the ninth selection that there was even a slight doubt and, by the end, only one that this reader thinks was poor writing. (Useful history (Suez 1956), but tedious narrative.)

Mersky has arranged the excerpts in chronological order, and his selections cover the entire history of carrier warfare from Eugene Ely to the Balkans. Especially valuable is the author’s introduction to each chapter that is informative, accurate and helpful in understanding the writings that follow.

Authors whose works are familiar to Tailhookers include Norman Polmar, Don Engen, John Moore, Rosario (Zip) Rausa, E.T. Woolridge, Sherman Baldwin and others. Excerpts by British, Japanese and French military writers provide insight that gives perspective to the usual American “take” on historical events. Especially enjoyable are excerpts from Richard Newhafer’s The Last Tallyho and James Mitchener’s classic Bridges of Toko-Ri, proving that fiction often explains history in the best possible way.

Highly recommended for information and enjoyment, From The Flight Deck is especially useful as an introduction to the wealth of excellent writing available about carrier aviation. However, a warning for those who plan to expand their libraries to include the books cited — not all are easily available.

MiG Killers of Yankee Station; Michael O’Connor; New Past Press, Inc., Friendship, Wis., 2003; hardcover, 272 pages, illustrated. $45.00

Mike O’Connor’s meticulously researched and spot-on account of Navy and Marine air combat over North Vietnam is a must-read for all present and future fighter aircrews, or anyone seeking an understanding of that era in Naval Aviation history.

The author spent nearly 20 years researching, interviewing aircrews and assembling the chronology of the most significant portions of eight years of air combat over North Vietnam. The reader is sure to be fascinated by the true-to-life descriptions of each engagement from the participants themselves. The firsthand accounts of these MiG engagements are presented in the context of the war, which include the reasons for the formation of Topgun and how it eventually affected the success of Navy fighter tactics. The text is brought to life with more than 350 eye-popping photos and the rich vernacular of the fighter crews.

The author’s writing style puts the reader in the cockpit and with the words of the aircrews relates the details of how each engagement developed as well as insights into the common traits of Navy MiG killers. If you were on Yankee Station, you will instantly recall the confusion and physical demands of air combat. If you weren’t, you will be fascinated by these accounts.

This book is lively, anecdotal and accurate — a great read. This reviewer considers it the definitive history of the Navy’s MiG battles over North Vietnam.

U.S. Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Aviation, Vol. II: Aircraft 1916–1942; Wayne H. Heiser; Sunflower University Press, Manhattan, Kan., 1996; soft cover, 197 pages, illustrated, appendices. $39.95
U.S. Naval and Marine Corps Reserve Aviation, Vol. III: History of the Naval Reserve Aviation Bases; Wayne H. Heiser; 1stBooks, Bloomington, Ind., 2003; soft cover, 314 pages, illustrated, appendices. $16.95

Vol. II of the author’s three-volume series contains a detailed history of Naval Reserve Aviation, plus the specifications and Bureau Numbers of various aircraft used by the Naval Reserve from 1916 to the end of 1943. Each aircraft is represented with a photograph and caption.

In addition to the well-written aircraft histories, the author provides aircraft inventory tables for all the Reserve activities extending from 1923 through 1942, Reserve squadron designations/numbering systems, Reserve aircraft coloring and markings and Naval Reserve Aviation Base insignias.

In Vol. III, the author details the inception, growth and history of prewar and World War II Naval Reserve Aviation Bases plus the five WW II aviation preflight schools located at St. Mary’s College and Monterey in California; Chapel Hill, N.C.; Athens, Ga.; and the University of Iowa. Accounts of each NRAB and pre-flight school are illustrated with pictures of the activity and aircraft flown from them. A Reserve Aviation chronology provides a wealth of information on important dates, where Reserve squadrons were located, their designations and other bits of useful information.

Both volumes, being of the print-on-demand variety, suffer somewhat from photograph quality that is not first-rate, but that detracts little from the importance of Wayne Heiser’s effort. Both contain enough information on the Naval Aviation Reserves and Navy flight training that they must be considered a valued addition to an aviation historian’s bookshelf.

The Hidden Empire; Howard Lawson and Ron Speers; Ivy House Publishing Group, Raleigh, N.C., 2003; soft cover, 473 pages. $21.95

In their maiden offering as novelists, Tailhookers Howard Lawson and Ron Speers have combined to treat readers to a fast-paced adventure with a distinct Naval Aviation flair. Weaving a complex tale in crisp, exciting prose, Lawson and Spears trace the post-active-duty career of CDR Decatur “Deke” Mallory, a F/A-18 Hornet squadron skipper with strong family and professional ties to the Central American country of Costa Verde.

Because of this, Mallory soon becomes deeply entwined in the politics of the country as neo-Nazis conspire to stage a coup and establish a Fourth Reich in the Western Hemisphere. Mallory’s intimate knowledge of key personalities and culture of the country causes him to be drafted by the CIA and the President of the United States to identify and defeat the horror facing Costa Verde. What follows is exciting action that includes spies, highly placed moles and even Vatican politics.

As might be expected of an intrepid Navy carrier pilot, Mallory quickly tests his skill and ingenuity as he flies a Grumman F8F Bearcat against enemy aircraft in a gripping aerial battle in which Mallory sends four of them in flames to the jungle below. Anyone who has flown easily imagines himself in the cockpit of the snarling Bearcat throughout each encounter.

Looking for a good read featuring plenty of intrigue and action? Authors Lawson and Speers spin their gripping tale well, and have made it difficult indeed for the reader to put the volume down.

Winter 2003

Flyboys: A True Story of Courage; James Bradley; Little-Brown, Boston, Mass., 2003; hardcover, 398 pages, illustrated, index. $25.95

This is a story that needs telling. Unfortunately, it deserves to be told much better.

In 2002 James Bradley burst onto the literary scene with Flags of Our Fathers, a bittersweet account of the Iwo Jima flag-raising in 1945. It was a story he knew well; his father was one of the six men in the famous photograph. However, Flags was written with Pulitzer Prize author Ron Powers, resulting in a superior book. Going solo, Bradley addresses U.S. and Japanese forces elsewhere in the Bonin Islands, notably Chichi Jima, which was occupied by U.S. forces after V-J Day. At that time it became apparent that American airmen had been captured by a breed of drunken Japanese cannibals. In early 1945 the emperor’s “spirit warriors” had committed ritual atrocities upon at least eight POWs whose short lives are described.

Sadly, for such a gripping tale there is so much to criticize about Flyboys that it’s hard to begin. Perhaps the dust jacket is a logical spot: It features a dramatic SBD-3 photo. The trouble is, no Dauntlesses ever got within about 700 miles of the Bonins.

More pointedly, Bradley is so eager to appear objective that he commits the egregious error of comparing U.S. military policy with Japan’s. Whatever the cultural differences, Americans did not conduct ritual executions, eat their prisoners (living or dead), or “honor” POWs with beheadings. While the Japanese military institutionalized cannibalism, the subject was unknown in Western nations. Consequently, there was no statute to try Japanese criminals for the specific charge; murder of POWs and “dishonorable burial” had to suffice. Some offenders were executed in 1946–’47, but many U.S. veterans still believe that others escaped the hangman due to Truman and MacArthur’s concern for “the big picture.”

Among Flyboys’ many faults is that Bradley does not understand his subject. His knowledge of aviation is less than rudimentary — he thinks the U.S. Navy had jets in 1944; that carriers have “runways” and that pilots approach “the back of the ship.” Further, he completely misinterprets the Battle of Coral Sea and grossly simplifies Midway.

This is a shame. Bradley traveled extensively to research his book and invested heavily in the emotional aspect of the subject. But he consistently loiters in the literary bolter pattern.

Apart from this, much of Bradley’s writing style is downright irritating. Even the excellent Flags was marred by persistent references to “boys.” One wonders when combat riflemen of the United States Marine Corps may be considered men. The current title will be frivolous to many, and Bradley flogs the appellation “Flyboys” (always capitalized), using it five and six times a page.

Another aggravating habit is Bradley’s insistence on referring to Americans by their first names: Teddy, Billy, Jimmy, and Curtis are Roosevelt, Mitchell, Doolittle and LeMay, among others. Apparently “James” expects us to think he knew each of them intimately. It’s the Geraldo Rivera School of Journalism: “John and Yoko told me ...” when “The Lennons said” would suffice. Meanwhile, Bradley refers to some Japanese by the honorific, as in “Tamamura-san.” He seems to have more respect for Japanese than for Americans.

Bradley further descends into silliness by changing the B-25 Mitchell into the “Billy” bomber; Doolittle’s raiders launched from CV-8 in 16 “Billys.” Ho-lee smokes!

Nor does Bradley allow us to forget that he interviewed “George” (former President George H.W. Bush) who was shot down at Chichi Jima and rescued in September 1944. The author makes much of the fact that a future politician was not cannibalized, but doesn’t bother mentioning the squadrons to which actual victims belonged. For the record, they were VB-1, USS Yorktown (CV-10); VT-12, Randolph (CV-15); plus VT-82 and VMF-123, Bennington (CV-20). A B-24 crewman remains unidentified while Bradley unaccountably omits a Lexington (CV-16) VF-19 pilot, murdered and eaten in August 1944.

In his unrelenting effort to be as critical of the United States as of Japan, Bradley cites the American record against Indians, Mexicans and whales in the 19th century. He ignores current Japanese whaling and forgets that thousands of Indians served their country during World War II (including an Iwo flag raiser), while the Republic of Mexico sent its only combat unit to kill Japanese in liberating the Philippines.

Furthermore, the author’s disapproving tone about bombing Japanese cities is far removed from wartime context. Because the U.S. options were to destroy enemy industry or to invade, or both, criticism is reduced to irrelevance. Beyond that, the chapters describing the horrific effects of fire bombing are extraneous: They contribute nothing to the Chichi Jima story and appear to serve as padding.

James Bradley will never understand, but here’s the LSO debrief: Low start, flat in the middle, climbed to glideslope, drifted left, late line-up, high at the ramp. Bolter.

The A-1 Skyraider in Vietnam: The Spad’s Last War; Wayne Mutza; Schiffer Publishing Ltd., Atglen, Pa., 2003; hardcover, 216 pages, illustrated, appendices. $49.95

Presented in this publisher’s familiar large format, Wayne Mutza’s latest book is an impressive collection of photos, facts and personal experiences describing one of America’s most enduring military aircraft in its last combat actions. The text is informative and well written, and there is an interesting series of tables and rosters in the appendices that briefly give the career of each Skyraider along with its bureau/serial number, an important reference tool. Other collections depicted include Spad patches and insignia and individual pilots.

Somewhat surprisingly, the author’s bibliography does not include anything from Naval Aviation News nor Zip Rausa’s Skyraider, The A-1 Flying Dump Truck, (Nautical & Aviation, 1982, 2001). Rausa flew the A-1 on the Spad’s last single-seater combat cruise, knew the plane’s designer, Ed Heinemann, and was editor of Naval Aviation News.

Mutza describes the Skyraider’s service in the Navy, Air Force and South Vietnamese air force, supplementing facts with colorful experiences. I’ve read accounts of MAJ Bernie Fisher’s Medal of Honor rescue of a fellow pilot, but this particular rendition is one of the best and most complete.

The first official American involvement in the war in Southeast Asia was the Gulf of Tonkin incidents of August 1964. The U.S. Navy’s retaliation involved A-1 squadrons, and for the next four years the Skyraider flew missions from large- and small-deck carriers. The powerful but slow A-1 was vulnerable to enemy flak, and several Navy A-1 pilots were killed in action.

By spring 1968, all the single-seat A-1s had been withdrawn from front-line Navy squadrons, and shortly afterward the last multi-seat EA-1Es. However, the Skyraider continued to fly combat with the American and South Vietnamese air forces, seeing considerable action, especially as Sandy search-and-rescue escort aircraft.

It’s all here in this highly readable book.

Black Star; Robert Gandt; Signet, New York, N.Y., 2003; soft cover, 351 pages. $7.50

By now, most readers of The Hook know that Robert Gandt knows some stuff. The former Navy pilot brings back his hero, Brick Maxwell, for all sorts of derring-do in Black Star, code name for an ultra-secret stealth aircraft developed on the sly by the Good Old Boys out at Groom Lake. It’s very like a Klingon Bird of Prey that can cloak itself into invisibility to mere mortals as well as radar. Unfortunately, its secrets are sold by a really odious spy to the Peoples Republic of China, who develop and utilize it to start a war with Taiwan.

Reminiscent of Clint Eastwood in “Firefox,” Super Hornet Skipper Maxwell is chosen to steal it back. The hostilities between the PRC and the Taiwanese, with tacit help from the United States, provide excellent action sequences. Blackshoe types will read of a Taiwanese frigate battling submarines in the first surface engagement since World War II with a former Soviet Sovremenny-class destroyer. The Taiwanese skipper doesn’t get to “Cross the T,” but missiles fly and torpedoes whoosh. Grunt types will enjoy an excellent helicopter-borne commando raid and firefight on the Chinese air base. Of course, Gandt always provides excellent carrier and air-to-air action.

The book is richly populated with interesting characters. Skipper Maxwell is sufficiently studly, and the bad guys are really bad. Maxwell bags the PRC pilot meanie in a stealthy 1-v-1 dogfight, and the odious spy gets his in the end. But nobody is better than Gandt at describing the ambience and occasional loneliness of life on an aircraft carrier. The book is full of salty similes, such as describing an Air Force man anticipating a catapult shot as “looking like a man waiting for a hemorrhoidectomy.” Bob Gandt is not only an effective action writer, but he can be a very funny man.

War in Pacific Skies, Featuring the Aviation Art of Jack Fellows; Charlie and Ann Cooper with Bob Rocker; MBI Publishing Co., St. Paul, Minn., 2003; hardcover, 192 pages, illustrated, appendices. $39.95

This large-format book is a blend of absolutely stunning aviation art by Jack Fellows and a short history of the Pacific War. One hundred highly detailed paintings and a similar number of black and white photos, accompanied by well-written historical notes, depict familiar and lesser-known actions in the War in the Pacific from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. The captivating artwork, each with its own detailed caption, depicts many of the various aircraft and ships involved in the conflict.

Of particular interest are a painting of PT boats being attacked by Zeros, two SOC Seagulls fighting off a Zero on 7 December 1941, a PB4Y-1 attacking an Emily flying boat, Japanese Peggys attacking the light cruiser USS Houston (CL-81), Japanese ace Nishizawa shooting down a P-38, B-25s attacking Rabaul, and other aerial combat scenes. Though there are a few minor errors in the text and captions, they do not detract from the overall excellence of the book.

War in Pacific Skies would be a valued addition to anyone’s WW II book collection, especially so for the superb, exciting aviation art.

Lost Black Sheep: The Search for WW II Ace Chris Magee; Robert T. Reed; Hellgate Press/PSI Research, Central Point, Ore., 2001; hardcover, 246 pages, illustrated. $24.95

Chris Magee flew Corsairs with Pappy Boyington’s Black Sheep of VMF-214. In fact, with nine kills, Magee was second only to the legendary Pappy as the squadron’s top ace. In a well-known photo, Magee is shown posing with Boyington on the CO’s F4U. The setup was to publicize an offer by the St. Louis Cardinals of a cap for every Japanese plane shot down. It was good stuff, but seldom is the man posing with Boyington identified.

Robert Reed has taken care of this omission in fine style. And why not, since he is the son of Chris Magee, something he found out later in life! This well-done biography presents Magee’s full life, taking it from the beginning in Chicago to his desire to fly combat before the United States entered World War II. He was so eager to fly that he went to Canada to train with the RCAF, only to come home after Pearl Harbor and join the Marines. His wartime service, for which he received the Navy Cross, is told in simple prose, devoid of technical complications.

Magee left the Corps in October 1945. Three years later he was in Israel, fighting for that new country’s independence as one of its first fighter pilots, flying the nasty little Avia S-199, a bastardized Messerschmitt Bf-109 with a bomber engine that produced massive torque and an unforgiving nature.

Chris Magee had trouble finding himself after his military service. He ended up on the wrong side of the law and was eventually sent to prison after a series of bank robberies — a great downfall for such a colorful hero.

How the author discovered his father and joined the Black Sheep family is an important later part of this book. Supported by several photos, this small volume is a good source of information about VMF-214.

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