Kirjahaku

Beginning operations in April 1942 with a shoestring flight of four Lockheed F-4 Lightnings (the photo-recon version of the famed P-38), the 8th Photo Squadron gave the American Army Air Forces its only aerial reconnaissance coverage of the Southwest Pacific during the first part of the war. From the first days over New Guinea until the final sweeps over Japan the squadron struggled with the world's most treacherous weather and faulty equipment as well as a resolute Japanese enemy to write an astounding record of keeping the 5th Air Force pictorially informed. The 8th Photo Squadron participated in every campaign from Buna to Hollandia, Lae to Rabaul, the Philippines to the invasion of Okinawa. The squadron played a part in such famous battles as the Coral Sea and Bismarck Sea. Its first commander was Karl Polifka, who went on to be listed in the first rank of American reconnaissance. This book is comprised of over 500 photos – most of which have never been published before – many from the archives of squadron veterans. Many new facts are added to the annotated squadron diary that was kept when the 8th operated almost singlehandedly during 1942 and 1943.

The epic story of one of the highest scoring fighter units in the southwest Pacific. Aces included McGuire, Loisel, MacDonald, Roberts and Bong.

The story of the highest-scoring P-38 aces of the war, who had claimed approximately half of their total victories by the end of 1943 flying Lightning models ranging from the F-1 through to the H-5. The first P-38s became operational with the 1st Fighter Group in April 1941, and the initial combat deployments were made in Alaska, the Southwest Pacific and North Africa during the latter part of 1942. Photographic reconnaissance versions of the P-38 were in action even sooner when F-4 (P-38E) models were rushed to frontline units a few months after Pearl Harbor.Often using modified field measures to equip aircraft and train pilots in this demanding fighter, early pilots wrote a remarkable record of accomplishments that displayed a high degree of courage and innovation. Every theatre in which the United States was involved saw deployment of the P-38, and more than 60 Lightning pilots were credited with at least five victories by the end of 1943.Featuring illustrations depicting P-38 models from the E to the H-5 previously not known to the general public, unpublished photographs and new data, this volume presents a comprehensive and innovative account of some of these lesser known aces.

Formed with the best available fighter pilots in the Southwest Pacific, the 475th Fighter Group was the pet project of Fifth Air Force chief, General George C Kenney. From the time the group entered combat in August 1943 until the end of the war it was the fastest scoring group in the Pacific and remained one of the crack fighter units in the entire US Army Air Forces with a final total of some 550 credited aerial victories. Amongst its pilots were the leading American aces of all time, Dick Bong and Tom McGuire, with high-scoring pilots Danny Roberts and John Loisel also serving with the 475th. This book details these pilots, the planes they flew and the campaigns and battles they fought in including such famous names as Dobodura, the Huon Gulf, Oro Bay, Rabaul, Hollandia, the Philippines and Luzon.

The P-38 Lockheed Lightning was produced in response to the requirement for a long range, high speed and high altitude fighter to escort the USAAF's expanding B-17 bomber fleet. Powered by supercharged Allison engines, the type went into action both in Europe and the Pacific. This volume deals with the aces of the latter theatre of war who used the P-38 to accrue some of the highest scores achieved by any Allied fighter pilots in World War II. Pilots like Dick Bong (40 kills) and Tom McGuire (38 kills) led the kill listings for over 50 pilots who made aces whilst serving with the Fifth and Thirteenth Air Forces.

Built by Lockheed to meet a USAAC requirement for a long-range, high-performance escort for the B-17 bomber, the P-38 Lightning made its combat debut in Europe in 1942. Its service in several combat theatres earned it the nickname "der gabelschwanzer teufal", or "the fork-tailed devil". Some 17 pilots scored seven or more kills in the P-38, with the top scorers, William J. Sloan and Michael Brezas, scoring 12 kills each. This volume presents archival photographs of Lightnings, scale drawings and interviews with several leading Lightning aces.

Although far better known for their exploits over the war torn skies of Germany and Italy, the USAAF's premier fighters, the P-47 and P-51, also made significant contributions to the victory against Japan from 1943 onwards.This book relates the appearance of the Allison-engined A-36As and P-51As over Rangoon from India in November 1943, the 1st Air Commando Group in China, P-47s over the jungles of New Guinea in 1943, escorting B-29s on long-range bombing sorties against the Home Islands in 1944-45 and elsewhere.