Unlike the war in Europe, the air war in the Pacific, at least for the USN, was often long periods of no combat, and then several days of very intense air to air combat. This was usually the case when the various task groups were involved in either invasions or in concentrated attacks on Japanese facilities.

 Under such conditions, it is amazing that some Navy pilots were able to rack up the scores that they did. Probably one reason was that by 1944, which is the time period of this book, most of the really excellent Japanese pilots were dead or injured to the point of where they were unable to fly combat. It is much like the situation in Germany regarding the quality of late war pilots. However, even those pilots without a lot of time in the air could still be dangerous and were frequently able to shoot down enemy planes.

This book covers two major actions; what came to be known as the Mariana Turkey Shoot and the various battles around the Philippines. One was the last major action for Japanese Naval Air and the second for the Japanese Surface Fleet. After these campaigns, neither was truly effective.

Into all this came Air Group Fifteen. This unit was based on the USS Essex during these operations and is the basis for this book. The air group made many aces, including the Navy's top ace of the war, David McCampbell. But the book is about more than one man. It is about every man in the wing, from the Helldiver crews, to the Avenger crews, to the Hellcat pilots and even those who supported and maintained the planes. Let us never forget that without support, a plane is just a collection of parts, and a pilot a man without a job.

Those who have been with Modeling Madness for any time know that Tom Cleaver is one of the best writers around. I have had the pleasure of knowing Tom now for nearly 20 years and have read several of his screen plays, all of which I fervently hoped would be made into movies as great movies they would be.

Tom has taken his writing abilities and has penned what is one of the best reads I have had in a very long time. By concentrating on not only the air wing and its men, but the situation in which the air wing is involved, he has woven a tapestry of prose that puts you in the middle of it all. It is almost as if he had lived through the experiences.

You not only hear from the fighter pilots and their exploits, but also from those who flew the dive bombers and torpedo bombers. Let us not forget that each of the bombers also had enlisted aircrew manning guns and radios. These men were in the same dangers as the pilots, yet were very much second class citizens when it came to their lives on the ship. Anyone who has been an enlisted man aboard an aircraft carrier knows of which I speak. They shared the dangers, but got none of the perks.

In all, it makes for a truly outstanding book about this famous unit, a unit whose record has never been equaled and probably never will. You need to buy this one.

November 2014

Review book courtesy of the author. You can get your copy from Casemate Publishing or one of the remaining signed copies from Tom Cleaver at tmctheaeronut@yahoo.com 

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