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