An extensively researched and accurate examination of the eight-month
confrontation between two key World War II fighter planes in New
Guinea.
Although New Guinea's Thunderbolt pilots faced several different types
of enemy aircraft in capricious tropical conditions, by far their most
common adversary was the Nakajima Ki-43-II Hayabusa, codenamed "Oscar"
by the Allies. These two opposing fighters were the products of two
radically different design philosophies. The Thunderbolt was heavy,
fast, and packed a massive punch thanks to its battery of eight 0.50-cal
machine guns, while the "Oscar" was the complete opposite in respect to
fighter design philosophy--lightweight, nimble, maneuverable, and
lightly armed. It was, nonetheless, deadly in the hands of an
experienced pilot. The Thunderbolt commenced operations in New Guinea
with a series of bomber escort missions in mid-1943, and its firepower
and superior speed soon saw Fifth Air Force fighter command deploying
elite groups of P-47s to Wewak, on the northern coast. Flying from
there, they would pick off unwary enemy aircraft during dedicated
fighter patrols. The Thunderbolt pilots in New Guinea slowly wore down
their Japanese counterparts by continual combat and deadly strafing
attacks, but nevertheless, the Ki-43-II remained a worthy opponent
deterrent up until Hollandia was abandoned by the IJAAF in April 1944.
Fully illustrated throughout with artwork and rare photographs, this
fascinating book examines these two vastly different fighters in the New
Guinea theater, and assesses the unique geographic conditions that
shaped their deployment and effectiveness.
