Download or read book The Fighting Corsairs written by Jeff Dacus and published by Rowman & Littlefield. This book was released on 2020-10-01 with total page 297 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From an historian and columnist in Leatherneck and Armor magazines, this is the exciting, personal account of a Marine fighter squadron in the South Pacific during the critical days of 1943 when the tide turned against the Japanese. Based on individual interviews and wartime documents, this is a thrilling narrative of the Marines who lived, and died, during the toughest battles of the entire war. It looks at the war through the eyes of some of the greatest fighter pilots of all time, including Bob Hanson, the “Maharajah of Rabaul” and highest-scoring Corsair pilot in history.
Download or read book A Nest of Corsairs written by Seton Dearden and published by John Murray. This book was released on 1976 with total page 372 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Night Cats and Corsairs written by Alan C. Carey and published by Schiffer Publishing. This book was released on 2014-02-01 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The threat of enemy aircraft striking American naval forces at night with impunity during World War II led the Navy to seek fighter aircraft capable of stopping this threat. Trace the history of radar-equipped night fighter aircraft produced for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps by the American aircraft companies Grumman and Vought before the arrival of jets with nocturnal capabilities. World War II squadrons operated night variants of the Vought F4U-2 Corsair and Grumman F6F-3/5N Hellcat while post-war night fighter units were equipped with the Grumman F7F-3N Tigercat and/or Vought F4U-5N/NL. Night Cats and Corsairs contains never before published color and black and white photographs covering the night variants of the F6F Hellcat, F7F Tigercat, F4U-2 and F4U-5N/NL Corsairs.
Download or read book Corsair written by Barrett Tillman and published by Naval Institute Press. This book was released on 2014-01-15 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is the remarkable story of an airplane that became a legend--with a sleek silhouette and bent wings, it doubled as a day and night fighter, could fly off carriers or from land, and served both as a dive bomber and reconnaissance plane. Filled with facts and figures, this fast-paced history begins with the nerve-wracking test flights of the 1940s and concludes with the F4Us that were active thirty-eight years later. Placed skillfully in between are the stories that gave birth to the legend: the exploits of the aces, including the Medal of Honor recipient who shot down twenty-five enemy planes, and the details of the combat missions of Charles A. Lindbergh. During thirty months of combat in World War II with the U.S. Navy and Marines, the Corsair shot down more than two thousand Japanese planes. In Korea the U-bird, as it was called, was credited with ten aerial victories. A trip down memory lane for anyone who has followed the career of this Cadillac of the props, this new paperback edition of a book first published in hardcover in 1979 offers fine historical aviation reading that presents a riveting picture of the men and machine that helped win two wars.
Download or read book Whistling Death written by Boone T. Guyton and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 1994 with total page 316 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Whistling Death is the true story, by the test pilot, of the rush to produce the F4U Corsair, the Navy fighter that brought America air superiority over the Japanese Zero in World War II. Here is the crash program - complete with crash landings - powered by the dedicated men and women of the home front who designed and built this revolutionary, tide-turning airplane. Boone T. Guyton, an experimental test pilot at Chance Vought during and after World War II, flew 105 types of aircraft in 45 years as a pilot.
Download or read book Swashbucklers and Black Sheep written by Bruce Gamble and published by Zenith Press. This book was released on 2012-09-15 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “A stunning portrait of incredibly courageous men and their awesome flying machines.”—Alex Kershaw, author of The Few Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 214 is the world’s most famous fighter squadron. Its second wartime squadron commander was the legendary Greg “Pappy” Boyington. Boyington and the squadron were the loose inspiration for the late-seventies NBC television series Baa Baa Black Sheep, which was later syndicated under the name Black Sheep Squadron. Swashbucklers and Black Sheep is a comprehensive illustrated history of the squadron from its formation and first two combat tours on Guadalcanal as the Swashbucklers, which included their transition to the iconic gull-winged Corsair, to the arrival of their second commander, Pappy Boyington, after which they became the Black Sheep. The squadron’s combat over Bougainville and Rabaul and the story of Boyington being shot down are covered, as are the squadron’s exploits in the latter part of the war (while Boyington was a POW), which culminated in the heavy losses suffered aboard the carrier USS Franklin. The squadron’s service in Korea, Vietnam, and the Global War on Terror complete the storied history of VMF 214. In addition to a rich collection of historical photography, Swashbucklers and Black Sheep features combat aviation artwork from four of America’s top aviation artists: John Shaw, Jim Laurier, Craig Kodera, and Bob Rasmussen.
Download or read book Corsair Down written by Martin Irons and published by Schiffer Military History. This book was released on 2021-08-28 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Vought F4U Corsair was the greatest fighter plane in the WWII Pacific theater. For its pilots, survival was not guaranteed. Enemy planes and antiaircraft fire were dangerous, but aerial mishaps, poor flying, mechanical gremlins, weather, and bad luck took their toll too. American, British, and New Zealander Corsair pilots often found themselves with just seconds to escape. Some disappeared as POWs. A few, such as Major Gregory "Pappy" Boyington, emerged alive at the end of the war. Others had to rely on their training and the means at hand to escape do-or-die situations. Coast watchers, submarines, blimps, and air-sea rescues saved many. Even the French Foreign Legion smuggled a pilot to safety in the most daring Corsair pilot rescue of WWII. Others escaped death initially only to have to fight alongside their rescuers. Included are firsthand accounts from surviving pilots and tales of many of the great WWII Corsair aces.
Download or read book US Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II written by Barrett Tillman and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-05-20 with total page 379 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The US Marine Corps has a long heritage of aviation excellence, a reputation that was largely built on the impact and performance of the “flying leathernecks” in the bitter fighting in the Pacific during World War II. As the US island-hopping campaign against Japan gathered pace, US Marine Corps fighter squadrons operating legendary Grumman and Vought aircraft became instrumental in the success of amphibious assaults and in breaking fierce enemy resistance, engaging Japanese attack aircraft in the skies and ground-based targets while supporting and protecting US ground forces. The flying legends Marion Carl, Greg “Pappy” Boyington, Joe Foss and others were all World War II Marine fighter pilots, taking to the skies in Corsairs, Wildcats, Venturas and Hellcats. Aviation historian Barrett Tillman's comprehensive account US Marine Corps Fighter Squadrons of World War II pays homage to these individuals and their mounts, and is packed with historic and organizational details of the squadrons who took to the skies above the Pacific.
Download or read book Kamikazes Corsairs and Picket Ships written by Robin L. Rielly and published by Casemate. This book was released on 2008-09-05 with total page 449 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The untold story of ferocious air and naval combat during the WWII Battle of Okinawa—drawn from primary sources and survivor interviews. This is the story of an overlooked yet significant aerial and naval battle during the American assault on Okinawa in the spring of 1945. While losses to America’s main fleet are well recorded, less well known is the terrific battle waged on the radar picket line, the fleet’s outer defense against Japanese marauders. Weaving together the experiences of the ships and their crews—drawn from ship and aircraft action reports, ship logs, and personal interviews—historian Robin L. Reilly recounts one of the most ferocious air and naval battles in history. The US fleet—and its accompanying airpower—was so massive that the Japanese could only rely on suicide attacks to inflict critical damage. Of the 206 ships that served on radar picket duty, twenty-nine percent were sunk or damaged by Japanese air attacks, making theirs the most hazardous naval surface duty in World War II. The great losses were largely due to relentless kamikaze attacks, but also resulted from the improper use of support gunboats, failure to establish land-based radar at the earliest possible time, the assignment of ships ill-equipped for picket duty, and, as time went on, crew fatigue. US air cover during the battle is also described in full, as squadrons dashed from their carriers and land bases to intercept the Japanese swarms, resulting in constant melees over the fleet.
Download or read book Vought F4U Corsair written by James D’Angina and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-11-20 with total page 97 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With over 12,500 produced, the Vought F4U Corsair is one of the icons of mid-20th century military aviation. It was as a Marine Corps aircraft that the Corsair was to become famous, fighting through World War II and Korea. Able to outperform its contemporaries, notably the A6M Zero, the Corsair combined speed, resilience and firepower. It also served in Indochina and Algeria, and in 1969's 'Soccer War' between Honduras and El Salvador, Corsairs were flown by both sides and fought the last propeller-aircraft dogfights in history. This highly illustrated volume recounts the design and development history of one of the most iconic fighters in military aviation history.
Download or read book The Men Who Flew the Vought F4U Corsair written by Martin W. Bowmen and published by Pen and Sword Aviation. This book was released on 2021-09-01 with total page 384 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: First flown in 1940, the prototype Vought F4U Corsair instantly became the fastest fighter in the world and the fastest US aircraft of any description. Powered by a huge 18-cylinder Pratt and Whitney Double Wasp engine driving an enormous 13 feet 4 inch propeller, the first Corsairs were capable of 417mph. This figure would rise to nearly 450mph in later versions despite the fact that fuel load and overall weight was increased. Production began in 1941, not only by Vought but also by Goodyear and Brewster. The F4U entered service with the US Navy in September 1942, although carrier-borne operations were initiated a little later not by the Americans but by the British Fleet Air Arm. The aircraft subsequently came to be extensively used from land and sea by the US Marines, Royal Navy, and Royal New Zealand Air Force. Famous squadrons like VMF-214 'The Black Sheep’ and VF-17 ‘Jolly Rogers’, along with many others, maintained total ascendancy over the Japanese for the rest of the war - a remarkable achievement for a single type. After the Second World War, the Corsair stayed in production and was used with distinction by the French in Indo-China and again by the US Navy in Korea. Since then, Corsairs have achieved significant success in air races and more and more are being restored to fly for museums and warbird enthusiasts the world over. Martin Bowman’s comprehensive new book combines technical information and detailed development history with a fascinating combat history told, in many cases, by the Second World War pilots themselves. Well researched, readable, and illustrated with dozens of rare and previously unpublished photographs, The Men Who Flew the Vought F4U Corsair is the perfect book for any fan of the ‘bent wing bird’.
Download or read book The Vought F4U Corsair written by Martin W. Bowman and published by Pen and Sword. This book was released on 2019-12-27 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This fully illustrated history of the iconic American fighter plane examines its development and combat experience through WWII and beyond. First flown in 1940, the Vought F4U Corsair was the fastest fighter in the world and the fastest US aircraft of any description. Powered by a huge 18-cylinder Pratt and Whitney Double Wasp engine, the first Corsairs were capable of speeds up to 417 miles per hour. This figure would rise to nearly 450mph in later versions. The F4U entered service with the US Navy in September 1942 and over time was extensively used by the US Marines, Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Air Force. Famous squadrons that flew these planes—like VMF-214 'The Black Sheep' and VF-17 'Jolly Rogers'—maintained their superiority over the Japanese for the rest of the war. After the Second World War the Corsair was used with distinction by the French in Indo-China and again by the US Navy in Korea. Since then, Corsairs have remained a favorite among warbird enthusiasts the world over. This comprehensive book examines the engineering of the Corsairs alongside a detailed history of their development and usage in combat. Illustrated with scores of rare and previously unpublished photographs, Vought F4U Corsair is the perfect book for any fan of the 'bent wing bird'.
Download or read book F4U Corsair Units of the Korean War written by Warren Thompson and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2012-11-20 with total page 96 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book tells the story of the 26 US Navy Squadrons, most of which were carrier based, and the six Marine Corps F-4 squadrons that flew combat missions against the North Koreans. Drawing from a vast repository of personal interviews with F-4 pilots, the author paints a harrowing picture of the deadly combat of this often forgotten air war. Included in this volume is the story of Lt Guy Bordelon, the US Navy's sole ace of the Korean War, who flew an F4U-5N night-fighter against the night raiders sent up by the Korean Air Force. Supporting the text is a vast number of previously unpublished private photographs that bring the stories of these pilots to life. Finally the book contains extensive appendices that detail every unit deployment by carrier, air group, Corsair model and tail code, as well as detailed lists noting every Corsair lost in the war.
Download or read book The Pirates Laffite written by William C. Davis and published by HMH. This book was released on 2006-05-01 with total page 735 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An “engrossing and exciting” account of legendary New Orleans privateers Pierre and Jean Laffite and their adventures along the Gulf Coast (Booklist, starred review). At large during the most colorful period in New Orleans’ history, from just after the Louisiana Purchase through the War of 1812, privateers Jean and Pierre Laffite made life hell for Spanish merchants on the Gulf. Pirates to the US Navy officers who chased them, heroes to the private citizens who shopped for contraband at their well-publicized auctions, the brothers became important members of a filibustering syndicate that included lawyers, bankers, merchants, and corrupt US officials. But this allegiance didn’t stop the Laffites from becoming paid Spanish spies, disappearing into the fog of history after selling out their own associates. William C. Davis uncovers the truth about two men who made their names synonymous with piracy and intrigue on the Gulf.
Download or read book F4U Corsair vs Ki 84 Frank written by Edward M. Young and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2016-05-19 with total page 84 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Vought Corsair was the first American single-engined fighter to exceed 400 mph and establish dominance over the legendary Mitsubishi Type Zero-sen. The Ki-84 Hayate was introduced by the Japanese specifically to counter this growing American dominance of the skies over the Pacific. Built in greater numbers than any other late war Japanese fighter, nearly 3000 were completed between 1944 and 1945. This volume examines the clashes between the Corsair and Ki-84 in the closing stages of the war, revealing how Corsair pilots had to adapt their techniques and combat strategies to adapt to these newer types. It also reveals how the kill rate was largely driven by the reduced quality of fighter pilots after the high casualty rates inflicted on the Japanese air force during the air battles over the Solomon Islands.
Download or read book The Black Sheep written by Bruce Gamble and published by Presidio Press. This book was released on 2007-12-18 with total page 562 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With their renowned squadron leader Greg “Pappy” Boyington, Marine Fighting Squadron (VMF) 214 was one of the best-known and most colorful combat units of World War II. The popular television series Baa Baa Black Sheep added to their legend—while obscuring the truly remarkable combat record of the Black Sheep and Boyington. A retired naval flight officer and former historian for the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, Bruce Gamble provides a highly readable account that serves to both correct and extend the record of this premier fighting force.
Download or read book Vought F4U Corsair written by James D’Angina and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2014-11-20 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: With over 12,500 produced, the Vought F4U Corsair is one of the icons of mid-20th century military aviation. It was as a Marine Corps aircraft that the Corsair was to become famous, fighting through World War II and Korea. Able to outperform its contemporaries, notably the A6M Zero, the Corsair combined speed, resilience and firepower. It also served in Indochina and Algeria, and in 1969's 'Soccer War' between Honduras and El Salvador, Corsairs were flown by both sides and fought the last propeller-aircraft dogfights in history. This highly illustrated volume recounts the design and development history of one of the most iconic fighters in military aviation history.
