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Post by beirutvet on May 18, 2021 9:24:58 GMT 8
'Clash of the Carriers' The True Story of the Marianas Turkey Shoot of WWII.
Most with a passing knowledge of WWII in the Pacific has heard of the Marianas Turkey Shoot, but what do we really know ?
This book gets right down to the nuts and bolts for those few days as no book I have seen. It details not only the carriers and their compliment of aircraft but the individual squadrons of these carries and the men who flew into history from their flight decks. It even traces how the event got it's nickname Turkey Shoot.
Little does one realize that it wasn't just one big melee but multiple flights from the Japanese side with multiple allied flights to intercept them. It chronicles not only the make up of each flight from the enemy but how many and what kind of aircraft were sent up against them.
Then of course there is the account of the Mission Beyond Darkness where Admiral Mitscher won the undying love and devotion of his aviators for all time.
The exact butchers bill will never be know, but the book gives every effort to give an accounting based on what is known today. The American losses are very well documented but on the Japanese side is where the doubt lies. Even Vice Admiral Ozawa did not know the whole price paid as many of his pilots and planes had orders to attack the Americans and then try to land base on Guam or elsewhere. He had no way of knowing how many of them made it there and survived.
Tillman's writing style takes a little getting used to and made for a few difficult spots to interpret his meaning. But overall a fine book that will hold your interest throughout.
***3/4 Recommended
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