'Fire In The Sky' The Air War in the South by Eric Bergerud
Oct 31, 2022 9:03:13 GMT 8
EXO, batteryboy, and 2 more like this
Post by beirutvet on Oct 31, 2022 9:03:13 GMT 8
'Fire In The Sky' by Eric Bergerud
Maybe it is the Marine aviator in me but I really liked this book.
It confirmed many of the things I already knew about the air war of WWII, but it also surprised me constantly with things I never knew.
An example of the combining of those things was the fact that early in the war the Japanese definitely had the technological and experience edge on the allies until the allies brought out their 2nd generation aircraft (Hellcats and Corsairs) and eventually over took the Japanese in training and experience. But what I did not know was that it was never a lopsided affair in favor of one over the other. While the 1st generation fighters of the war (Wildcats and P 40 Warhawk) were considered inferior to the A6M Zero or KI 42 Oscar, they were still formidable weapons of war. They were more heavily armored and armed than their opponents and in the hands of a skilled aviator, once he adapted to air combat in the Pacific, could and did hurt the Japanese significantly.
On the other hand, once the allies brought out their 2nd generation fighters and had established a far superior training regimen than the Japanese, the Zero and Oscar were still deadly adversaries. If the Hellcat or Corsair pilot did not have his head on a swivel and parted from established doctrine, a Japanese pilot could still hand him his ass in a hand basket in a New York minute. While the Zero had many failings (no armor protection for the pilot and no self sealing fuel tanks) it was still an aircraft with a nasty sting.
Something else that surprised me was that air combat (dogfighting) was not always a drawn out affair but was surprisingly quick. Many times if a pilot on either side did not get his opponent on the first pass, prudence dictated disengagement and a hasty retreat. I had always thought of the engagement as a longer affair where it was pressed until someone had the advantage over the other. This was not always the case.
The book also went into great detail about anti-aircraft weapons on both sides. In that analysis, of course, came up the 40mm Bofors cannon, a Swedish design the U.S. had licensed before the war and produced it in the thousands. I knew from other sources that this was a fabulous weapon used by the allies but I did not know that it is considered one of the most successful weapons of the CENTURY and variations serve throughout the world to this day.
Bombers, scout planes, amphibs, transports and interceptors are all analyzed in this book in great detail. As always I do not want to give too much away but suffice it to say this book is well worth the read.
* * * *
Maybe it is the Marine aviator in me but I really liked this book.
It confirmed many of the things I already knew about the air war of WWII, but it also surprised me constantly with things I never knew.
An example of the combining of those things was the fact that early in the war the Japanese definitely had the technological and experience edge on the allies until the allies brought out their 2nd generation aircraft (Hellcats and Corsairs) and eventually over took the Japanese in training and experience. But what I did not know was that it was never a lopsided affair in favor of one over the other. While the 1st generation fighters of the war (Wildcats and P 40 Warhawk) were considered inferior to the A6M Zero or KI 42 Oscar, they were still formidable weapons of war. They were more heavily armored and armed than their opponents and in the hands of a skilled aviator, once he adapted to air combat in the Pacific, could and did hurt the Japanese significantly.
On the other hand, once the allies brought out their 2nd generation fighters and had established a far superior training regimen than the Japanese, the Zero and Oscar were still deadly adversaries. If the Hellcat or Corsair pilot did not have his head on a swivel and parted from established doctrine, a Japanese pilot could still hand him his ass in a hand basket in a New York minute. While the Zero had many failings (no armor protection for the pilot and no self sealing fuel tanks) it was still an aircraft with a nasty sting.
Something else that surprised me was that air combat (dogfighting) was not always a drawn out affair but was surprisingly quick. Many times if a pilot on either side did not get his opponent on the first pass, prudence dictated disengagement and a hasty retreat. I had always thought of the engagement as a longer affair where it was pressed until someone had the advantage over the other. This was not always the case.
The book also went into great detail about anti-aircraft weapons on both sides. In that analysis, of course, came up the 40mm Bofors cannon, a Swedish design the U.S. had licensed before the war and produced it in the thousands. I knew from other sources that this was a fabulous weapon used by the allies but I did not know that it is considered one of the most successful weapons of the CENTURY and variations serve throughout the world to this day.
Bombers, scout planes, amphibs, transports and interceptors are all analyzed in this book in great detail. As always I do not want to give too much away but suffice it to say this book is well worth the read.
* * * *