First Team, The: Pacific Naval Air Combat from Pearl Harbor to Midway

Ace fighter pilots like Jimmy Thach and Butch O’Hare are justly renowned for their daring exploits in the perilous early months of the Pacific War when the U.S. Navy carrier fighting (VF) squadrons amassed a remarkable combat record in the face of desperate odds. Yet, exactly how these skilled aviators and their squadron mates- called the ‘first team, ‘ in keeping with athletic jargon popular at the time- overcame the odds to help turn the tide of war has, until now, remained little known. With this comprehensive operational history of carrier-based air warfare, their heroic feats can at last be closely examined. pp 547 Revised edition illusts (some buckling of pages, NO dustjacket). #1219 World War II Aircraft carrier warfare