Mustang and Thunderbolt Aces of the Pacific and CBI (Osprey Aircraft of the Aces No 26)

Although far better known for their exploits over the war torn skies of Germany and Italy, the USAAF's premier fighters, the P-47 and P-51, also made significant contributions to the victory against Japan from 1943 onwards. This book relates the appearance of the Allison-engined A-36As and P-51As over Rangoon from India in November 1943, the 1st Air Commando Group in China, P-47s over the jungles of New Guinea in 1943, escorting B-29s on long-range bombing sorties against the Home Islands in 1944-45 and elsewhere. "Although far better known for their exploits in the European Theatre of Operations, the P-51 Mustang and P-47 Thunderbolt also made significant contributions to the victory against Japan. The first Mustangs to appear in Asian skies were Allison-engined P-51As of the 311th Fighter Group, who flew their first bomber escort missions to Rangoon from India in November 1943. That same month the China-based 23rd FG also received a handful of P-51s, and although opposed by ever-dwindling numbers of Japanese fighters, a clutch of pilots nevertheless achieved ace status - particularly once the Packard Merlin-engined Mustangs arrived in mid-1944. In the Southwest Pacific, P-47Ds of the 348th FG had helped wrest air superiority from the Japanese over the jungles of New Guinea, and escorted American bombers on missions over the Home Islands."--Back cover P-51 Mustang og P-47 Thunderbolt var afgørende som bomberbeskyttelsesfly i krigen mod Japan fra 1943 til slutningen af krigen i 1945. Bogen behandler flyenes esser i stilllehavnskrigen, herunder missionerne i Kina-Burma-Indien (CBI). Specielt da de fleste af flyene blev udstyret med de kraftigere Merlin motorer istedet for de Allison motor, som indtil 1944 havde trukket det store læs As briefly mentioned in the introduction to this book, Republic's P-47 Thunderbolt never won easy acceptance into combat in the Southwest Pacific theatre due to the spirited opposition provided by the primary Japanese Army and Navy fighters of the day, namely the Nakajima Ki-43 'Oscar' and the Mitsubishi A6M Zero.