The Early Air War in the Pacific: Ten Months That Changed the Course of World War II/Ralph F. Wetterhahn

Description During the first 10 months of the war in the Pacific, Japan achieved air supremacy with its carrier and land-based forces. After major setbacks at Midway and at Guadalcanal, the empire's expansion stalled, in part due to flaws in aircraft design, strategy and command. This book offers a fresh analysis of the air war in the Pacific during the early phases of World War II. Details are included from two expeditions conducted by the author, revealing the location of an American pilot missing in the Philippines since 1942, and clearing up a controversial account involving famed Japanese ace Saburo Sakai and U.S. Navy pilot James "Pug" Southerland. About the author Ralph F. Wetterhahn is a former Air Force and Navy fighter pilot who served three tours during the Vietnam War. A real-life Indiana Jones, he now travels the globe as an aviation archaeologist in search of missing aircraft/crews and the stories they reveal. He lives in Long Beach, California and writes for Air & Space/Smithsonian .