This second volume chronicles aerial warfare in the South Pacific for the two crucial months of March and April 1942 when a deadly struggle for Port Moresby played out. It can be read alone or as part of a trilogy that culminates in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. The period begins with the stunning 10 March US Navy carrier strike against Lae and Salamaua, which caused the Japanese to pause their advance until their own carriers were available. Instead, they tried to grind the Allied forces at Port Moresby into submission through an unrelenting air assault by their Betty bombers and superlative Zero fighters. After a long wait, Allied land-based fighters finally arrived in the form of Royal Australian Air Force No. 75 Squadron Kittyhawks. These were backed up by a growing collection of United States Army Air Force bombers, including A-24 Banshees, B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-25 Mitchells and B-26 Marauders (the latter two types making their worldwide combat debut over the skies of New Guinea). Together, this motley force took the fight to the Japanese, resulting in a complex aerial campaign that saw units from both sides reach exhaustion. Never before has such a detailed chronicle of this air war been published, and for the first time the authors match Allied accounts with Japanese records. The result is both thrilling and surprising, with the resulting dispositions of the air forces of both sides setting the scene for the Battle of the Coral Sea in May.

About the Author
Raised in Port Moresby, Michael Claringbould is a globally recognised expert on the New Guinea air war and the Fifth Air Force. Peter Ingman is an acclaimed military history author specialising in the early Pacific War period.

Reviews
All in all, excellent. * Aeroplane Magazine 13/12/2018 * This is the most exhaustive account of this unsung battle published to date and deserves to be widely read and its subjects are eminently suited for a modelling project. * Guideline Publications 08/02/2019 * Fast paced, concise and well illustrated, this series is a herculean effort and, research aside, it must be acknowledged that the artist impressions prominent throughout the the volume are outstanding. * Classic Wings 08/04/2019 * ... the most accessible account of this period yet written. * Flightpath Magazine 03/05/2019 * I've not come across this series of books before and will certainly be getting hold of the first volume as this one was compelling reading about a battle I knew very little about. * Britmodeller.com 30/01/2019 * Whether your interest is following the strategy of the bomber campaign or the tactics of the defending fighters this book's expert telling of the action by combatants on both sides leaves one well satisfied there could be no better offering on this subject. * J-Aircraft 05/07/2019 *



Book Information
ISBN 9780994588975
Author Michael Claringbould
Format Paperback
Page Count 232
Imprint Avonmore Books
Publisher Avonmore Books