America's Few - Marine Aces of the South Pacific

America's Few delves into the history of US Marine Corps aviation in World War II, following the feats of the Corps' top-scoring aces in the skies over Guadalcanal. Marine Corps aviation began in 1915, functioning as a self-contained expeditionary force. During the interwar period, the support of USMC amphibious operations became a key element of Marine aviation doctrine, and the small force gradually grew. But in December 1941 came the rude awakening. Within hours of Pearl Harbor, heroic Marine aviators were battling the Japanese over Wake Island.

In the South Pacific, the aviators of the US Marine Corps came out of the shadows to establish themselves as an air force second to none. In the summer of 1942, when Allied airpower was cobbled together into a single unified entity - nicknamed 'the Cactus Air Force' - Marine Aviation dominated, and a Marine, Major General Roy Geiger, was its commander. Of the twelve Allied fighter squadrons that were part of the Cactus Air Force, eight were USMC squadrons. It was over Guadalcanal that Joe Foss emerged as a symbol of Marine aviation. As commander of VMF-121, he organized a group of fighter pilots that downed 72 enemy aircraft; Foss himself reached a score of 26. Pappy Boyington, meanwhile, had become a Marine aviator in 1935. Best known as the commander of VMF-214, he came into his own in late 1943 and eventually matched Foss's aerial victory score.

Through the parallel stories of these two top-scoring fighter aces, as well as many other Marine aces, such as Ken Walsh (21 victories), Don Aldrich (20), John L. Smith (19), Wilbur Thomas (18.5), and Marion Carl (18.5), many of whom received the Medal of Honor, acclaimed aviation historian Bill Yenne examines the development of US Marine Corps aviation in the South Pacific.

List of contents

List of Illustrations
Introduction
Double-Digit US Marine Corps Aces of World War II
Squadron Names

PART I: ORIGINS
1 Marine Corps Aviation from Flanders to Wake Island
2 Who They Were
3 Taking to the Air
4 First Combat

PART II: THE FEW
5 That Place Called Guadalcanal
6 First Blood
7 New Blood
8 Changing of the Guard
9 The Coach Takes the Field
10 Joe Foss Takes the Lead
11 Tipping Points
12 Matching the Ace of Aces
13 The Long Season of the Dancing Bears

PART III: NO LONGER A MERE FEW
14 The Corsair and the Changing Game
15 Corsair Aces Over the Solomons
16 Slow Rolls and Victories Over the Slot
17 The Ace and the Albatross
18 Finding Their Momentum
19 A Wanderer in the Wings
20 The Black Sheep Go to War
21 Three Aces Reach Double-digits
22 The Major Leagues
23 Two Squadrons Over Kahili
24 Cherry Blossom Over Bougainville
25 Two Aces Over Rabaul
26 Everything They Had Left
27 At the Top of Their Game
28 The Ending of Eras

PART IV: COUNTDOWN TO VICTORY
29 Second Acts
30 Unfinished Business
31 Victory Achieved

PART V: POSTWAR LIVES
32 In War and Peace
33 The Black Sheep and the Governor
34 Final Flights

Appendix
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Bibliography
Index

About the author

Bill Yenne is the author of ten novels and more than three dozen non-fiction books, his most recent being America's Few: Marine Aces in the South Pacific (Osprey, 2022). His work has been selected for the Chief of Staff of the Air Force Reading List. He is the recipient of the Air Force Association's Gill Robb Wilson Award for the “most outstanding contribution in the field of arts and letters [as an author] whose works have shaped how thousands of Americans understand and appreciate air power.” He lives in California, USA.

Summary

America's Few delves into the history of US Marine Corps aviation in World War II, following the feats of the Corps' top-scoring aces in the skies over Guadalcanal.

Marine Corps aviation began in 1915, functioning as a self-contained expeditionary force. During the interwar period, the support of USMC amphibious operations became a key element of Marine aviation doctrine, and the small force gradually grew. But in December 1941 came the rude awakening. Within hours of Pearl Harbor, heroic Marine aviators were battling the Japanese over Wake Island.

In the South Pacific, the aviators of the US Marine Corps came out of the shadows to establish themselves as an air force second to none. In the summer of 1942, when Allied airpower was cobbled together into a single unified entity - nicknamed 'the Cactus Air Force' - Marine Aviation dominated, and a Marine, Major General Roy Geiger, was its commander.

Of the twelve Allied fighter squadrons that were part of the Cactus Air Force, eight were USMC squadrons. It was over Guadalcanal that Joe Foss emerged as a symbol of Marine aviation. As commander of VMF-121, he organized a group of fighter pilots that downed 72 enemy aircraft; Foss himself reached a score of 26. Pappy Boyington, meanwhile, had become a Marine aviator in 1935. Best known as the commander of VMF-214, he came into his own in late 1943 and eventually matched Foss's aerial victory score.

Through the parallel stories of these two top-scoring fighter aces, as well as many other Marine aces, such as Ken Walsh (21 victories), Don Aldrich (20), John L. Smith (19), Wilbur Thomas (18.5), and Marion Carl (18.5), many of whom received the Medal of Honor, acclaimed aviation historian Bill Yenne examines the development of US Marine Corps aviation in the South Pacific.

Foreword

Using the parallel stories of Gregory 'Pappy' Boyington and Joseph 'Smokey Joe' Foss, the two top-scoring US Marine Corps fighter aces of all time, this fascinating new book explores US Marine Corps aviation over the South Pacific.

Additional text

Author Bill Yenne captures the true essence of this great generation of young pilots who sacrificed so much. In 1942 the War in the Pacific Theater was not going well for the Allies and, the USMC pilots had an uphill battle to wage. The reader is immediately drawn into each dogfight, as Yenne displays a unique talent for capturing precise details. For the pilots, the obstacles were significant and an enormous psychological weight to bear. Base operations were austere, shoot down the enemy or be shot down, AAA threats, will the aircraft hold up under the stress. Every second in the air were the vivid haunting threats-bailing out over the ocean or crashing in the jungle. Will I be quickly killed or, become a POW of the Japanese? Yenne preserves the legacy of a generation of USMC airmen that deserve lasting respect.

Product details

• Authors: Bill Yenne
• Publisher: Osprey Publishers
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 31.12.2021
• EAN: 9781472847492
• ISBN: 978-1-4728-4749-2
• No. of pages: 352
• Dimensions: 160 mm x 238 mm x 36 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > 20th century (up to 1945); Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political administration; HISTORY / Military / Naval, HISTORY / Military / Aviation, HISTORY / Oceania, Naval forces & warfare, Air forces & warfare, United States of America, USA, c 1938 to c 1946 (World War Two period), Air forces and warfare, Battles & campaigns, c 1940 to c 1949, Naval forces and warfare, Battles and campaigns, HISTORY / Military / Aviation & Space