Clash of The Carriers: The True Story of the Marianas Turkey Shoot of World War II

by Barrett Tillman, Stephen Coonts (Foreword by)

Overview

The incredible true story of the most spectacular aircraft carrier battle in history—World War II’s Great Marianas Turkey Shoot.

In June, 1944, American and Japanese carrier fleets made their way toward one another in the Philippine Sea. Their common objective: the strategically vital Marianas Islands. During two days of brutal combat, the American and Japanese carriers dueled, launching wave after wave of fighters and bombers against one another. By day and night, hundreds of planes filled the skies. When it was over, the men of the American Fifth Fleet had claimed more than four hundred aerial combat victories, and three Japanese carriers lay on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.
 
Here is the true account of those great and terrible days—by those who were there, in the thick of the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Drawing upon numerous interviews with American and Japanese veterans as well as official sources, Clash of the Carriers is an unforgettable testimonial to the bravery of those who fought and those who died in a battle that will never be forgotten.

“In his inimitable style, naval aviation’s most prolific historian comes through with a much-needed, comprehensive documentary on the greatest aircraft carrier battle of all time.”—Cdr. Alexander Vraciu, USN (Ret) Fighting Squadron 16, 1944

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780451219565
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	11/07/2006
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	376
Sales rank:	69,610
Product dimensions:	5.88(w) x 8.96(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Barrett Tillman, an aviation historian for the past thirty years, is the author of numerous military histories. He is a familiar television commentator on The History Channel and National Geographic Channel and his work has been cited in dozens of history books and has been used as course work by the Air Force, the Navy, and Marine Corps.

Table of Contents

	Foreword	ix
	Preface	xiii
	Prologue	1
Part I	A Precarious Honor	7
Part II	"Cut Their Damned Throats"	52
Part III	"Your Signal: Buster"	106
Part IV	"Launch 'Em"	201
Part V	"Turn on the Lights"	241
Part VI	Final Cut	285
	Appendices	301
	Acknowledgments	324
	Bibliography	326
	Notes	329
	Index	339

Editorial Reviews

In this superb work, the greatest naval air battle of all time finally receives the meticulous and comprehensive treatment it deserves. Whether you seek the view from the canopy or the sharp-eyed critique, Barrett Tillman, with unmatched command of the subject, delivers both in spades—and for both sides. His heroes are the aviators whatever the uniform they wore, and he illuminates more warts on the U.S. side and the rare gems for the Japanese previously ignored or obscured.”—Richard Frank, author of Guadalcanal and Downfall
 
“I saw the war from the deck of a battleship so I cannot render an aviator’s view. But I can certainly recommend Barrett Tillman’s definitive work on the subject. It does not replace the efforts of Admiral Morison, but amplifies them in a manner both instructive and entertaining.”—Lt. Col. Jeff Cooper, USMCR, USS Pennsylvania, 1944
 
“With the analytical ability of a successful cold-case detective, and the flair of a gifted story teller, Tillman reconstructs the famous battle as seen through the eyes of combatants, both American and Japanese. This gives balance and fairness, something missing in past histories which tended to be one-sided.”—Henry Sakaida, author of Winged Samurai and Genda’s Blade
 
“Barrett Tillman is the best contemporary writer on U.S. naval aviation. The Marianas Battle was the ultimate carrier-versus-carrier battle. Putting them together is the formula for an outstanding volume.”—Norman Polmar, author of Aircraft Carriers
 
“Tillman, a longtime master of Pacific War naval history, has skillfully combined a wealth of research into an unprecedented look into both sides of this pivotal sea battle...Tillman’s narrative gives near-definitive coverage of its subject, from the usual view from the cockpit to less common perspectives from the command plotting station, the deck of an oiler engaged in underway replenishment, the bowels of the engine room, or a submarine periscope.”—Jon Guttman, American Fighters Ace Bulletin

From the Publisher