Description
Book SynopsisThis is the previously untold story of one of the most ferocious and prolonged air/naval battles in history: the battle at the radar picket stations during the American assault on Okinawa in spring 1945. It weaves together the experiences of the ships and their crews, Navy, Army, and Marine Corps pilots, and Japanese kamikazes in an account which provides the complete story of this infamous battle.
The US fleet and its accompanying airpower that took station off Okinawa was of gigantic proportions, such that the Japanese could only rely on suicide attacks to inflict critical damage. While losses in the main fleet have been well covered in the literature, less well known has been the terrific battle waged on the picket line, the fleet’s outer defence against the swarms of Japanese marauders.
Of the 206 ships that served on radar picket duty, twenty-nine percent were sunk or damaged by Japanese air attacks, making theirs the most hazardous naval surface duty in World War II. The great losses were due in large part to the relentless nature of the kamikaze attacks, but also to the improper use of support gunboats, failure to establish land-based radar at the earliest possible time, the assignment of ships ill-equipped for picket duty, and, as the battle went on, crew fatigue.
The intricate nature of the US air cover is also described in full. Toward the end of the battle, the radar picket ships became the prime kamikaze target as Japanese pilots despaired of getting through the “big blue blanket” of American fighter planes to reach larger prey at Okinawa.
About the Author
Robin L. Rielly, the author of seven previous books, has written an engrossing narrative of air/naval combat. Combining firsthand action with astute tactical and strategic analysis, he has gone far toward completing our understanding of one of World War II’s epic campaigns.
Trade Review…related a thrilling but harrowing chapter in the Pacific War and is able to bring events to life with consummate, startling ease. * Scale Plastic and Rail *
A highly detailed yet accessible account on the Pacific War. * Airfix Model World *
Rielly has completed an admirable tour de force in compiling the information and presenting it in a chronological way. * Aviation News *
I challenge anyone not to glean something new from this important and detailed new account of the closing days of the Pacific War. * Navy News *
The subject matter of this book is actually very simple…however, this is not a simple book, it is a masterpiece of research and dedication … made it very easy for a novice to understand and properly appreciate this fascinating and in someways unknown aspect of WW2 naval operations. I cannot recommend it too highly. * www.wargamer.com *
Packed with detail, this book shows thorough research... The bibliography is impressive ... For those with an interest in the Pacific war, this overlooked topic would be a valuable addition to their library * Toni Wiltshire *
