Book Review of
Pacific Profiles Vol. 4
Allied Fighters: Vought F4U Corsair Series
Solomons Theatre 1943-1944
Author: Michael John Claringbould
Avonmore Books
ISBN: 978-0-6489262-3-8
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $ 41.95
ISBN: 978-0-6489262-3-8
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright: 2021
MSRP: $ 41.95
HISTORY:
The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts were given to Goodyear, whose Corsairs were designated FG, and Brewster, designated F3A.
The Corsair was designed and operated as a carrier-based aircraft, and entered service in large numbers with the U.S. Navy in late 1944 and early 1945. It quickly became one of the most capable carrier-based fighter-bombers of World War II.[2] Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II and its naval aviators achieved an 11:1 kill ratio. Early problems with carrier landings and logistics led to it being eclipsed as the dominant carrier-based fighter by the Grumman F6F Hellcat, powered by the same Double Wasp engine first flown on the Corsair's initial prototype in 1940. Instead, the Corsair's early deployment was to land-based squadrons of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy.
The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter-bomber throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria. In addition to its use by the U.S. and British, the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, French Naval Aviation, and other air forces until the 1960s.From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured[8] in 16 separate models. Its 1942–1953 production run was the longest of any U.S. piston-engined fighter.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Carrier-based fighter-bomber
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: Chance Vought
Built by: Goodyear, Brewster
First flight: 29 May 1940
Introduction to service : 28 December 1942
Retired: 1953 (United States), 1979 (Honduras)
Primary users: United States Navy, United States Marine Corps,. Royal Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force
Produced: 1942–1953
Number built: 12,571
Variants: Goodyear F2G Corsair
THE BOOK:
Avonmore Books is located in Australia.
This book is in a soft-cover of 120 pages in 6 ¾” x 10” page- format.
The cover art shows 4 color side-view profiles of Corsairs. They are all repeated inside the book again, More about them later.
It contains 65 black and white photos and 9 color ones.
The book also contains 3 maps, 2 data lists, color illustrations of 21 Corsair squadron badges and that many chapters about the squadrons and three other color illustrations.
The chapters cover the squadrons of:
VMF-17 “The Jolly Rogers” With 4 color side-view profiles. All in overall Navy-blue, with white fuselage numbers 5, 4, 39 and 28. All 4 have a black square with a white skull & crossbones on the sides of their nose. One has white “STRUTHERS II” on the rudder. One has white “L’LL JULIE” on its rudder side.
VMF-112 “The Wolf Pack”. With 2 color side-view profiles. Both in navy blue over light grey uderciages. One has white fuselage number 57 and the other has white fuselage number 77. Both have their small round squadron badge on the rudders.
VMF-121. With 2 color side-view profiles. Both are navy blue over light-grey undercarriages. One has a large white fuselage number 35 and the other one a large white fuselage number 66.
VMF-122 “Werewolves”. With 4 color side-view profiles, all have navy blue fuselages & grey bottoms. White fuselage numbers 82, 80, 482 & 751. Number 82 has a tan bulldog on its side below the windshield.
VMF-123 “The Flying Eight-Balls”. With 4 color side-view profiles. All have navy-blue fuselages *grey bottoms. White fuselage number 111, 104, 98 & 37.
VMF- 124 “The Whistling Death”. With 8 color side-view profiles, All have navy-blue fuselages & grey bottoms. Black fuselage number 13, 17 & 9, white fuselage numbers 13 twice. Once over a black diamond & white fuselage numbers 14, 1 & 114.
VMF- 211 “The Wake-Island Avengers”. With 4 color side-view profiles in navy-blue over grey bottoms. White fuselage numbers 271, 22, 807 & 045.Number 22 has a logo of a red suitcase with white “ARKANSAS TRAVELER” on it on the side of its nose.
VMF-212 “ The Hell Hounds”. With 2 color side-view profiles. Both in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 911 & 38, Number 911 has white “MARY-JO” below the cockpit. Number 38 has a white man’s head with black “LUCIFER” behind it, below its cockpit.
VMF-213 “The Hell Hawks”. With 8 color side-view profiles. All in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 7, 6, 18, 10. 20, 11, 1 and 4. Number 7 has white “Daphne C” on the side of its cowling. Number 6 has white “Antonio Rose” on the side of tis cowling. Number 18 has white “BUBBLES” on the side of its cowling, Number 10 has a logo of a black and white Pegasus horse on its cowling. Number 20 has a black and white eagle on the side of its cowling. Number 11 has a white logo of a pair of dice that has rolled a 7 over “DEFABE”. Number 1 has logo of a lizard over white “RELUCTANT” on the side of its cowling. Number 4 has small white “MY BONNY” on the side of its cowling.
The Vought F4U Corsair is an American fighter aircraft which saw service primarily in World War II and the Korean War. Designed and initially manufactured by Chance Vought, the Corsair was soon in great demand; additional production contracts were given to Goodyear, whose Corsairs were designated FG, and Brewster, designated F3A.
The Corsair was designed and operated as a carrier-based aircraft, and entered service in large numbers with the U.S. Navy in late 1944 and early 1945. It quickly became one of the most capable carrier-based fighter-bombers of World War II.[2] Some Japanese pilots regarded it as the most formidable American fighter of World War II and its naval aviators achieved an 11:1 kill ratio. Early problems with carrier landings and logistics led to it being eclipsed as the dominant carrier-based fighter by the Grumman F6F Hellcat, powered by the same Double Wasp engine first flown on the Corsair's initial prototype in 1940. Instead, the Corsair's early deployment was to land-based squadrons of the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Navy.
The Corsair served almost exclusively as a fighter-bomber throughout the Korean War and during the French colonial wars in Indochina and Algeria. In addition to its use by the U.S. and British, the Corsair was also used by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, French Naval Aviation, and other air forces until the 1960s.From the first prototype delivery to the U.S. Navy in 1940, to final delivery in 1953 to the French, 12,571 F4U Corsairs were manufactured[8] in 16 separate models. Its 1942–1953 production run was the longest of any U.S. piston-engined fighter.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Role: Carrier-based fighter-bomber
National origin: United States
Manufacturer: Chance Vought
Built by: Goodyear, Brewster
First flight: 29 May 1940
Introduction to service : 28 December 1942
Retired: 1953 (United States), 1979 (Honduras)
Primary users: United States Navy, United States Marine Corps,. Royal Navy, Royal New Zealand Air Force
Produced: 1942–1953
Number built: 12,571
Variants: Goodyear F2G Corsair
THE BOOK:
Avonmore Books is located in Australia.
This book is in a soft-cover of 120 pages in 6 ¾” x 10” page- format.
The cover art shows 4 color side-view profiles of Corsairs. They are all repeated inside the book again, More about them later.
It contains 65 black and white photos and 9 color ones.
The book also contains 3 maps, 2 data lists, color illustrations of 21 Corsair squadron badges and that many chapters about the squadrons and three other color illustrations.
The chapters cover the squadrons of:
VMF-17 “The Jolly Rogers” With 4 color side-view profiles. All in overall Navy-blue, with white fuselage numbers 5, 4, 39 and 28. All 4 have a black square with a white skull & crossbones on the sides of their nose. One has white “STRUTHERS II” on the rudder. One has white “L’LL JULIE” on its rudder side.
VMF-112 “The Wolf Pack”. With 2 color side-view profiles. Both in navy blue over light grey uderciages. One has white fuselage number 57 and the other has white fuselage number 77. Both have their small round squadron badge on the rudders.
VMF-121. With 2 color side-view profiles. Both are navy blue over light-grey undercarriages. One has a large white fuselage number 35 and the other one a large white fuselage number 66.
VMF-122 “Werewolves”. With 4 color side-view profiles, all have navy blue fuselages & grey bottoms. White fuselage numbers 82, 80, 482 & 751. Number 82 has a tan bulldog on its side below the windshield.
VMF-123 “The Flying Eight-Balls”. With 4 color side-view profiles. All have navy-blue fuselages *grey bottoms. White fuselage number 111, 104, 98 & 37.
VMF- 124 “The Whistling Death”. With 8 color side-view profiles, All have navy-blue fuselages & grey bottoms. Black fuselage number 13, 17 & 9, white fuselage numbers 13 twice. Once over a black diamond & white fuselage numbers 14, 1 & 114.
VMF- 211 “The Wake-Island Avengers”. With 4 color side-view profiles in navy-blue over grey bottoms. White fuselage numbers 271, 22, 807 & 045.Number 22 has a logo of a red suitcase with white “ARKANSAS TRAVELER” on it on the side of its nose.
VMF-212 “ The Hell Hounds”. With 2 color side-view profiles. Both in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 911 & 38, Number 911 has white “MARY-JO” below the cockpit. Number 38 has a white man’s head with black “LUCIFER” behind it, below its cockpit.
VMF-213 “The Hell Hawks”. With 8 color side-view profiles. All in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 7, 6, 18, 10. 20, 11, 1 and 4. Number 7 has white “Daphne C” on the side of its cowling. Number 6 has white “Antonio Rose” on the side of tis cowling. Number 18 has white “BUBBLES” on the side of its cowling, Number 10 has a logo of a black and white Pegasus horse on its cowling. Number 20 has a black and white eagle on the side of its cowling. Number 11 has a white logo of a pair of dice that has rolled a 7 over “DEFABE”. Number 1 has logo of a lizard over white “RELUCTANT” on the side of its cowling. Number 4 has small white “MY BONNY” on the side of its cowling.
VMF-214 “The Black Sheep”. With 8 color side-profiles. All in navy blue with grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 915, 93, 86, 395, 577, 829, 576 & 723. Number 86 has white “LUCY BELLE” and 13 victory markings over Japanese aircraft below the cockpit. Number 576 has a logo of a gal in a white bathing suit and seated above yellow “MARINE’S DREAM”.
VMF-215 “ The Fighting Corsairs”. With 4 color side-profiles. One has a black spine over navy blue sides and grey bottom. Two are navy blue over grey bottoms. One is overall black..They carry white fuselage numbers 76, 75, 126 & 307. Number 126 has white “TOJO EATS SHIT” on the side of its cowling.
VMF-216 “ The Bulldogs”, With 2 color side-profiles. Both are navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 57 & 25.
VMF-217 “Max’s Wild Hares”. With 2 color side-profiles. Both in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 722 & A 000.
VMF-218 “The Hellions”. With 2 color side-profiles. Both in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 465 & 938.
VMF-221 “The Fighting Falcons”. With 4 color side-profiles. All in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 125, 126, 475 & 557.
VMF-222 “The Flying Deuces”. With 4 color side-profiles. All in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 037, 31, 798 & 094.
VMF-223 “The Bulldogs”. With 4 color side-profiles. All in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 157, 332, 025 and 282. Number 025 ha a logo of a gal in a bathing suit below the cockpit.
VMO-251, With 4 color side-profiles. All ae in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 010, 261, 157 & 151, Number 010 has white “DILEMA” on the side of its cowling, Number 261 has a logo of a black octopus with yellow wings on a white cloud with black 261 above it, on the side of the cowling, Number 161 has the same logo on the side of its nose as 261 has.
VMF-321 “Hell’s Angels”. With 4 color side-profiles. All in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 938, 914, 013 & 900. Number 013 has white “BARBARA G” on the side of its cowling.
Miscellaneous Units. With 4 color side-profiles. One is light grey overall, with a black rudder leading edge, black stenciled fuselage code SSIII. Second one is overall dark grey with a black rudder leading edge and white fuselage number 894. They were both stationed at Turtle Bay, January to mid 1944. The 3d on carries a British roundel with wings, a red number 307 high on its rudder. It was at Munda, October 1943. The 4th one is navy-blue over a grey bottom with just stars with bars on its fuselage sides. It was at Munda too at the same time.
Royal New Zealand Air Force Squadrons. With 4 color side-views. All are navy-blue over grey bottoms and carry Royal New Zealand Air Force roundels.. One has a white letter C on the sides of its cowling and a white number 55 high on its rudder. The second on has white number 30 on the sides of its cowling and high on the rudder. The third one has white number 39 on its cowling sides. The fourth one has yellow fuselage number 16 on its sides and yellow “TUTAE WERA”.
The book ends with one page of SOURCES and 2 pages of INDEX OF NAMES.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael Claringbould is an author and illustrator.
He spent his formative years in Papua, New guinea in the 1960’s , during which he became fascinated by the many WWII aircraft wrecks which still be around the country.
Michael has served widely overseas as an Australian diplomat, including in South-East Asia and throughout the South-Pacific, where he had the fortune to return to Papua New Guinea for three years, commencing in 2003.
Michael has authored and illustrated various books on Pacific War aviation, His history of the Tainan Naval Air Group in New Guinea, “Eagles of the Southern Sky”, received worldwide acclaim as the first English language history of a Japanese fighter unit and was translated into Japanese.
An executive member of Pacific Air War History Associates, Michael holds a pilot license and PC34 paraglider rating. He continues to develop his skills as a digital 3D aviation artist using 3Ds MAX, Vray and photoshop to attain markings-accuracy.
There is a black and white photo of Michael with U.S. Marines at the Marine Ball, in Wellington, New Zealand in 2008.
This is a great book on F4U Corsairs. It will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a model of the Corsair and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the North American distributor of Avonmore Books. All Avonmore titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
VMF-215 “ The Fighting Corsairs”. With 4 color side-profiles. One has a black spine over navy blue sides and grey bottom. Two are navy blue over grey bottoms. One is overall black..They carry white fuselage numbers 76, 75, 126 & 307. Number 126 has white “TOJO EATS SHIT” on the side of its cowling.
VMF-216 “ The Bulldogs”, With 2 color side-profiles. Both are navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 57 & 25.
VMF-217 “Max’s Wild Hares”. With 2 color side-profiles. Both in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 722 & A 000.
VMF-218 “The Hellions”. With 2 color side-profiles. Both in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 465 & 938.
VMF-221 “The Fighting Falcons”. With 4 color side-profiles. All in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 125, 126, 475 & 557.
VMF-222 “The Flying Deuces”. With 4 color side-profiles. All in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 037, 31, 798 & 094.
VMF-223 “The Bulldogs”. With 4 color side-profiles. All in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 157, 332, 025 and 282. Number 025 ha a logo of a gal in a bathing suit below the cockpit.
VMO-251, With 4 color side-profiles. All ae in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 010, 261, 157 & 151, Number 010 has white “DILEMA” on the side of its cowling, Number 261 has a logo of a black octopus with yellow wings on a white cloud with black 261 above it, on the side of the cowling, Number 161 has the same logo on the side of its nose as 261 has.
VMF-321 “Hell’s Angels”. With 4 color side-profiles. All in navy-blue over grey bottoms. With white fuselage numbers 938, 914, 013 & 900. Number 013 has white “BARBARA G” on the side of its cowling.
Miscellaneous Units. With 4 color side-profiles. One is light grey overall, with a black rudder leading edge, black stenciled fuselage code SSIII. Second one is overall dark grey with a black rudder leading edge and white fuselage number 894. They were both stationed at Turtle Bay, January to mid 1944. The 3d on carries a British roundel with wings, a red number 307 high on its rudder. It was at Munda, October 1943. The 4th one is navy-blue over a grey bottom with just stars with bars on its fuselage sides. It was at Munda too at the same time.
Royal New Zealand Air Force Squadrons. With 4 color side-views. All are navy-blue over grey bottoms and carry Royal New Zealand Air Force roundels.. One has a white letter C on the sides of its cowling and a white number 55 high on its rudder. The second on has white number 30 on the sides of its cowling and high on the rudder. The third one has white number 39 on its cowling sides. The fourth one has yellow fuselage number 16 on its sides and yellow “TUTAE WERA”.
The book ends with one page of SOURCES and 2 pages of INDEX OF NAMES.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Michael Claringbould is an author and illustrator.
He spent his formative years in Papua, New guinea in the 1960’s , during which he became fascinated by the many WWII aircraft wrecks which still be around the country.
Michael has served widely overseas as an Australian diplomat, including in South-East Asia and throughout the South-Pacific, where he had the fortune to return to Papua New Guinea for three years, commencing in 2003.
Michael has authored and illustrated various books on Pacific War aviation, His history of the Tainan Naval Air Group in New Guinea, “Eagles of the Southern Sky”, received worldwide acclaim as the first English language history of a Japanese fighter unit and was translated into Japanese.
An executive member of Pacific Air War History Associates, Michael holds a pilot license and PC34 paraglider rating. He continues to develop his skills as a digital 3D aviation artist using 3Ds MAX, Vray and photoshop to attain markings-accuracy.
There is a black and white photo of Michael with U.S. Marines at the Marine Ball, in Wellington, New Zealand in 2008.
This is a great book on F4U Corsairs. It will be of great interest to modelers planning on building a model of the Corsair and to aviation historians alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. Casemate is the North American distributor of Avonmore Books. All Avonmore titles can be viewed on Casemate’s website at:
Highly Recommended.