Book Review of
U.S. Aircraft Carriers 1939-45
Author: Ingo Bauernfeind
Casemate Illustrated Specials
ISBN: 978-1-61200-934-6
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2021
MSRP: $ 49.95
ISBN: 978-1-61200-934-6
By Ray Mehlberger
Copyright 2021
MSRP: $ 49.95
Aircraft carriers were a new relatively unproven technology at the outbreak of WWII. Naval historian Ingo Bauernfeind tells the dramatic yet successful story of U.S. aircraft carriers in WWII by class, ranging from early pre-war designs to escort carriers built from destroyer hulls to the gigantic fleet carriers serving as the predecessors of modern-day super carriers
Besides covering the famous carrier battles in the Pacific, this book also describes the important actions of U.S. flat tops hunting and destroying German U-boats in the Atlantic. Actions that made an enormous contribution to the elimination of the U-boat peril and the safe transatlantic transit of supplies so desperately needed for the launch of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion in Normandy in 1944.
This fully illustrated volume gives a clear overview of each ship’s career, its fate and highlights its significance in U.S. naval history. It also examines the technical evolution of U.S. carriers throughout the war, and the various aircraft launched from these vessels to engage their Japanese or German foes.
It culminates in a guided tour through the entire U.S. Hornet, one of few U.S. flat tops preserved as a floating world-class museum for future generations as well as a dive to the sunken U.S. Saratoga at Bikini Atoll.
Casemate Illustrated Specials offer unparalleled detail into the weapons, equipment and machinery of war. Detailed, focused text is accompanied by 321 black and white photos and 93 color ones, illustrations and diagrams, providing a wealth of visual information for the historian, modeler and researcher.
Besides covering the famous carrier battles in the Pacific, this book also describes the important actions of U.S. flat tops hunting and destroying German U-boats in the Atlantic. Actions that made an enormous contribution to the elimination of the U-boat peril and the safe transatlantic transit of supplies so desperately needed for the launch of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion in Normandy in 1944.
This fully illustrated volume gives a clear overview of each ship’s career, its fate and highlights its significance in U.S. naval history. It also examines the technical evolution of U.S. carriers throughout the war, and the various aircraft launched from these vessels to engage their Japanese or German foes.
It culminates in a guided tour through the entire U.S. Hornet, one of few U.S. flat tops preserved as a floating world-class museum for future generations as well as a dive to the sunken U.S. Saratoga at Bikini Atoll.
Casemate Illustrated Specials offer unparalleled detail into the weapons, equipment and machinery of war. Detailed, focused text is accompanied by 321 black and white photos and 93 color ones, illustrations and diagrams, providing a wealth of visual information for the historian, modeler and researcher.
THE BOOK:
Casemate Publishers is based in Pennsylvania, USA. They publish their own line of books and are the distributor of other brands of books.
This book is hard-cover o 249 pages in 8” x 10” page format. 4 pages are blank.
The front cover shows a photo of the U.S.S. Wasp on fire at the top. On the left below it, is the U.S.S. Saratoga, on the right I a photo of a B-26 taking off from a carrier on the Doolittle Raid.
The back cover shows a color photo of the sunken U.S.S. Saratoga (there are 29 more photos like this in the book). The second black and white photo shows a flight of 16 Grumman Avengers making a bombing run The third photo is in color and shows the Apollo 17 command module with the U.S.S. Thompson approaching to retrieve it after its splash-down. On the left at the bottom is a color aerial photo of the U.S.S. Cabot. On the right is a color photo of a carrier deck loaded with Corsairs.
The book contains 9 color side-view profiles:
A Douglas TBD Devastator
A Vought SB2U Vindicator
A Douglas SBD Dauntless
A Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
A Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger
A Brewster F2A Buffalo
A Grumman F4F Wildcat
A Chance-Vought F4U Corsair
A Grumman F6F Hellcat
There are numerous photos of the insides of carriers, 30 data lists – including a page showing comparative sizes of carriers, 3 maps, 17 black and white line-drawings of carriers, the insignia of the U.S.S. Saratoga, and a plank gunner.
This book, as already said will interest modelers, historians and researchers alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All of their books that books of other publishers that they distribute can be viewed on their web-site at:
Casemate Publishers is based in Pennsylvania, USA. They publish their own line of books and are the distributor of other brands of books.
This book is hard-cover o 249 pages in 8” x 10” page format. 4 pages are blank.
The front cover shows a photo of the U.S.S. Wasp on fire at the top. On the left below it, is the U.S.S. Saratoga, on the right I a photo of a B-26 taking off from a carrier on the Doolittle Raid.
The back cover shows a color photo of the sunken U.S.S. Saratoga (there are 29 more photos like this in the book). The second black and white photo shows a flight of 16 Grumman Avengers making a bombing run The third photo is in color and shows the Apollo 17 command module with the U.S.S. Thompson approaching to retrieve it after its splash-down. On the left at the bottom is a color aerial photo of the U.S.S. Cabot. On the right is a color photo of a carrier deck loaded with Corsairs.
The book contains 9 color side-view profiles:
A Douglas TBD Devastator
A Vought SB2U Vindicator
A Douglas SBD Dauntless
A Curtiss SB2C Helldiver
A Grumman TBF/TBM Avenger
A Brewster F2A Buffalo
A Grumman F4F Wildcat
A Chance-Vought F4U Corsair
A Grumman F6F Hellcat
There are numerous photos of the insides of carriers, 30 data lists – including a page showing comparative sizes of carriers, 3 maps, 17 black and white line-drawings of carriers, the insignia of the U.S.S. Saratoga, and a plank gunner.
This book, as already said will interest modelers, historians and researchers alike.
I sincerely want to thank Casemate Publishers for this review sample. All of their books that books of other publishers that they distribute can be viewed on their web-site at:
Highly recommended.