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Aviation History
1953
1953 - 0338.PDF
336 FLIGHT THE AERONAUTICAL BOOKSHELF "History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II," by Robert Sherrod. Combat Forces Press, 1115 Seventeenth Street, Washing ton 6, D.C., U.S.A. Illustrated. Price $6.50. IT is rare that a military history is completely satisfying. Usually there are too many dry technical details and too few stories of individual heroism; or, alternatively, too much blood and thunder and too little serious reference data. Sometimes there are insuffi cient maps to follow the course of battle, or the author assumes that his readers will know the meaning of abbreviations like "VMTB- 143," "AirFMFPac," "LFASCU," and all the other mumbo- jumbo inseparable from modern, sophisticated warfare. For that reason we commend this book to would-be historians, as well as to anybody else who wants a first-class, accurate, readable history of a fine fighting service. The achievements of U.S. Marine shock troops in the bloody landings at Tarawa, Okinawa and a score of other beach-heads in the Pacific island hopping campaign are familiar even to British readers. Less well known are the achievements of the 1 per cent of the U.S. Armed Forces who served in Marine Corps Aviation. Yet these 140,000 men (with the help of about 8,000 women Marines) destroyed 2355 enemy aircraft, suffered 3,649 casualties, won 11 Congressional Medals of Honour and pioneered the modern concept of close support for ground forces—a duty they have since resumed with conspicuous success in Korea, using later versions of the same Corsair fighters they flew in 1943-5. For the first 18 months of war, the Marines had nothing so good as a Corsair. At the start of the battle for Guadalcanal, the air commander was able to count on a total of 291 aircraft, mostly obsolete, including 12 ancient Singapores and Vincents of the R.N.Z.A.F. and 38 Airacobras; the last named were extremely unpopular, but useful because they could carry depth-charges, highly effective against land targets. The odds were lengthened by the fact that many Marine pilots had only 275 hours' flying time, mostly on SNJ Harvard trainers, while the Japs at that period averaged 800 hours apiece. To their credit, the Americans fought so aggressively that by the time Guadalcanal was secured there were few top-rank enemy pilots left. One consequence was the Kamikaze, and Mr. Sherrod gives a terrifying picture of the effectiveness and scale of Jap suicide attacks. During the Philippines campaign 26.8 per cent of the Kamikazes found their shipping targets; at Okinawa 14.7 per cent of them hit 279 ships, inflicting terrible damage and casualties; and the Japanese had 10,700 Kamikazes and 18,600 pilots ready to slam the Allied invasion force which they expected to see off Kyushu in October or November, 1945. There are many more features of this book that are worthy of note, including brief combat histories of every Marine Corps aviation unit, first-class glossaries, index, operational statistics, designations of U.S.N., U.S.M.C., U.S.A.F. and Jap aircraft, 144 excellent photographs, 45 maps and diagrams—and the incredible story of Operation X-Ray. Object of this was to set alight the paper THERE has been considerable—and increasing—talk during the past few years of the progress made in the manufacture of commercial aircraft in the United Kingdom, but not everyone has an accurate idea of the large number of firm orders that have already been placed. The Table on the opposite page shows the position at the present time^—though no reference is made therein to the very appreciable number of inquiries about our latest turbo prop and jet airliners that are also being discussed. The grand total of firm aircraft orders is just under 900—the Dove leading the field with around 400 aircraft already built, followed by the Viking at 163 and the Freighter at 79 (plus 109 military variants). Announced figures for the "big three"—Comet, Viscount and Britannia are 49, 78 and 30, but it is known that orders for about 100 Series 2 and 3 Comets are currently under discussion, and that interest is being shown in the Viscount and Britannia by many different operators. Both de Havillands and Vickers have laid down large "American size" production lines for their aircraft. Present Viscount production is at Weybridge, but all the aircraft scheduled to be built there have been started, and the new line at Hum will commence productivity next year—event ually turning out 100 aircraft per annum. Comets are already made at Hatfield and—by Shorts—at Belfast, whilst a further line is expected to be laid down at Chester. Bristols, too, have big plans for the Britannia. B.O.A.C.'s far-sighted initial order for 25 aircraft enabled them to plan a line at Filton which will turn out cities of Japan by releasing, from aircraft, squadrons of bats, each carrying a small incendiary capsule. Unfortunately the bats' mating habits and poor airworthiness with overload provided insuperable problems. In one test with 25 bats, for example, 15 spun in, five flew away, one jettisoned his bombload, three were able to fly for only one minute, leaving just one which made a safe (?) landing. It is one of the few stories of failure in a 496-page record of initiative, aggressiveness and high courage. "Sight Reduction Tables for Air Navigation." (AP 3270, Vol. 1) Her Majesty's Stationery Office, London. Price £1 is. od. T HIS is the first of three volumes forming the British edition of the U.S.N. Hydrographic Office Publication H.0.249, which has been prepared jointly by the U.S. Nautical Almanac Office and H.M. Nautical Almanac Office. Both editions have been reproduced photographically from the same material. The present volume contains tabulations of altitude and azimuth for all lati tudes for six stars selected for each range of hour angle, designed for use with the jointly-produced Air Almanac in the reduction of sights of the Sun, Moon and planets. The three volumes will together eventually replace the Astronomical Navigation Tables (AP 1618). BOOKS RECEIVED Industrial Brazing, by H. R. Brooker and E. V. Beatson, B.Sc. (Eng.), A.M.I.E.E. Iliffe & Sons, Ltd., Dorset House, Stamford Street, London, S.E.i. Price 35s. The first full-length, authoritative study of brazing as a process in metal-fabrication, this book will prove of equal value to those engaged in operating industrial brazing processes and those responsible for the design of brazed assemblies. Handbook of Aeronautics, No. I, 4th Edition: Structural Principles and Data. Sir Isaac Pitman & Sons, Ltd., Pitman House, Parker Street, Kingsway, London, W.C.2. Price 45s. Time Enough to Live, by Dan Brennan. Martin Seeker and Warburg, Ltd., 7 John Street, Bloomsbury, W.C.I. Price 10s 6d. Aeronautics at the Mid-Century, by Jerome C. Hunsaker. Yale University Press. London: Geoffrey Cumberlege, Oxford Univer sity Press, Amen House, Warwick Square, E.C.4. Price 20s. Teach Yourself Astronomy, by David S. Evans. English Univer sities Press, Ltd., St. Paul's House, Warwick Square, London, E.C.4. Price 6s. Model Aeroplanes, by Norman G. Taylor. Cassell & Co., Ltd., 37/38 St. Andrew's Hill, London, E.C.4. Price 4s 6d. Electricity Tariff Handbook, compiled for Electrical Review, with the advice and assistance of V. A. H. Clements, M.I.E.E. Distri buted by Iliffe and Sons, Ltd., Dorset House, Stamford Street, London, S.E.i. Mr. Clements is the assistant commercial manager of the British Electricity Authority, and this book gives full details of the standard tariffs in operation in England, Scotland and Wales. Many additional data are also provided. two aircraft each month, and a similar line is to be laid down by another manufacturer in the North of England. Canadair may also build a military version of the aircraft. A small additional item is that B.E.A. and P.A.W.A. hold options for 12 Viscount 800s and seven Series 3 Comets, respectively, over and above the firm orders they have already placed. All in all, therefore, the picture is by no means unpleasing— though the sooner more of the inquiries become firm orders the better it will be. In this connection the proposals of the Air League referred to last week call for close consideration. Undoubtedly means must be found to expand rapidly this country's air transport resources. NOTES Bristol 171 : Baggage capacity is 20 cu ft. Decca Navigator and Flight Log are fitted, also side exhaust-system. Several military versions are in service. Short Sealand: Two aircraft operated by a Norwegian company have had their undercarriages removed and function solely as flying-boats. This does not convert them into Mk 2 Sealands, as in this project undercarriage structure would also be eliminated. Later Sealands have the more powerful Gipsy Queen 70-4 engines. Percival Prince: Discussions are in progress with A.R.B. regarding the certification of the Pembroke—the R.A.F. variant of the Prince with new wing and greater power and all-up weight. ORDER BOOK Post-war Production of British Commercial Aircraft
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