Tag: Allied air forces

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Project X and the American Aerial Defense of Java, 1941–1942

Coming soon from Texas A&M University Press and authors William H. Bartsch and Edward M. Rogers is Desperate Gambit: Project X and the American Aerial Defense of Java, 1941–1942, which reveals the untold story of how the Army Air Forces sent some eighty B-17 Flying Fortresses nearly 7,000 miles to Java to oppose the Japanese invasion.

In the dark days of World War II, just after Pearl Harbor, Japanese forces were moving almost at will across Southeast Asia and the Pacific. With his troops besieged in the Philippines and his bomber and fighter squadrons decimated, General MacArthur pressured the US War Department to provide urgent help, particularly for replacements for the B-17 bombers devastated in the December 8 attack on Clark Field. President Roosevelt committed to send a large force of heavy bombers and their crews to the Philippines, a reinforcement plan code named “Project X.” Continue reading Project X and the American Aerial Defense of Java, 1941–1942

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Spitfires over Tokyo: Commonwealth Air Forces in Japan 1945–1948

Coming soon from Fonthill and author Simon Gifford is Spitfires over Tokyo: Commonwealth Air Forces in Japan 1945–1948.

In the spring of 1946, the Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force, Royal Indian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Air Force dispatched aircraft and men to form the air element of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force of Japan. Equipped with Spitfire XIVs, P51D Mustangs and FG-1D Corsairs, seven squadrons of fighter aircraft spent the next two years backing up the American forces in the successful disarmament of Japan and the country’s transition to a democratic nation. Supporting the fighters were RAF, RAAF, RNZAF Dakotas, which flew numerous sorties linking the forces in Japan to Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand. Other aircraft flown in Japan included Austers, Ansons, Harvards and Wirraways.

Spitfires over Tokyo: Commonwealth Air Forces in Japan 1945–1948 traces the formation of the occupation force, including the formation of the Spitfire squadrons in India, through their helping liberate Malaya, Singapore and Hong Kong, and on to their final disbandment in Japan and the end of occupation duties in 1948. Profusely illustrated with photos of all of the aircraft flown in Japan, the majority of which have not been published previously, the book offers an illuminating window on a little-known area of post-war aviation history.

The 264 page, hardcover book is currently available for pre-order with release set for January 30, 2027.

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