Tillman, Barrett. U.S. Navy Fighter Squadrons in World War II. North Branch, MN: Specialty Press, 1997.

ISBN 0-933424-74-4
159 pages

Preface; Introduction to FitRons; photos; Selected Biographies; Recommended Reading; index.

Appendices: The Squadrons; The Aces; The Ships

In the 1960's the Historical Division of the US Air Force prepared a pair of reference works containing the historical records of all its combat units and squadrons during World War II. Barrett Tillman, one of the most distinguished American aviation writers, has undertaken a similar survey of a somewhat smaller topic: the fighter squadrons ("FitRons") of the US Navy in World War II.

Of these there were approximately 150 established during the war years, of which around 90 were "flying offensive missions in any theater before 15 August 1945." That group serves as the subject of the volume.

For each squadron Tillman presents an array of dates and data, including designation; nickname; date of establishment; date of redesignations (if any); date of disestablishment; dates and locations of deployments (with aircraft models); numbers of victories, aces, and pilots lost; names and scores of leading pilots; names of COs; and several paragraphs of narrative. Many also feature a photo of pilots or aircraft. Here's a typical entry:

VF-17 Jolly Rogers

Established: 1 Jan 43

Deployments:	Solomons	Oct 43-Mar 44	F4U-1, -1A
	Hornet (CV-12)	Feb-Jun 45	F6F-5, -5P

Combat record: 313 victories, 23 aces. Lost 17 pilots deployed.
     Top score: Lt(jg) Ira Kepford, 16.

     The Navy's highest-scoring fighting squadron actually was two separate units with the same designation. However, from the genealogical viewpoint, the lineage was direct.
     Lt.Cdr. Tom Blackburn established VF-17 as the Navy's second F4U squadron on New Year's Day 1943. After turning the Corsair into a suitable carrier aircraft, the Jolly Rogers sailed for the Pacific aboard Bunker Hill with the rest of Air Group 17, arriving in Hawaii that fall. However, insufficient Corsair parts in the carrier supply system forced "Blackburn's Irregulars" off the ship, to be replaced by the Hellcats of VF-18.
     Sent to the Solomon Islands in October, Fighting 17 operated from Ondonga, New Georgia until year end, then from the Piva Yoke strip on Bougainville. A brief reunion with Bunker Hill occurred during the carrier strike on Rabaul 11 November, when the F4Us landed aboard to refuel and rearm after helping repel a land-based air attack. The 18.5 kills credited that day remained a high for the duration of the first deployment.
     Lt(jg) Ike Kepford became the Navy's first triple ace on 19 February 1944, and remained "top gun" until June. At the end of the tour, Blackburn's pilots included 11 aces, and the 152 victories remained the Navy's top Corsair score
     Reforming on the West Coast, Lt.Cdr. Marsh Beebe (like Blackburn, a former CVE pilot) trained a new VF-17 in the F6F, but still sporting the pirate flag. They entered combat from Hornet during the spectacular Tokyo strikes, when the Jolly Rogers resumed scoring on 16 February 1945--three days less one year after their last Corsair victory. However, their biggest days came over Kanoya on 18 March and near Okinawa on 16 April, with 31 kills on both occasions. The skipper and Lt. Bob Coats became aces in a day on 18 March, with Lts Bill Hardy and Ted Crosby making "five the hard way" on 6 and 26 April, respectively.
     Credited with 161 victories and 12 aces from Hornet, Beebee's "edition" of VF-17 boosted the squadron's two-tour total to 313, narrowly edging out VF-15's single deployment record of 310.

Wartime COs:	Lt.Cdr. John T. Blackburn	1 Jan 43
	Lt.Cdr. Marshall U. Beebe	18 Apr 44

Subsequent record: redesignated VF-5B (1946), VF-61 (1948).

Disestablished 1959.

Appendices round out the book with a wealth of tables covering "Highest Squadron Daily Claims", "Top Navy Aces by Aircraft Type", "Aces in a Day" and many more. Tillman provides biographical data for twelve Navy fliers, representing "not only the top-scoring Navy aces, but those who made lasting contributions beyond their victory scores, or whose aerial combat achievements were unique."

Well done. An outstanding research tool.

Available from mail order booksellers, local bookshops, or directly from Specialty Press.

Thanks to Specialty Press for providing this review copy.