Product Description

Several books have been written about US naval patrol aviation in World War 2, but none do full justice to the role played by patrol squadrons of the US Navy in the longest, most bitterly fought campaign of the war - the Battle of the Atlantic. From the Arctic to the Equator, anti-submarine aircraft of the US Navy patrolled both sides of the stormy Atlantic alongside their allied counterparts, escorting merchant shipping through submarine-infested waters - the crucial lifeline from the United States to Great Britain and the Mediterranean, and staging troops and supplies for the ultimate liberation of North Africa and Europe. This book details the PBY Catalina, without contest the most successful flying boat ever designed, and a key element in the success of the Atlantic War.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #217704 in Books
• Published on: 2006-11-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 96 pages

Review
The iconic PBY flying boat has received its fair share of coverage over the years. Books and articles of various lengths and depth have ensured its justly deserved fame. The Catalina saw action in every theatre during WWII in roles ranging from maritime patrol service to bomber and, perhaps the most remembered of all, search and rescue. This latest (number 65) in Osprey's Combat Aircraft series specializes in telling the Catalina's story in the Atlantic, mainly against German U-boats, while also giving a nod to its SAR role. Another volume detailing the Cat's Pacific service is in the works. The author's account is generally good in keeping with this highly successful series' trove of information, photos, and stunning artwork. However, I would have liked to have seen more quotes from the aircrews. The 27 profiles and one plan view of Jim Laurier are certainly up to standards as is the dark but very dramatic cover painting by Mark Postlethwaithe. The photo collection is also interesting, and shows the different areas in which the PBY flew and fought the Atlantic war. The narrative starts with the PBY's design and development before going into its role in the neutrality patrols - the thinly disguised campaign to guard against German submarines along the U.S. coast as America supplied the struggling British with arms and material. Following Pearl Harbor, the Catalina fleet began much more offensive operations that continued through the war, accounting for sinking some 20 Axis submarines in the Atlantic. Particular emphasis is given to the Cat's service in the cold North Atlantic, staging from bases in Newfoundland and Iceland. Coverage also extends to the South Atlantic and Morocco just after the Operation Torch landings in November 1942. All in all, this work is a decent operational biography of one of naval aviation's most important wartime aircraft. --Naval Aviation News

About the Author
Ragnar J. Ragnarsson was born 1945 in the USA, but has lived most his life in Iceland. He was co-founder and past vice president of IPMS Iceland, co-founder and past president of the Icelandic Aviation Historical Society and past president of the Icelandic Aero Club. Ragnar has spent many years researching wartime maritime aviation in the Atlantic and has written articles for both the Icelandic and foreign specialist aviation press, as well as contributing to a number of books on the subject.