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Bibliographic Detail
Publisher
Casemate Pub & Book Dist Llc
Publication date
November 19, 2010
Pages
435
Binding
Paperback
Book category
Adult Non-Fiction
ISBN-13
9781935149415
ISBN-10
1935149415
Dimensions
1.25 by 6.50 by 9.25 in.
Weight
1.55 lbs.
Original list price
$19.95
Amazon.com says people who bought this book also bought:
Hell from the Heavens | Kamikaze Attacks of World War II
Hell from the Heavens | Kamikaze Attacks of World War II
Summaries and Reviews
Amazon.com description: Product Description: âTo any who want to learn more about the age of the Kamikaze at Okinawa, this book is to be desired. For the serious historian who wants a âblow by blowâ coverage of the US defense against the Japanese airpower portion of the battle for Okinawa, it is a must. And for the casual readerâ¦youâll gain insight even if you just peruse this book.â âAirborne Quarterly
â. . . crisp, engrossing narrative . . . puts the reader right onto the blazing decks and into the cockpits of the attackers and defenders during one of the most hard-fought engagements of the entire war.ââWorld War II History
This is the previously untold story of one of the most ferocious and prolonged air/naval battles in history: the battle at the radar picket stations during the American assault on Okinawa in the spring of 1945. The US fleet and its accompanying airpower that took station off Okinawa was of gigantic proportions, such that the Japanese could only rely on suicide attacks to inflict critical damage. While losses in the main fleet, including damage to ships such as the Enterprise and Intrepid, have been well covered, less known is the terrific battle waged on the radar picket line, the fleetâs outer defense against Japanese marauders.
Of the 206 ships that served on radar picket duty, nearly 30 percent were sunk or damaged by Japanese air attacks, making theirs the most hazardous naval surface duty in World War II. The great losses were largely due to the relentless nature of the kamikaze attacks, but also the improper use of support gunboats, failure to establish land-based radar at the earliest possible time, the assignment of ships ill-equipped for picket duty, and, as time went on, crew fatigue.
The nature of the US air cover is also described in full, as squadrons dashed from their carriers and land bases to intercept the Japanese swarms, resulting in constant melees over the fleet. Toward the end of the battle, the radar picket ships became the prime kamikaze targets as Japanese pilots despaired of getting through the âbig blue blanketâ of American fighter planes to reach larger prey. Robin L. Rielly has written an engrossing narrative of air/naval combat, combining firsthand action with astute tactical and strategic analysis.
REVIEWS
âTo any who want to learn more about the age of the Kamikaze at Okinawa, this book is to be desired. For the serious historian who wants a âblow by blowâ coverage of the US defense against the Japanese airpower portion of the battle for Okinawa, it is a must. And for the casual readerâ¦youâll gain insight even if you just peruse this book.â
Airborne Quarterly, Winter 2009
ââ¦a masterpiece of research and dedication⦠classic study in how to write about a non mainstream military subject and still make it accessible to the military lay person.â
Play History, 11/2008
âfantastically well documented storyâ¦â
Flypast, 11/2008
"â¦if you want to know anything about this topic⦠this is the book to read. Profusely illustrated with maps, photographs and drawings, the subject is covered as completely as possibleâ¦"
IPMS, 12/2008
â⦠an enlightening and captivating account of radar picket dutyâ¦a worthy resource for anyone interested in naval war tactics and battle strategies during this era of maritime historyâ¦â
The Northern Mariner, 03/2009
ââ¦a fascinating account replete with photos, maps and insightful analysis.â
Proceedings, 02/2009
âHighly detailed yet accessible account on the Pacific War.â
Airfix Model World, 04/01/2011
ââ¦an engaging, well-documented, fast moving and previously untold history of 150 days and nights of continuous attacks on the picket boats. ..highly documented, extensive and well-written account of the picket line ordeal and the air action provided to combat the kamikazes.â
The Hook, Spring 2009
ââ¦crisp, engrossing narrativeâ¦puts the reader right onto the blazing decks and into the cockpits of the attackers and defenders during one of the most hard-fought engagements of the entire war.â
World War II History, 01/2010
"The subject matter of this book by Robin L Rielly is actually very simple... however this is not a simple book at all, it is a master piece of research and dedication that makes it look simple."
Wargamer.com
â⦠a day-by-day, blow-by-blow, retelling of the attacks on Okinawa in 1945. As a historian, this is one of the best, most researched books I have ever seen. The bibliography is extremely detailed, and the use of primary sources and evidence makes for a very âreal to lifeâ bookâ¦. Rielly has done some amazing research and painstaking time to tell this storyâ¦â
San Francisco Book Review, 03/2011
ââ¦related a thrilling but harrowing chapter in the Pacific War and is able to bring events to life with consummate, startling ease.â
Scale Plastic and Rail
â. . . crisp, engrossing narrative . . . puts the reader right onto the blazing decks and into the cockpits of the attackers and defenders during one of the most hard-fought engagements of the entire war.ââWorld War II History
This is the previously untold story of one of the most ferocious and prolonged air/naval battles in history: the battle at the radar picket stations during the American assault on Okinawa in the spring of 1945. The US fleet and its accompanying airpower that took station off Okinawa was of gigantic proportions, such that the Japanese could only rely on suicide attacks to inflict critical damage. While losses in the main fleet, including damage to ships such as the Enterprise and Intrepid, have been well covered, less known is the terrific battle waged on the radar picket line, the fleetâs outer defense against Japanese marauders.
Of the 206 ships that served on radar picket duty, nearly 30 percent were sunk or damaged by Japanese air attacks, making theirs the most hazardous naval surface duty in World War II. The great losses were largely due to the relentless nature of the kamikaze attacks, but also the improper use of support gunboats, failure to establish land-based radar at the earliest possible time, the assignment of ships ill-equipped for picket duty, and, as time went on, crew fatigue.
The nature of the US air cover is also described in full, as squadrons dashed from their carriers and land bases to intercept the Japanese swarms, resulting in constant melees over the fleet. Toward the end of the battle, the radar picket ships became the prime kamikaze targets as Japanese pilots despaired of getting through the âbig blue blanketâ of American fighter planes to reach larger prey. Robin L. Rielly has written an engrossing narrative of air/naval combat, combining firsthand action with astute tactical and strategic analysis.
REVIEWS
âTo any who want to learn more about the age of the Kamikaze at Okinawa, this book is to be desired. For the serious historian who wants a âblow by blowâ coverage of the US defense against the Japanese airpower portion of the battle for Okinawa, it is a must. And for the casual readerâ¦youâll gain insight even if you just peruse this book.â
Airborne Quarterly, Winter 2009
ââ¦a masterpiece of research and dedication⦠classic study in how to write about a non mainstream military subject and still make it accessible to the military lay person.â
Play History, 11/2008
âfantastically well documented storyâ¦â
Flypast, 11/2008
"â¦if you want to know anything about this topic⦠this is the book to read. Profusely illustrated with maps, photographs and drawings, the subject is covered as completely as possibleâ¦"
IPMS, 12/2008
â⦠an enlightening and captivating account of radar picket dutyâ¦a worthy resource for anyone interested in naval war tactics and battle strategies during this era of maritime historyâ¦â
The Northern Mariner, 03/2009
ââ¦a fascinating account replete with photos, maps and insightful analysis.â
Proceedings, 02/2009
âHighly detailed yet accessible account on the Pacific War.â
Airfix Model World, 04/01/2011
ââ¦an engaging, well-documented, fast moving and previously untold history of 150 days and nights of continuous attacks on the picket boats. ..highly documented, extensive and well-written account of the picket line ordeal and the air action provided to combat the kamikazes.â
The Hook, Spring 2009
ââ¦crisp, engrossing narrativeâ¦puts the reader right onto the blazing decks and into the cockpits of the attackers and defenders during one of the most hard-fought engagements of the entire war.â
World War II History, 01/2010
"The subject matter of this book by Robin L Rielly is actually very simple... however this is not a simple book at all, it is a master piece of research and dedication that makes it look simple."
Wargamer.com
â⦠a day-by-day, blow-by-blow, retelling of the attacks on Okinawa in 1945. As a historian, this is one of the best, most researched books I have ever seen. The bibliography is extremely detailed, and the use of primary sources and evidence makes for a very âreal to lifeâ bookâ¦. Rielly has done some amazing research and painstaking time to tell this storyâ¦â
San Francisco Book Review, 03/2011
ââ¦related a thrilling but harrowing chapter in the Pacific War and is able to bring events to life with consummate, startling ease.â
Scale Plastic and Rail
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