Michael John Claringbould's Books

F4U Corsair versus A6M Zero-sen

Rabaul and the Solomons 1943–44

By: Michael John Claringbould

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F4U Corsair versus A6M Zero-sen

Rabaul and the Solomons 1943–44

By: Michael John Claringbould

The aerial clashes between the iconic Corsair and Zero-sen translated into a contest of speed and altitude for the former, versus the latter's outstanding agility and range. Whilst the F4U Corsair eventually proved to be a superior fighter in Pacific operations, its introduction into combat in this theatre initially demonstrated its weaknesses. Indeed, the 'Saint Valentine's Day Massacre' debacle showcased exemplary Zero-sen fighter tactics, and American losses were of sufficient magnitude that further daylight missions toward Bougainville were discontinued until Allied fighter tactics could be improved. As a result, for the next two months the Corsair's combat results were much subdued. Indeed, the F4U only became a superb fighter when both its pilots and their commanders worked out how to deploy the gull-wing design effectively. Optimum circumstances for effective engagement did not always occur, and the Zero-sen remained effective against the Corsair until February 1944 in the South Pacific, after which all IJNAF fighter units vacated Rabaul. This book closely examines these two different fighters in the Solomons/Rabaul theatre, and the unique geographic conditions which shaped their deployment and effectiveness. It contains rare photographs and digital artwork that accurately showcases and aligns combats of both types in-theatre with unprecedented accuracy. Both sides vastly over-claimed. With full access to IJNAF and US Navy/US Marine Corps records, these numbers will be presented accurately.

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Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472850599

ISBN 13

9781472850591

A6M2/3 Zero-sen

New Guinea and the Solomons 1942

By: Michael John Claringbould

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A6M2/3 Zero-sen

New Guinea and the Solomons 1942

By: Michael John Claringbould

This book details the exploits of the highly skilled Naval Aviators charged with achieving air supremacy over New Guinea in their A6M2/3 Zero-sens. The combat record of the Zero-sen in New Guinea has mostly been overstated, with little due being given to the constraining conditions under which the fighter operated. The air combats fought over New Guinea in 1942 between Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF) pilots and their Allied counterparts in P-39 Airacobras and P-40 Warhawks were often 'trial and error' affairs, with both belligerents being caught out by weather. This study covers the key role played by governing factors including geography and climatic conditions, and examines the modified tactics employed by IJNAF Zero-sen pilots to help them cope in-theatre through the comprehensive analysis of RAAF, USAAF and Japanese operational after action reports. Using first-hand accounts from both famous aviators and previously unknown RAAF and Japanese pilots, and specially commissioned artwork, leading South Pacific historian and author Michael John Claringbould sheds new light on the air war fought over the wilds of New Guinea during the course of 1942.

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Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472857518

ISBN 13

9781472857514

P-47D Thunderbolt vs Ki-43-II Oscar

New Guinea 1943–44

By: Michael John Claringbould

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P-47D Thunderbolt vs Ki-43-II Oscar

New Guinea 1943–44

By: Michael John Claringbould

Although New Guinea's Thunderbolt pilots faced several different types of enemy aircraft in capricious tropical conditions, by far their most common adversary was the Nakajima Ki-43-II Hayabusa, codenamed 'Oscar' by the Allies. These two opposing fighters were the products of two radically different design philosophies. The Thunderbolt was heavy, fast and packed a massive punch thanks to its battery of eight 0.50-cal machine guns, while the 'Oscar' was the complete opposite in respect to fighter design philosophy – lightweight, nimble, manoeuvrable and lightly armed. It was, nonetheless, deadly in the hands of an experienced pilot. The Thunderbolt commenced operations in New Guinea with a series of bomber escort missions in mid-1943, and its firepower and superior speed soon saw Fifth Air Force fighter command deploying elite groups of P-47s to Wewak, on the northern coast. Flying from there, they would pick off unwary enemy aircraft during dedicated fighter patrols. The Thunderbolt pilots in New Guinea slowly wore down their Japanese counterparts by continual combat and deadly strafing attacks, but nevertheless, the Ki-43-II remained a worthy opponent deterrent up until Hollandia was abandoned by the IJAAF in April 1944. Fully illustrated throughout with artwork and rare photographs, this fascinating book examines these two vastly different fighters in the New Guinea theatre, and assesses the unique geographic conditions that shaped their deployment and effectiveness.

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Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472840895

ISBN 13

9781472840899

Operation Ro-Go 1943

Japanese air power tackles the Bougainville landings

By: Michael John Claringbould

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Operation Ro-Go 1943

Japanese air power tackles the Bougainville landings

By: Michael John Claringbould

A compelling account of the failure of Imperial Japan's Operation Ro-Go, intended to take the offensive in the Solomons theater of the Pacific War, but which became Japan's first line of defense against the Allies' Rabaul raids and Bougainville landings. By the midpoint of World War II in the Pacific, Japan was on the defensive. At the end of 1943, after a year of tumultuous air combat around Rabaul and the Solomons, 173 Japanese aircraft were sent to Rabaul. The plan was for them to participate in Ro-Go Sakusen (known as Operation Ro, Ro-Go, or B) to strike Allied air power and shipping in the Solomons and to slow the American advance by severing Allied supply chains. However, instead of challenging Allied air and sea power on their own terms, the operation became unexpectedly embroiled in defensive combat and counterattacks, first to defend Rabaul from Allied air raids, and then to challenge the Allied landings at Bougainville. In one fell swoop, Operation Ro-Go was turned on its head, and transformed into a defensive battle for the Japanese. In this book, the first in English to focus on Operation Ro-Go, Michael John Claringbould uses rare Japanese primary source material to explain how the Japanese planned and fought the campaign, and corrects enduring myths often found in books that rely only on Western sources. He traces the unexpected and tremendous pressures placed on the operation's units at Rabaul as the Japanese dealt with massive, surprise raids from Fifth Air Force bombers, and later US Navy carrier aircraft, concluding with the strategic upset of the Bougainville landings. Packed with previously unpublished photos, spectacular original illustrations, 3D recreations of specific missions, maps and explanatory diagrams, this study tells the previously untold but significant story of Japan's air war in the Solomons.

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187

Publisher

Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472855566

ISBN 13

9781472855565

P-39/P-400 Airacobra vs A6M2/3 Zero-sen

New Guinea 1942

By: Michael John Claringbould

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P-39/P-400 Airacobra vs A6M2/3 Zero-sen

New Guinea 1942

By: Michael John Claringbould

After the huge advances made in the early months of the Pacific war, it was in remote New Guinea where the advance of Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF) A6M Zero-sen fighters was first halted due to a series of offensive and defensive aerial battles ranging from treetop height up to 30,000 ft. Initially, the IJNAF fought Australian Kittyhawks, but by May 1942 they had fought themselves into oblivion, and were relieved by USAAF P-39 and P-400 Airacobras. The battles unfolded over mountainous terrain with treacherous tropical weather. Neither IJNAF or USAAF pilots had been trained for such extreme conditions, incurring many additional losses aside from those that fell in combat. Using specially commissioned artwork and contemporary photographs and testimony, this fascinating study explains how, despite their initial deficit in experience and equipment, the Airacobras managed to square the ledger and defend New Guinea.

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Bloomsbury Publishing

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ISBN 10

1472823680

ISBN 13

9781472823687

P-47D Thunderbolt vs Ki-43-II Oscar

New Guinea 1943–44

By: Michael John Claringbould

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P-47D Thunderbolt vs Ki-43-II Oscar

New Guinea 1943–44

By: Michael John Claringbould

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Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472840925

ISBN 13

9781472840929

P-39/P-400 Airacobra Vs A6M2/3 Zero-sen

New Guinea 1942

By: Michael John Claringbould

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P-39/P-400 Airacobra Vs A6M2/3 Zero-sen

New Guinea 1942

By: Michael John Claringbould

This fully illustrated study describes how American Airacobras pilots battled against the Japanese Zero pilots over extreme tropical conditions in remote New Guinea in the months after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

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Bloomsbury Publishing

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ISBN 10

1472823664

ISBN 13

9781472823663

F4U Corsair versus A6M Zero-sen

Rabaul and the Solomons 1943–44

By: Michael John Claringbould

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F4U Corsair versus A6M Zero-sen

Rabaul and the Solomons 1943–44

By: Michael John Claringbould

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Bloomsbury Publishing

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ISBN 10

1472850599

ISBN 13

9781472850591

Pacific Adversaries

Japanese Army Air Force Vs the Allies New Guinea 1942-1944

By: Michael John Claringbould

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Pacific Adversaries

Japanese Army Air Force Vs the Allies New Guinea 1942-1944

By: Michael John Claringbould

[Volume 1] is the first in a planned Pacific Adversaries series which will convey detailed stories of aerial warfare in the South Pacific. The stories will be chosen because both the Japanese and Allied records can be matched for an accurate accounting. Often the actual outcomes are very different to the exaggerated claims made by both sides upon which many traditional histories have relied to date. Further, for each of the chosen stories photographic or other evidence enables an accurate depiction of the aircraft involved. Hence through these chosen snapshots Pacific Adversaries will portray the South Pacific conflict as accurately as possible.

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112

Published Date

ISBN 10

064680314X

ISBN 13

9780646803142

Operation Ro-Go 1943

Japanese air power tackles the Bougainville landings

By: Michael John Claringbould

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Operation Ro-Go 1943

Japanese air power tackles the Bougainville landings

By: Michael John Claringbould

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187

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Bloomsbury Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1472855566

ISBN 13

9781472855565

Pacific Profiles Volume Four

Allied Fighters: Vought F4U Corsair Series Solomons Theatre 1943-1944

By: Michael Claringbould

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Pacific Profiles Volume Four

Allied Fighters: Vought F4U Corsair Series Solomons Theatre 1943-1944

By: Michael Claringbould

The Pacific Profiles series presents the most accurate WWII profiles to date of aircraft which served in the Pacific theater. Volume Four focuses on the US Navy, US Marine Corps and RNZAF squadrons which operated land based F4U series Corsair fighters throughout the Solomons theater from February 1943 onwards. The distinctive markings schemes, unit heraldry and nose art varied considerably between models and squadrons, the latter of which developed their own particular markings themes and patterns. This volume illustrates the precise markings of each Corsair squadron, from the early "birdcage" F4U-1 series through to the later F4U-1A "bubble" canopy models. Each profile is accompanied by supporting photos along with a brief history of the aircraft. A wide range of reference material was sourced to illustrate each profile, including colour movie film, post-war wreck surveys, official records, diaries and hundreds of photos. The author, Michael John Claringbould, is world-renown for his expertise on both the Allied and Japanese sides of the Pacific theater. Never before have such meticulous colour profiles of the Corsair family been illustrated so accurately, and with such attendant detail.

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112

Published Date

ISBN 10

0648926230

ISBN 13

9780648926238

South Pacific Air War

The Struggle for Moresby March-april 1942

By: Michael Claringbould,Peter Ingman

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South Pacific Air War

The Struggle for Moresby March-april 1942

By: Michael Claringbould,Peter Ingman

This second volume chronicles aerial warfare in the South Pacific for the two crucial months of March and April 1942 when a deadly struggle for Port Moresby played out. It can be read alone or as part of a trilogy which culminates in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942.The period begins with the stunning 10 March US Navy carrier strike against Lae and Salamaua which caused the Japanese to pause their advance until their own carriers were available. Instead they tried to grind the Allied forces at Port Moresby into submission through an unrelenting air assault by their Betty bombers and superlative Zero fighters. After a long wait, Allied land-based fighters finally arrived in the form of Royal Australian Air Force No. 75 Squadron Kittyhawks. These were backed up by a growing collection of United States Army Air Force bombers including A-24 Banshees, B-17 Flying Fortresses, B-25 Mitchells and B-26 Marauders (the latter two types making their worldwide combat debut over the skies of New Guinea). Together this motley force took the fight to the Japanese, resulting in a complex aerial campaign which saw units from both sides reach exhaustion. Never before has such a detailed chronicle of this air war been published, and for the first time the authors match Allied accounts with Japanese records. The result is both thrilling and surprising, with the resulting dispositions of the air forces of both sides setting the scene for the Battle of the Coral Sea in May.Both authors are uniquely qualified to tell this story. Raised in Port Moresby, Michael Claringbould is an acknowledged expert on the Pacific air war and Japanese aviation in particular. Peter Ingman is an acclaimed military history author specialising in the early Pacific War period.

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232

Published Date

ISBN 10

0994588976

ISBN 13

9780994588975

South Pacific Air War Volume 1

The Fall of Rabaul December 1941 - March 1942

By: Peter Ingman,Michael John Claringbould

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South Pacific Air War Volume 1

The Fall of Rabaul December 1941 - March 1942

By: Peter Ingman,Michael John Claringbould

This volume chronicles aerial warfare in the South Pacific from December 1941 until March 1942, during which air operations by both sides became a daily occurrence. As Imperial Japanese Navy flying boats and landbased bombers penetrated over vast distances, a few under-strength squadrons of the Royal Australian Air Force put up a spirited fight. However it was the supreme power of aircraft carriers that had the biggest impact. Four Japanese fleet carriers facilitated the capture of Rabaul over a devastating four-day period in January 1942. The following month, the USS Lexington's fighter squadron VF-3 scored one of the most one-sided victories of the entire Pacific War. By March 1942 the Japanese had landed on mainland New Guinea, and the scene was set for a race to control Port Moresby. This is the full story of both sides of an air war that could have been won by either incumbent, but for timing, crucial decisions and luck. The two authors are uniquely qualified to tell this story. Raised in Port Moresby, Michael Claringbould is a globally-acknowledged expert on the New Guinea air war and Japanese aviation in particular. Peter Ingman is an acclaimed military history author specialising in the early Pacific War period.

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252

Published Date

ISBN 10

0994588941

ISBN 13

9780994588944

Eagles of the Southern Sky

The Tainan Air Group in WWII Volume One: New Guinea

By: Luca Ruffato,Michael John Claringbould

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Eagles of the Southern Sky

The Tainan Air Group in WWII Volume One: New Guinea

By: Luca Ruffato,Michael John Claringbould

The definitive history of the Imperial Japanese Tainan Naval Air Group - the most prestigious of any Japanese aerial unit in World War 2. It was assigned New Guinea in April 1942, confident of victory, having already conquered the Philippines and Dutch East Indies. However, by mid-November 1942 only eighteen pilots from the original cadre sailed home from Rabaul, marking the end of an era. This book outlines the definitive history of this flagship unit in New Guinea, sourcing material from all sides of the conflict.

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352

Publisher

Avonmore Books

Published Date

ISBN 10

0473217635

ISBN 13

9780473217631

Black Sunday

When the US Fifth Air Force Lost 37 Aircraft to New Guinea's Weather

By: Michael J. Claringbould

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Black Sunday

When the US Fifth Air Force Lost 37 Aircraft to New Guinea's Weather

By: Michael J. Claringbould

Recounts the events of 16 April 1944, when the United States Fifth Air Force lost 37 aircraft over New Guinea, due to appalling weather. Tells of the departure from New Guinea air-bases for an attack against Japanese installations at Hollandia, the onset of turbulent weather and decreasing visibility in mountainous country, the fate of various planes and their occupants, and the aftermath. Includes an appendix listing lost and damaged aircraft, and a bibliography. By the author of 'Rampage of the Roarin' 20s'.

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ISBN 10

0646232088

ISBN 13

9780646232089

Book's by Michael John Claringbould

F4U Corsair versus A6M Zero-sen

F4U Corsair versus A6M Zero-sen

A6M2/3 Zero-sen

A6M2/3 Zero-sen

P-47D Thunderbolt vs Ki-43-II Oscar

P-47D Thunderbolt vs Ki-43-II Oscar

Operation Ro-Go 1943

Operation Ro-Go 1943

P-39/P-400 Airacobra vs A6M2/3 Zero-sen

P-39/P-400 Airacobra vs A6M2/3 Zero-sen

P-47D Thunderbolt vs Ki-43-II Oscar

P-47D Thunderbolt vs Ki-43-II Oscar

P-39/P-400 Airacobra Vs A6M2/3 Zero-sen

P-39/P-400 Airacobra Vs A6M2/3 Zero-sen

F4U Corsair versus A6M Zero-sen

F4U Corsair versus A6M Zero-sen

Pacific Adversaries

Pacific Adversaries

Operation Ro-Go 1943

Operation Ro-Go 1943

Pacific Profiles Volume Four

Pacific Profiles Volume Four

South Pacific Air War

South Pacific Air War

South Pacific Air War Volume 1

South Pacific Air War Volume 1

Eagles of the Southern Sky

Eagles of the Southern Sky

Black Sunday

Black Sunday

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