Subject: WWII-L Digest - 16 Apr 1993 to 17 Apr 1993

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Sun, 18 Apr 1993 00:01:13 -0400

There are 4 messages totalling 139 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. Seeking book on the Pacific War
  2. WEAP: Luftwaffe losses to B-17's (2)
  3. REF: Luftwaffe losses to USAAF a/c?

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Date:    Sat, 17 Apr 1993 14:32:39 -0230
From:    NAME <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Seeking book on the Pacific War

Bob:

This is in response to your request for suggestions on books
relating to WWII in the Pacific. I'm the Reviews Editor of _The
Northern Mariner_, the journal of the Canadian Nautical Research
Society. What follows is a review that we carried in our January
issue of a book that seems to fit your request. Though the
edition that we reviewed was British, I'm fairly certain that the
book is available in the USA. Hope this helps.

Olaf Janzen
Department of History
Sir Wilfred Grenfell College
Corner Brook, Newfoundland
A2H 6P9

e-mail: [email-masked]

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Dan Van der Vat. _The Pacific Campaign: World War II. The U.S. -
Japanese Naval War 1941-1945_. London: Hodder and Stoughton,
1991. 430 pp., maps, photographs, sources, index. 25 pounds
sterling, cloth; ISBN 0-340-49661-4.

With the publication of this book, Dan Van der Vat has out-
stripped the accomplishment of his previous volume on the
Atlantic War. This is a sweeping, complete, and carefully con-
sidered text on the Pacific campaign. It is suitable for both the
naval historian and the general reader; both will be able to
devote time and attention to it with profit.
      The book begins with two tidy chapters--well done, succinct
and complete--giving the political and international background
of the Pacific war, something which is not found in all studies
of this subject. Having set the scene, he then continues to
recount the story of the war in a fast-paced and accurate
narrative, missing little. Totally devoid of notes, he laces his
material with pithy and brief comments throughout, usually in
parentheses, which do not detract from his pace. This may disturb
the historian but it will certainly appeal to the general reader.
The section on Sources and Acknowledgements is refreshingly short
and clearly contains only those works which he actually consulted
in the writing of the book (as opposed to some authors who list
every book ever written on the Pacific campaign!).
      Van der Vat's parenthetical comments make it abundantly
clear that he is not enamoured of General Douglas MacArthur's
strategic acumen or of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's contribution to
the Japanese naval war effort. On the latter he points out that a
few more mistakes like failing to ensure a constant supply of
properly trained pilots for the fleet would have ensured his
being perceived "even by the Americans, as an asset to their
cause." (p. 264)
      The author also discusses the similarity of the Japanese
experience and errors in the development of submarine and anti-
submarine warfare to that of the Germans, observing that no one
sought German advice or assistance with problems in any system-
atic fashion. He cites the Japanese army's attempt to build its
own submarines for supply purposes at the end of the war without
naval consultation as an example of inter-service rivalry and
failure in coordination and command at the most senior levels.
The book also contains an excellent description, summary and
assessment of the Battle of Leyte Gulf, as well as an assessment
of Halsey's now famous error and Ozawa's success at deception,
describing Admiral Ozawa as the most talented of Hirohito's
admirals.
      This is an excellent book, almost totally free of
typographical errors, and is highly recommended as an addition to
any naval collection and well worth the price.

James C. Lawless
Ottawa, Ontario

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Date:    Sat, 17 Apr 1993 16:52:27 PDT
From:    Tim Torres <[email-masked]>
Subject: WEAP: Luftwaffe losses to B-17's

From: Timothy Torres, CIC

Today (Sat) on Discovery WINGS, the narrator claimed that more Luftwaffe
fighters were shot down by US daytime bombers than US fighters.  Is this
true?  I always thought that the bombers had a terrible time dealing with
fighters until the long-range US fighters arrived.

Anybody have any references that cover this?

-
Timothy A. Torres, Computing Consultant
Computing Information Center, San Jose State University
[email-masked] or [email-masked]

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Date:    Sat, 17 Apr 1993 19:05:59 EST
From:    Larry Jewell <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: WEAP: Luftwaffe losses to B-17's

>
> From: Timothy Torres, CIC
>
> Today (Sat) on Discovery WINGS, the narrator claimed that more Luftwaffe
> fighters were shot down by US daytime bombers than US fighters.  Is this
> true?  I always thought that the bombers had a terrible time dealing with
> fighters until the long-range US fighters arrived.
>
> Anybody have any references that cover this?

  We have a copy of the Strategic Bombing Survey here. I will dig into it
tommorrow when I go to the library and see what they claim there.

> -
> Timothy A. Torres, Computing Consultant
> Computing Information Center, San Jose State University
> [email-masked] or [email-masked]
>
Larry J

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Date:    Sat, 17 Apr 1993 20:13:12 EDT
From:    Robert E George <[email-masked]>
Subject: REF: Luftwaffe losses to USAAF a/c?

Try Ray Wagner's book on American Combat Aircraft and

William Green's "Famous  Fighters of the 2nd World War"

and William Green's "Famous Bombers of the 2nd World War."

Rob

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End of WWII-L Digest - 16 Apr 1993 to 17 Apr 1993
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