23rd Fighter Group: Chennault's Sharks

by Carl Molesworth, Jim Laurier (Illustrator)

Overview

Famous for the fearsome sharksmouths that adorned their planes, the 23rd FG fought a guerrilla war against the Japanese, steadily moving pilots and aircraft from one remote air base in China to another to keep the enemy off balance. Because China could only be supplied by air from India, there were constant shortages of aircraft, fuel and ammunition with which to contend. The 23rd FG met these challenges head-on, and by the end of the war its pilots had compiled a score of 594 aerial victories and nearly 400 ground kills. The human cost was high, however – 126 pilots lost their lives in China while serving in the 23rd.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781472800534
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	01/20/2013
Series:	Aviation Elite Units , #31
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	128
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Carl Molesworth has specialised in producing unit histories for the USAAF fighter groups of the CBI since the 1980s, interviewing surviving veterans from these little-publicised units.

Jim Laurier is a native of New England and lives in New Hampshire. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, from 1974–78, and since he graduated with honours, he has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration. He has been commissioned to paint for the US Air Force and has aviation paintings on permanent display at the Pentagon.
Carl Molesworth is a former newspaper and magazine editor now working as a freelance writer and editor. A graduate of the University of Maryland with a BA in English, Molesworth served as an enlisted man in the USAF from 1968 to 1972 before becoming an award-winning journalist for 35 years and then transitioning to full-time book writing. He has been researching and writing about fighter operations in World War II for nearly 30 years. His 14 previous titles include three books in Osprey's Aircraft of the Aces series, three in the Aviation Elite Units series and two in the Duel series. He is best known for his writing about the China-Burma-India theatre and the Curtiss P-40 fighter. He lives in Washington, USA.
Jim Laurier is a native of New England and lives in New Hampshire. He attended Paier School of Art in Hamden, Connecticut, from 1974–78, and since graduating with Honours, he has been working professionally in the field of Fine Art and Illustration. He has been commissioned to paint for the US Air Force and has aviation paintings on permanent display at the Pentagon.

Table of Contents

Introduction 6

Chapter 1 Avg Passes the Baton 8

Chapter 2 China Air Task Force 22

Chapter 3 Action in the East 39

Chapter 4 Mustangs Join the Battle 71

Chapter 5 Battling Ichi-Go 85

Chapter 6 Long Haul to Victory 100

Appendices 120

Colour Plates Commentary 122

Bibliography 127

Index 128

Editorial Reviews

The book is full of superb photographs, many of which I have not seen in print before. Author Carl Molesworth does a superb job of telling the story of the 23rd FG. His knowledge of the subject and access to former pilots and crews over the years has made this an outstanding book. This is further enhanced by the excellent art work of Jim Laurier and some rare color photos. This book on the 23rd is one of the best around and one I can recommend to you without reservation.” —Scott Van Aken, Modeling Madness, www.modelingmadness.com (July 2009)

“23rd Fighter Group: Chennault's Sharks by Carl Molesworth is among the latest releases from Osprey in their 'Aviation Elite Units' series. Priced at $25.95 each, the book follows the typical Osprey format of supplying lots of good information and photos along with numerous color profile drawings. The 23rd FG has received [little] coverage so this book is particularly welcome since it shows some previously unpublished photos of the unit's P-40s and P-51s.” —JT, Air Classics (June 2009)

From the Publisher