From the national bestselling coauthor of Dragon's Jaw, here is the incredible true story of the most spectacular aircraft carrier battle in history, World War II’s Great Marianas Turkey Shoot. “Superb... the greatest naval air battle of all time finally receives the meticulous and comprehensive treatment it deserves.”—Richard Frank, author of Tower of Skulls In June, 1944, American and Japanese carrier fleets made their way toward one another in the Philippine Sea. Their common objective: the strategically vital Marianas Islands. During two days of brutal combat, the American and Japanese carriers dueled, launching wave after wave of fighters and bombers against one another. By day and night, hundreds of planes filled the skies. When it was over, the men of the American Fifth Fleet had claimed more than four hundred aerial combat victories, and three Japanese carriers lay on the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Here is the true account of those great and terrible days—by those who were there, in the thick of the Battle of the Philippine Sea. Drawing upon numerous interviews with American and Japanese veterans as well as official sources, Clash of the Carriers is an unforgettable testimonial to the bravery of those who fought and those who died in a battle that will never be forgotten. “In his inimitable style, naval aviation’s most prolific historian comes through with a much-needed, comprehensive documentary on the greatest aircraft carrier battle of all time.”—Cdr. Alexander Vraciu, USN (Ret) Fighting Squadron 16, 1944

Discusses the ongoing conflict between the United States and China over who is going to dominate the South China Sea.

After suffering devastating losses in the huge naval battles at Midway and the Soloman Islands, the Imperial Japanese navy attempted to counter-attack against the US forces threatening the Home Islands. Involving the US Fifth Fleet and the Japanese Mobile Fleet, the battle of the Philippine Sea took place during the United States' amphibious invasion of the Mariana Islands during the Pacific War. The two fleets clashed on 19-20 June 1944 and the Japanese carrier fighters were shot down in devastating numbers by US aircraft in what became known as the “Great Marianas Turkey Shoot”, before US counterattacks and submarine strikes forced the withdrawal of the Japanese fleet. Fully illustrated with stunning specially commissioned artwork, Mark Stille tells the enthralling story of the last, and largest, carrier battle of the Pacific War, the one that saw the end of the Imperial Japanese Navy as a formed fighting force.

This is the epic and heroic story of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise and of the courageous men who fought and died on her from Pearl Harbor to the end of the conflict. Acclaimed military historian Barrett Tillman recounts the World War II exploits of America’s most decorated warship and its colorful crews— tales of unmatched daring and heroism.

A riveting Vietnam War story--and one of the most dramatic in aviation history--told by a New York Times bestselling author and a prominent aviation historian Every war has its "bridge"--Old North Bridge at Concord, Burnside's Bridge at Antietam, the railway bridge over Burma's River Kwai, the bridge over Germany's Rhine River at Remagen, and the bridges over Korea's Toko Ri. In Vietnam it was the bridge at Thanh Hoa, called Dragon's Jaw. For seven long years hundreds of young US airmen flew sortie after sortie against North Vietnam's formidable and strategically important bridge, dodging a heavy concentration of anti-aircraft fire and enemy MiG planes. Many American airmen were shot down, killed, or captured and taken to the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" POW camp. But after each air attack, when the smoke cleared and the debris settled, the bridge stubbornly remained standing. For the North Vietnamese it became a symbol of their invincibility; for US war planners an obsession; for US airmen a testament to American mettle and valor. Using after-action reports, official records, and interviews with surviving pilots, as well as untapped Vietnamese sources, Dragon's Jaw chronicles American efforts to destroy the bridge, strike by bloody strike, putting readers into the cockpits, under fire. The story of the Dragon's Jaw is a story rich in bravery, courage, audacity, and sometimes luck, sometimes tragedy. The "bridge" story of Vietnam is an epic tale of war against a determined foe.

A close-up look at the battle of Midway Island analyzes this crucial naval victory, which marked the turning point for the American fleet in the Pacific theater of World War II.

Renowned aviation historian, Barrett Tillman, has done a concise yet exhaustive job of research of the famed Marianas Turkey Shoot, the greatest air battle of the Pacific war. Because of in depth interviews much of the story is told by participants. These exciting accounts are augmented by Tillman's analysis. This large format book also provides both U.S. Navy and Japanese order of battle down to squadron level for both carrier and shore based aircraft. One map, 47 black and white photos. Six brush profiles of Hellcats, Avengers, Dauntlesses, Zeros, Judys and Vals (all by John Valo) provide a wealth of visual history. Final appendices supply losses and U.S. Navy aerial combat claims for this historic engagement of carrier aircraft. 48 pages, 47 b/w photos, six aircraft profiles, appendices, 8.5x11 inches, softcover.