Osprey Aviation Elite 14 : 49th Fighter Group : Aces of the Pacific

The 49th Fighter Group was sent to Australia in early 1942 to help stem the tide of Japanese conquest in Java. Too late to save the island, the group went into action in the defence of Darwin, Australia, where the Forty-Niners' handful of P-40E Warhawks were thrown into combat alongside survivors from the defeated forces that had fled from the Philippines and Java. This book assesses the outstanding performance of the 49th FG, pitted against superior Japanese forces. By VJ-Day the group had scored 668 aerial victories and won three Distinguished Unit Citations and ten campaign stars for its outstanding efforts. Text by William N Hess with illustrations by Chris Davey.

Contents

• Forging the 49th
• Jungle Warriors
• Dobodura Days
• Lightnings and Thunderbolts
• Island Hopping
• Philippines Finale
• Appendices