Central Pacific 1943–45: Seventh Air Force's island-hopping war (Air Campaign, 57)

$20.00
by Brian Lane Herder

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The little-known history of the Hawaii-based Seventh Air Force's war as it fought in all the major island campaigns from the Gilberts and Marshalls to the Marianas, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Rebuilt after being shattered at Pearl Harbor, the Hawaii-based Seventh Air Force was assigned responsibility for the new Central Pacific Area, which (bar Midway) was then very quiet. But when the Navy began its counteroffensive in late 1943, Seventh Air Force was sent into action as the USAAF's contribution to the Central Pacific. In this book, military historian Brian Lane Herder details Seventh Air Force's part in the Pacific War, actions long overshadowed by the Navy's carrier war. He explains how Seventh Air Force fought in all the major 1943–45 Central Pacific campaigns – the Gilberts, Marshalls, Marianas, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. As each island fell, and sometimes with the airfield still under Japanese fire, a detachment flew ashore to provide organic air defense and to start attacking the next targets. The Seventh provided a major part of the airpower at Iwo Jima and Okinawa, and as the end of the war approached, its P-51s and P-47s then flew ultra-long-range B-29 escort missions. Researched almost entirely from primary sources, this book is spectacularly illustrated with many unpublished photos, original artwork, maps and 3D diagrams. It is a long-overdue account of Seventh Air Force's unjustly overlooked Pacific War campaign. In Central Pacific 1943-45, Brian Lane Herder has provided a well-written, highly detailed yet readable account of the Seven Air Force’s contribution to the Central Pacific campaign, which will certainly appeal to those with an interest in the Pacific War or airpower.', The Naval Review 'This reasonably priced and concise account of this little-known campaign is well worth owning.', Flypast Magazine 'highly informative volume reflecting the huge investment in research the author has made', Scale Aircraft Modelling Brian Lane Herder graduated with a BA in History from the University of Kansas in 2003, and a Masters of Library Science from Emporia State University in 2009. He is a legislative librarian for the Kansas state government and his historical research interests include the US military, naval warfare, and World War II. He has published various titles with Osprey including NVG 286 US Navy Battleships 1895–1908 and NVG 293 US Navy Gunboats 1885–1945. Gareth Hector is a digital artist of international standing and has also enjoyed a successful career in computer animation. He is an aviation history enthusiast and has contributed to numerous Osprey titles such as B-52 Stratofortress Units in Combat 1992–2025 and RAF Lightning Units of the Cold War . He lives in Perthshire, Scotland.

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