Overview

In this highly-illustrated second volume of his history of US Naval Aviation, Leo Marriott takes the reader through the extraordinary developments in design and capability that transformed American aircraft and aircraft carriers after the Second World War. He describes the succession of conflicts in which they were deployed. Increasingly advanced jets replaced propeller-driven aircraft, and nuclear-powered carriers allowed the US Navy to project American military power across the world. As the many remarkable photographs in this book show, wherever naval aviation was involved, it played a crucial role, especially in the Korea and Vietnam wars.

The vessels built in the 1940s to fight in the war against Japan gave way to a new generation of super carriers. Supersonic fighters and strike aircraft entered service – the Vietnam-era F-8 Crusaders and F-4 Phantoms, then the F-14 Tomcat, F/A-18 Hornet and S-3 Viking of more recent times. Carrier-based helicopters became more important, first for search-and-rescue missions, then for anti-submarine warfare and for landing assault forces. Throughout the Cold War period, the US Navy’s carriers and aviation served to demonstrate American power worldwide and to counter the threat represented by the Soviet Union’s challenge to US mastery of the seas.

Inside the Book

The book has 184 pages and is divided into ten chapters. Chapter 1 “The Post War Legacy 1945-1950” evaluates what the Navy accomplished for the war effort and the realization that all of its carrier force was rapidly becoming obsolete. Chapter 10 “Pushing the Boundaries” discusses future advances of the Navy in aviation and science.

• Chapter 1 – Post War Legacy, 1945-1950
• Chapter 2 – The Korean War, 1950-1953
• Chapter 3 – Supersonics and Supercarriers
• Chapter 4 – The Vietnam Era, 1965-1975
• Chapter 5 – Helicopters and ASW
• Chapter 6 – AEW and Electronic Warfare
• Chapter 7 – Taming the Bear,19751980
• Chapter 8 – Hot Action after the Cold War,1990-2003
• Chapter 9 – Supporting the Front Line
• Chapter 10 – Pushing the Boundaries

The high-detail black and white photos, derived from rare Naval archives, document the different aircraft and aircraft carrier developments.

The final picture is of the Glenn Martin P6M-1 Sea Master -- a jet that could land on water. The Navy was looking into an alternative to the B-52 with the idea of a seaplane strike force that could operate from mobile bases and have nuclear capabilities.

If you are into United States Naval Aviation, then this book would be a great addition to your model reference collection. Many of the photos are detailed enough to get a good idea of how a particular model could be weathered.

I want to thank Casemate and IPMS/USA for the opportunity to review this book.