Review by Martin Koenigsberg
In the wake of the apparent success of their dazzling Pearl Harbor attack, the Japanese set about taking all those “Southern” Resources they had gone to war to obtain. Strategically, they did not think they had to deal with the US Navy, except for its outgunned Far East Flotilla members already out in Asia or the South Pacific. The Americans, however, with their new main military centers of gravity being carrier groups- felt they needed to show their level of fight. As Brian Lane Herder tells us in this Number 392 of Osprey Publishing’s Campaign series, the US Navy and its fast growing Naval Aviation Wings learned lesson raiding deep into the Pacific and stinging the Japanese that would lead to success at Coral Sea and Midway. The raids themselves were largely pinpricks, but they did grab Japanese attention, especially the speed at which these responses came. All the monoplane aircraft that fought at Midway were still new to all the Squadrons that flew them. The speeds they flew were much higher than the Biplanes some US Pilots had been flying only last year. Forming up and holding formation- so attacks can be robust and escort fighters can do their job is not rocket science- but its requires training and repetition. The Japanese had been honing their craft in combat with the Chinese for almost a whole decade before bringing the US into the war.. American pilots entered the Pacific Raids as spirited trained amateurs- and finished it by getting results at Coral Sea. This was the finishing school the US Navy needed to be ready for its shining moment at Midway. Presented in the classic Osprey format with loads of maps, photos, and diagrams, this will inform both Military History Buffs and casual readers alike on a key US Campaign from WWII. Without adult themes and graphic injury passages, this is a good book for the Junior Reader over 11/12 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is a very useful resource. For the Gamer, each raid is a scenario, all of them form a campaign that can appeal to both Naval and Aerial gamers – or both. For the Modeler, this book probably needs a colour resource to go along with it – but there are many build/diorama ideas in the text. The Military Enthusiast gets a nice explanation of a key formative period in US Naval Aviation in WWII. The Casual reader will probably never have heard of these battles and will get a better understanding of WWII in the Pacific.
