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Books VP-112 MiscellaneousBooks

BooksBOOKs: VPNAVY BookTitle: "VPNavy! USN, USMC, USCG and NATS Patrol Aircraft Lost or Damaged During World War II" by LCDR Douglas E. Campbell, USNR (Retired) dcamp@aol.com "VPNavy! USN, USMC, USCG and NATS Patrol Aircraft Lost or Damaged During World War II" Thousands of hours of research have culminated in this First Edition of U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard and Naval Air Transport Service patrol aircraft lost or damaged during World War II. Within these 600+ pages can be found more than 2,200 patrol aircraft across nearly 300 squadron designations; the majority of the aircraft complete with their stories of how they were lost or damaged or simply Struck Off Charge (SOC) and removed from the Navy’s inventory. Of interest to the reader may be the alphabetical Index to the 7,600+ names of Officers, aircrewmen and others mentioned in the book. Squadrons, etc. mentioned include: VB/VP/VPB, FAW, VD, VH, VJ, VMD, VR, NATS, NAS, etc. You may purchase as copy through: Lulu Press, Inc.. Contributed by LCDR Douglas E. Campbell, USNR (Retired) dcamp@aol.com [26FEB2018]


BooksBOOKs: Eyes On The Fleet Title: Eyes of the Fleet: Cloaked by jungle foliage, the unheralded seaplane tenders operated ahead of the Fleet, like the Navy's famed PT boats. As Halsey's South Pacific, MacArthur's Southwest Pacific, and Spruance's Central Pacific forces advanced toward Japan, these ships served as afloat-bases for patrol planes referred to as the "eyes of the fleet." The large fabric-clad PBY "Catalinas" and later PBM "Mariners" combed the seaways for Japanese forces and carried out bombing, depth charge, and torpedo attacks on enemy ships and submarines. Nighttime anti-shipping operations-"Black Cat" or "Nightmare" missions-were dangerous and daytime combat operations even more so, when encounters with more maneuverable and heavily-armed fighters necessitated hiding in clouds to survive. The Japanese were keen to destroy the scouts and their floating bases, and seaplane tenders often lived a furtive existence, particularly early in the war. Pilots, plane crews and shipboard personnel received scores of awards for valor, including the Medal of Honor, Navy Cross, Distinguished Flying Cross, and Silver and Bronze Star Medals. A few VP Squadrons mentioned include: VP-1, VP-11/VPB-11, VP-12, VP-13/VPB-13, VP-14, VP-16/VPB-16, VP-18/VPB-18, VPB-19, VPB-20, VP-21/VPB-21, VP-22, VP-23/VPB-23, VP-24, VPB-25, VPB-26, VPB-27, VPB-28, VP-32, VP-33/VPB-33, VP-34/VPB-34, VP-41, VP-42, VP-43, VP-44, VP-45, VP-51, VP-52, VP-53, VPB-54, VP-61, VP-62, VP-63/VPB-63, VP-71/VPB-71, VP-72, VP-73, VPB-74, VP-81, VP-82, VP-83, VP-84, VP-91, VP-92, VP-94, VP-101/VPB-101, VP-102/VPB-102, VPB-103, VPB-104, VPB-105, VPB-106, VB-106, VB-108, VPB-109, VPB-110, VPB-111, VPB-112, VPB-114, VP-115, VPB-116, VPB-117, VPB-118, VPB-123, VPB-130, VB/VPB-137, VPB-142, VB-143, VPB-146, VPB-151, VP-202/VPB-202, VP-204, VP-205, VPB-208, VP-216/VPB-216, VD-3, VH-1, VH-2, VH-3, VH-4, VH-6, VS-1D-11, VS-1D-13, VS-1D-14 and VT-3. A few Seaplane Tenders mentioned include: USS Absecon, USS Albemarle, USS Avocet, USS Ballard, USS Barataria, USS Barnegat, USS Belknap, USS Clemson, USS George E. Badger, USS Goldsborough, USS Osmond, USS Ingram, USS Bering Strait, USS Biscayne, USS Casco, USS Castle Rock, USS Chandeleur, USS Childs, USS Chincoteague, USS Cook Inlet, USS Coos Bay, USS Corson, USS Cumberland Sound, USS Currituck, USS Curtiss, USS Duxbury Bay, USS Floyds Bay, USS Gannet, USS Gardiners Bay, USS Gillis, USS Greene, USS Greenwich Bay, USS Half Moon, USS Hamlin, USS Heron, USS Hulbert, USS Humboldt, USS Kenneth Whiting, USS Langley, USS Lapwing, USS Mackinac, USS Matagorda, USS McFarland, USS Norton Sound, USS Onslow, USS Orca, USS Pelican, USS Pine Island, USS Pocomoke, USS Rehoboth, USS Rockaway, USS Salisbury Sound, USS San Carlos, USS San Pablo, USS Shelikof, USS St. George, USS Suisun, USS Swan, USS Tangier, USS Thornton, USS Thrush, USS Timbalier, USS Unimak, USS Valcour, USS William B. Preston, USS Williamson, USS Wright and USS Yakutat. The U.S. Navy's Seaplane Tenders and Patrol Aircraft in World War II is now available from Heritage Books: http://www.heritagebooks.com/. Contributed by CDR David D. Bruhn commanderbruhn@gmail.com [30APR2016]


BooksBOOKs: Title: "I Was There When the World Stood Still" by K. Ray Marrs. In September of 1942, nine months after the bombing of Pear Harbor, I joined the Navy V -5 Flight Training program, at age 18, with 15 of my hometown classmates. After completing a four-month introduction to flying at a local airport and ground school at the Arkansas City, Kansas Junior College, I was one of thirteen, from that class, to be called to active duty on February 2, 1943. I was privileged to be one of three from that group to graduate, nine months later, and wear the Wings of Gold of a Naval Aviator. I soloed a PBY-5B at age 19 and flew that seaplane for several months before making the transition to the PB4Y -1 at NAS Chincoteague, Virginia in May of 1944. After completing that training my crew flew a new PB4Y-1 (B24-J) to North Africa, via the southern ATC route and joined VPB-112 on October 17, 1944. During the following three months we flew a number of Anti-Sub 1 missions in the Gibraltar Funnel area. Our Squadron was transferred to England in early January of 1945, where we joined four other squadrons of FAW-7. When the war ended in Europe my crew had flown 27 missions and was sent back to the States in June of 1945 for reorganization and checkouts for duty in the South Pacific with the PB4Y-2. Before that reorganization was completed the hostilities with Japan had ended and I was released from active duty after a short stint in the South Pacific. After returning to my hometown Kansas, my wife and I started a farming operation that included livestock and grain and grew to a 1500 acre spread. We raised three sons and a daughter on that farm and have lived in the same spot for 58 years but now leave the farming to others. AuthorHouse http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/ItemDetail~bookid~14172.aspx Contributed by Paul Jarvis vaq134@cox.net [27SEP2007]


BooksBOOKs: Title: "I was there when the world stood still" This book tells how the bombing of Pearl Harbor changed the life of a Kansas farm-boy from farmer to PB4Y pilot/navigator and served during WWII in European/African with VPB-112, FAW-7 & FAW-15 and was awarded the DFC and Air Medal with three gold stars. K. Ray Marrs raymarrs@hit.net [01OCT2003]

UPDATE "...I have just been informed that my book, I was there when the world stood still , is helping in the research on NAAS Upottery, England . That was our home base for VPB-112 and VPB-107 of FAW-7 during the final days of WWII...K. Ray Marrs raymarrs@hit.net..." [15APR2006]


BooksBOOKs: Title: "U.S. Navy PB4Y-1 (B-24) Squadrons in Great Britain During World War II" by Alan Carey acarey@austin.rr.com is the story of U.S. Navy Fleet Air Wing Seven (FAW-7) and the men who flew the Navy version of the Consolidated B-24 Liberator bomber between 1943 and 1945.

Profusely illustrated and containing a wealth of first-hand stories and information, the book documents the daily life of Navy Liberator aircrews stationed at Dunkeswell and Upottery, England during World War II. Navy PB4Y-1 Liberator squadrons were unlike their counterparts in the U.S. Army's 8th Air Force, who battled their way through thick flak and swarms of German fighters while flying to and from targets in continental Europe. Often, Navy aircrews fought battles of boredom and fatigue while flying 12-hour patrols. The job of U.S. Navy PB4Y-1 Liberator aircrews was to keep German U-boats from successfully operating in the Bay of Biscay and the English Channel by going out day after day, often in miserable weather conditions, on unrelenting search and destroy missions. During the war, FAW-7 Liberators were responsible for the sinking of five U-boats and damaging many more. However, the men of Dunkeswell paid a heavy price for keeping the U-boat menace in check. Between 1943 and 1945, nearly 200 Navy Liberator personnel serving with FAW-7 were killed in either operational accidents or combat.

  • Over 300 photographs
  • Color Profiles
  • Wing Organizational Structure
  • Personnel Losses
  • U-boat Contacts and Kills Attributed to FAW-7 PB4Y-1 Liberators
  • FAW-7 Operational Sorties
  • FAW-7 Commanding Officers
  • FAW-7 PB4Y-1 Losses
  • FAW-7 Squadron Disposition of PB4Y-1 Liberators
  • Index
  • Bibliography
  • Notes
    [Most all squadrons attached to FAW-7 are mentioned or has pictures showing many crews. The following squadrons served with FAW-7: VP-103, VP-105, VP-107, VP-110, VP-112, and VP-114] [Book Now Published 23JAN2003 | 11NOV2001]

    BooksBOOKs: Title: "Atlantic Air War: Sub Hunters vs. U-Boats" by Jack Lambert [Most all squadrons attached to FAW-7 are mentioned or has pictures showing many crews. The following squadrons served with FAW-7: VP-103, VP-105, VP-107, VP-110, VP-112, and VP-114. I have not seen the book so I don't know if every squadron is represented.] [28NOV99]


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