Author(s): Michael John Claringbould; Jim Laurier (Illustrator); Gareth Hector (Illustrator)

Non-Fiction

The combat record of the Zero-sen in New Guinea and the Solomons has mostly been overstated, with little due being given to the constraining conditions under which the fighter operated. The aerial battles fought over New Guinea and Guadalcanal in 1942 between Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF) pilots and their Allied counterparts in P-39/P-400 Airacobras, Kittyhawk IAs and F4F-4 Wildcats were often 'trial-and-error' affairs, with both belligerents being hindered by weather. This book covers the key roles played by geography and climate, and examines the modified tactics employed by IJNAF Zero-sen pilots to help them cope in-theater. Using first-hand accounts, archival photographs and specially commissioned artwork, leading South Pacific historian Michael John Claringbould sheds new light on the air war fought over the wilds of New Guinea and the Solomons during the course of 1942. Tactical ribbon diagrams, Battlescene artwork, Armament views, Fully illustrated throughout