“ Intrepid Aviators provides a rare look at a successful but little-appreciated unit in the Pacific War. Torpedo Squadron 18 within USS Intrepid 's Air Group 18 flew attack missions against the Japanese Empire's far-flung bases in the Western Pacific during 1944, and contributed to sinking the battleship Musashi, one of the two largest ships built to that time. Fletcher portrays the men of Torpedo 18 as recognizable individuals whom the reader comes to know, to admire—and too often, to mourn.” — Barrett Tillman, Author of Whirlwind and Enterprise “Gregory Fletcher's enthralling Intrepid Aviators beautifully recreates the epic clash between the USS Intrepid 's Torpedo Squadron 18 and the Japanese battleship Musashi, one of the most important engagements of World War II. A thrilling, deeply moving literary memorial to the American flyboys whose immense sacrifice and courage really did change the world.”— Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of The Longest Winter“ Intrepid Aviators is an incredibly well-researched story. Its scope is awesome and the writing superb…One easily can feel the intensity in the cockpit of an Avenger as it makes its torpedo run at 300 feet…against a twisting and turning battleship with all guns blazing…the book is as exciting as any novel.”— Washington Times " Intepid Aviators stands out from more standard historical treatments of World War II...this book is an impressive production."-- Knoxville News Sentinel "The author is to be congratulated for his effective introduction to naval warfare and the men who were doing the fighting. For anyone who wonders why Navy pilots were so good in the last half of the war, this book provides a detailed answer...this book is a must read."-- St. Joseph News-Press Gregory G. Fletcher served as a naval aviator from 1969 to 1974, and is now a practicing attorney. He is the son of USS Intrepid pilot Will Fletcher, who was awarded a Navy Cross of heroism for his actions in World War II.
Features & Highlights
On the morning of October 24, 1944, in the Sibuyan Sea amidst the Philippine Islands, VT-18, a close-knit squadron of six young American torpedo bomber pilots, departed the aircraft carrier USS
Intrepid
on a search and destroy mission. Their target: the super-battleship
Musashi
, the pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The pilots were tasked with preventing the immense enemy warship and the huge naval armada of which she was a part from inflicting unspeakable damage on the transports and supply ships that were supporting the American amphibious landings within nearby Leyte Gulf. Little did these young men know that they had embarked on the opening rounds of history’s greatest—and last—epic naval battle.
Two bomber crews launched in the first wave of attackers were shot out of the sky. Only pilot Will Fletcher survived the crash landing. Adrift at sea, Will made his way to land and escaped into the jungles of the Philippines, where he eluded capture by the Japanese with the help of Filipino guerrillas and joined their ranks against their common enemy.
Intrepid Aviators
is the thrilling true story of the brave bomber pilots, their daring duel with the
Musashi
, and Will Fletcher’s struggle to survive as a guerrilla soldier. The sinking of
Musashi
inflicted a crucial blow in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and would mark the first time in history that aviators had sunk a Japanese battleship on the high seas.
Customer Reviews
Rating Breakdown
★★★★★
60%
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Most Helpful Reviews
★★★★★
5.0
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Outstanding Tribute to WW II Naval Aviators
I have a long standing interest in World War Two military aviation and regard this as one of the very best books I've ever read about the subject.The descriptions of carrier flight operations couldn't be more vivid and realistic, and do an excellent job of conveying the stress and tension of the daily lives of the pilots and aircrewmen.
The squadron chronicled in this book richly deserved to have it's story told. Of twenty eight pilots embarked, fifteen won the Navy Cross. One of them was the author's own father, and he deserves great credit for relating his father's exploits with such matter of fact objectivity.The story of the elder Mr. Fletcher's shoot down and eventual rescue practically merits a book of it's own.
I do note a couple of errors that World War Two naval aviators would have caught. Student pilots flew their trainers from the cockpit where they would fly when soloing. In the case of the Stearman, this places the student in the rear cockpit with the instructor up front, not the other way around. Also, the outstanding SNJ trainers flown by the Navy in WW II were built by North American, not Boeing.The two companies were eventually combined in a corporate merger in the 1990s but this was fifty years after the wartime aircraft were built. These minor mistakes are easily corrected in a second printing and would raise an outstanding book almost to the level of perfection.
I wish the author's father could have lived to see the book in print - highly recommended.
9 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Gripping
Intrepid Aviators takes the reader deep inside the Intrepid's air combat missions with a highly detailed focus on the brave torpedo bombers. Mr. Fletcher practically gives the reader flying lessons with his macro and (more frequently) microscopic descriptions of how the Avenger flew and fought. One quickly comes to identify with and root for the pilots and their crews, whose assignments ranged from challenging to close to impossible. It is easy to feel each casualty personally and to wish it were possible to rewrite history and allow more of these incredible men to return to their families after the war. My one lingering question mark surrounded how the author was able to accumulate the massive amount of mission details and the minute by minute circumstances of his father's crash, rescue, and service with the Filipinos. I saw no mention of a diary or the multiple recountings of his experiences that would seem necessary to capture his experiences so vividly. In any case, the book reads very well and lays out a fascinating piece of U.S. naval history.
6 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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Intrepid Aviators - a view of squadron life
I enjoyed this work. It is a tribute to all the sailors and naval aviators that served in the Pacific in WWII. The story line delves into the exploits of Torpedo Squadron 18, and into the lives of several of the members of that squadron assigned to the USS Intrepid during the height of the Philippines Campaign of WWII, and in particular the author's father, Willard M. Fletcher. It follows the squadron from inception through the air strikes on the Musashi in the Sibuyan Sea and the battle's aftermath. It gives the reader a picture on a personal level and almost daily basis what these brave young men faced in training, work up, and deployment to combat operations. I recommended this book if you like squadron histories written with a personal flavor by those that were there. It is obviously a product of extensive research and interview with the few surviving members of the squadron.
On the down side, there are a few technical errors that a good military editor should have caught, they are not fatal, but do make you pause to think: did I just read that? One that I remember clearly refers to a 12.7 cm AAA as a 4" gun. It's 5", distracting to the knowledgeable reader none the less. There were several more I noted, but I digress.
If you're interested in naval aviation of WWII, and especially the often obscure exploits of the torpedo bomber squadrons, I think you'll want to read this book. Greg, a nice tribute, I'm sure your father is proud.
5 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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A Good Story About USS Intrepid's VT-18 Squadron
In the fall of 1944, the American Pacific Fleet was poised to do battle with the remnants of the Japanese Navy in Leyte Gulf. The Japanese had divided its fleet into three sections. One of these sections contained the super battleships Musashi and Yamato. In this book, author Gregory G. Fletcher describes how his father Will Fletcher and the other pilots of VT-18 attacked this mighty fleet.
The Japanese fleet had no air cover. Thus, Intrepid's pilots didn't have to face enemy fighters. However, the anti-aircraft fire coming from the enemy ships was thick and accurate. Will Fletcher managed to drop his torpedo on the Musashi, but he was shot down. Will's crew members didn't survive. Will eventually made his way into the hands of the Philippine guerrillas and fought with them until he was rescued along with twenty-nine other American fliers by an American submarine. Over the course of several days, the Japanese lost several ships, including Musashi, to American aircraft. Had this fleet not been stopped, the Leyte invasion beaches would have been wide-open to attack.
This book not only describes VT-18's action against Musashi, but also describes the pilot training Will and the other pilots went through. Other battles that Intrepid fought in are discussed, including the Battle of the Philippine Sea and the invasion of the Palaus.
I found "Intrepid Aviators" to be an interesting and informative read. Greg Fletcher does a good job of describing VT-18's attack on Musashi as well as his father's downing and subsequent rescue. There are some inaccuracies in the book, however. Overall, though, this is a good book and I enjoyed reading it.
3 people found this helpful
★★★★★
3.0
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Intrepid Aviators
not a bad read / just a lot of technical info to fill pages. yes,no,maybe , is that enough? what
2 people found this helpful
★★★★★
4.0
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Sibuyan Sea
This adds more detail to a complicated battle and answers several questions regarding attack group compositions.Also,for the first time there is a harrowing,at times, description of airmen and Philippinos' experiences under the Japanese while trying to get back to their own lines.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Valuable History Lesson
This book is truly a blessing for todays generation. I know from personnal experience that the men from WWII rarely shared their heroic stories from this historic event. Mr. Fletcher was able to "capture" a dramatic recount of his fathers adventure in WWII. My father was actually involved in this book, thanks to Mr. Fletcher and his relentless travels to obtain information from a survivor , my father shared his "untold story" with Mr. Fletcher,so my father's story will live on.
Thank You Mr. Fletcher...on a story well said.
1 people found this helpful
★★★★★
5.0
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Great WW II Air Battles Presentation
Absolutely Great Story Telling. Great Service
★★★★★
3.0
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arrived in excellent
bought as a gift; arrived in excellent condition
★★★★★
4.0
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... told in less words but otherwise it was a good read.
The story of what actually happened with Squadron 18 could have been told in less words but otherwise it was a good read.
