{"product_id":"vlr-p-51-mustang-vs-japanese-fighter-japan-1945-9781472866400","title":"Vlr P-51 Mustang Vs Japanese Fighter: Japan 1945","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn illustrated study of some of the final and most fierce aerial clashes of the Pacific War, featuring first-hand accounts and combat reports.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eFor four months in 1945, the skies over Tokyo saw USAAF P-51 Mustang pilots clash with Imperial Japanese Army Air Force (IJAAF) and Imperial Japanese Naval Air Force (IJNAF) fighters in some of the most intense aerial battles of the Pacific War. The Japanese marshalled ten different fighter types to defend the relatively small and well-defined target area, but the already iconic Merlin-engined P-51D Mustang, with its game-changing Very Long-Range (VLR) capabilities, would prove more than a match for their combined forces. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn this engaging new study, respected Pacific War historian Carl Molesworth employs combat reports and first-hand accounts to tell the story of how VII Fighter Command's Mustang pilots went from escorting B-29 bombers to actively seeking out enemy aircraft to attack. Newly commissioned armament, cockpit and battlescene illustrations, as well as a wealth of archive photos, bring the narrative to life, giving a vivid and illuminating sense of what it was like to be a fighter pilot in the air war over Japan in 1945.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eCarl Molesworth\u003c\/b\u003e lives in California and served as an aircraft control and warning operator in the USAF from 1968-72. He has written about fighter operations in World War 2 for more than 40 years. His website is www.carlmolesworth.com. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eGareth Hector \u003c\/b\u003eproduced the cover art for this volume. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cb\u003eJim Laurier \u003c\/b\u003ecreated the aircraft profiles.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Osprey Publishing (UK)","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51720945926418,"sku":"9781472866400","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_d4049876-7565-4c0b-90d4-b95b0bebc0b1.jpg?v=1762942257","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/vlr-p-51-mustang-vs-japanese-fighter-japan-1945-9781472866400","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}