Table of Contents

Prewar activity and Battle of the Coral Sea, which gives the original unit its first, and only, taste of combat. /Overview of the formation and training in the United States of the second 'Fighting Two', and its first experience of combat in the Gilberts Invasion. /Development of nightfighters, VF-2 working with 'Butch' O'Hare to create the US Navy's first nightfighter capability, and the loss of O'Hare in combat. /Operation Forager and the Battle of the Philippine Sea - the 'Marianas Turkey Shoot' and the Mission Beyond Darkness. /The Bonins Campaign - air battles over Iwo Jima in July 1944 and completion of the Marianas Campaign. /Task Force 38 and the Philippines Campaign. Air battles throughout the Philippine Islands in September 1944 that brought about the later invasion of Leyte Gulf. /APPENDICES

Promotional Information

An illustrated history of the pilots of VF-2 who,had a spectacular scoring rate and fought in many of the major aerial campaigns of the Pacific War

About the Author

Thomas McKelvey Cleaver is a screenwriter who has written 12 produced motion pictures, and who holds both BA and MA degrees in History. He is a long-time contributor to such aviation publications as Air International, Air Enthusiast Quarterly, Air Force Magazine and Aviation History Magazine. He has been a Contributing Editor to Flight Journal since 1998 and is the author of the book Air Combat Annals, as well as having written Osprey Aircraft of the Aces 115 - Aces of the 78th Fighter Group in 2013. He is a historical consultant at The Air Museum, Planes of Fame, in Chino, California. He served in US Naval Aviation as enlisted aircrew during the Vietnam War. Jim Laurier is a native of New England, growing up in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. He has been drawing since he could hold a pencil and throughout his life he has worked in many mediums creating artwork on a variety of subjects. He has worked on the Osprey Aviation list since 2000. Mark Postlethwaite was born in Leicestershire in 1964 and has developed a lifelong passion for aviation history. He first worked as a photographer before turning his attention solely to artwork, and is now highly regarded in his field for the quality and accuracy of his work. He became the youngest elected member of the Guild of Aviation Artists in 1991. Mark is a valued Osprey artist and has contributed to more than 80 of its books.