Fighter Squadron At Guadalcanal

A stirring account of the 212th Marine fighter squadron's operations at Guadalcanal.

A stirring account of the 212th Marine fighter squadron's operations at Guadalcanal.

Here is one fighter pilot's view of the bitterly fought struggle that began just eight months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Poorly equipped and low on rations, with low fuel supplies, inferior equipment, and uncertain support from the rear, the beleaguered Americans somehow maintained a precarious toehold on this strategically located island. A gripping account of the "six desperate months of combat" at Guadalcanal, Robert Lawrence Ferguson tells the story of the Army's 67th Fighter Squadron, the "Fighting Cocks, " or "Game Cocks." Eventually becoming the 347th Fighter Group, the squadron was attached to the last 1st Marine Corps division. These pilots gave air support to Marine and Army infantry forces with bombing and staffing runs that led to defeat of the Japanese at Guadalcanal over several months in 1942.

[Illustrated with 6 photos and 3 maps] Originally published shortly after key air campaigns, the Wings at War series captures the spirit and tone of America’s World War II experience. Eyewitness accounts of Army Air Forces’ aviators and details from the official histories enliven the story behind each of six important AAF operations. Pacific Counterblow tells the story of the Battle for Guadalcanal (1942), focusing on the operations of the 11th Bombardment Group and the 67th Fighter Squadron. Months after the devastation of Pearl Harbor, U.S. forces had crushed the Japanese fleet at Midway and then moved to seize the initiative. AAF commanders in the Pacific sought to prevent the enemy from severing Australia’s supply lines. So the B-17s of the 11th Bomb Group and the P-39s and P-400s of the 67th Fighter Squadron, flying from makeshift bases at Espiritu Santo and Henderson Field, began grueling attacks on Japanese shipping between Rabaul, New Britain and the Solomon Islands. After several months of bitter fighting, American forces gained control of Guadalcanal, positioning them to swing forward beyond Rabaul to New Guinea.

Pacific Counterblow tells the story of the Battle for Guadalcanal (1942), focusing on the operations of the 11th Bombardment Group and the 67th Fighter Squadron. Months after the devastation of Pearl Harbor, U.S. forces had crushed the Japanese fleet at Midway and then moved to seize the initiative. AAF commanders in the Pacific sought to prevent the enemy from severing Australia's supply lines. So the B-17s of the 11th Bomb Group and the P-39s and P-400s of the 67th Fighter Squadron, flying from makeshift bases at Espiritu Santo and Henderson Field, began grueling attacks on Japanese shipping between Rabaul, New Britain and the Solomon Islands. After several months of bitter fighting, American forces gained control of Guadalcanal, positioning them to swing forward beyond Rabaul to New Guinea.