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AD Skyraider Units Of The Korean War (Combat Aircraft)

The Douglas AD Skyraider is considered the most effective naval aircraft of the Korean War, overshadowed in fame by the new jet fighters that captured the public imagination. Too late for combat in World War II, the AD had replaced Dauntless, Helldiver, and Avenger dive- and torpedo-bombers from that conflict on carrier decks during the late 1940s and was on hand to react to the surprise North Korean invasion of South Korea in June 1950. This book tells the story of the carrier-based U.S. Navy squadrons and the three land-based U.S. Marine Corps AD units that flew combat missions against the North Koreans and Chinese. Drawing from personal interviews with AD pilots, the authors paint a harrowing picture of the deadly combat of this often forgotten air war. Included in this volume are the AD night attack and electronic countermeasures crews who harassed the enemy lines of communications after dark. Supporting the text are a number of previously unpublished private photographs that bring the stories of these pilots to life. Finally, the book contains extensive appendices that detail every unit deployment by carrier, air group, Skyraider model, and tail code, as well as detailed lists noting every Skyraider lost in the war.

Series: Combat Aircraft (Book 114)

Paperback: 96 pages

Publisher: Osprey Publishing (February 16, 2016)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1472812646

ISBN-13: 978-1472812643

Product Dimensions: 6.4 x 0.3 x 9.9 inches

Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #470,670 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #22 in Books > History > Military > Korean War > Aviation #44 in Books > History > Military > Korean War > Campaigns #805 in Books > History > Military > United States > Vietnam War

Tremendous book- well done with plenty of stories about the mighty "Able Dog" in Korea. A joy to read; full of fascinating information on the type and the cover art is among the best ever produced in an Osprey work.

The Douglas AD “(Able Dog”) Skyraider came early and stayed late in Korea. The WW II Ed Heinemann design, which entered fleet service in 1946, equipped nine Navy attack squadrons when the Korean War erupted in 1950; a figure that doubled three years later.The authors are recognized military aviation authorities, as Rick Burgess is familiar to many Navy oriented readers and Warren Thompson has long been a Korean War student.Much of the text documents combat and operational losses of “Able Dogs” while providing ample context. In addition to the normal attack units (including two incongruously-designated fighter squadrons) the authors provide details of night attack, electronic warfare, and early warning detachments aboard Essex-class carriers deployed to Korea.Appendices include a full listing of all 25 Korean War carrier deployments with ADs, including special-mission detachments. The main Marine Corps AD squadron was VMA-121, whose wartime losses are listed in another appendix.One unusual aspect of the book is organization of the index. Every airframe identified in the text is referenced, organized by a dozen variants and sub-variants. So are eight types of airborne radar. Consequently, some significant people and events are omitted from the index, including the significant decapitation strike against Communist leaders at Kapsan, North Korea, in 1951, and the Suiho power plant mission in 1952.Illustrations fully live up to the Osprey tradition with some 70 excellent photos, 20 in color. Jim Laurier’s 30 aircraft profiles maintain the publisher’s standard.This volume makes a fine companion to Osprey’s other Skyraider titles, including Burgess’ Navy A-1 units of the Vietnam War; and Byron Hukee’s USAF and Vietnamese units.

Just what I needed. My father flew a Skyraider on the USS Princeton and there are several references to his squadron.Seller was very prompt.

A very interesting book because I was mentioned in it. I was shot down in a Skyraider in 1952. over North Korea.

Normal good quality for all the books in this series.

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