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Doomed at the Start American Pursuit Pilots in the Philippines, 1941–1942 by William H. Bartsch Foreword by Herbert Ellis |
First published in 1992, Doomed at the Start presents the first complete account of why the only unit of interceptor aircraft in the Philippines, using the same planes as the Flying Tigers, failed to deter the Japanese assault that began in December, 1941. William H. Bartsch tells the story of the failed five-month Philippines campaign from the standpoint of the young flyers and enlisted men, showing how limited training, inadequate warning systems, and a superbly prepared enemy doomed the young Americans before they could even begin fighting.
"William H. Bartsch's thoughtful study of the Twenty-fourth Pursuit Group, unlike earlier studies, uses interviews with Japanese pilots who participated in this campaign and other Japanese materials now available in translation. . . . Bartsch has gathered far better documentation than other writers, and he has clearly and fairly told the story of the members of the Twenty-fourth Pursuit Group."—Journal of American History
" . . . an admirably detailed history of the five fighter squadrons deployed in the Philippine Islands on Dec. 7, 1941. . . . From archives and extensive interviews, Bartsch pieces together the story of an effort 'doomed at the start.'"—Publishers Weekly
" . . . the definitive study of the campaign . . . brilliant . . . "—Wings
". . . a prodigious achievement . . . that does overdue justice to the memory of a tragic group of airmen who did the best they could with what they had . . . "—Military History
WILLIAM H. BARTSCH was a senior economist for the International Labor Office. He now lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Number Twenty-four: Texas A&M University Military History Series
Doomed at the Start
+ ISBN 0-89096-679-6 paper $29.95s
LC 91-34307. 6x9. 528 pp. 36 b&w photos. 7 maps. Apps. Bib. Index.
Military History. World War II.
Publication Date: 1995.
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