DOOMED AT THE START
AMERICAN PURSUIT PILOTS IN THE PHILIPPINES, 1941-1942
BY WILLIAM H. BARTSCH

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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 aircraft 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

". . . 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

 

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Writing the Pacific War
William H. Bartsch, Author

 


 

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