1361445
9781841765815
Flown exclusively by the US Marine Corps, the PBJ was one of those rare examples of a US Army Air Force type being procured by the US Navy due to its ability to do exactly the job that was required of it. Bought as a land-based patrol bomber for operations in the Atlantic and Pacific, the PBJ (P-Patrol, B-Bomber, J-North American) was kitted out to hunt down submarines and surface vessels, as well as to support troops on the ground. Identical to its air force counterpart, except for minor modifications such as a 'hose nose' radar and the ability to fire the mighty 'Tiny Tim' aerial rocket, some 706 PBJs were ordered for service with the Marine Corps. The first of 16 units to operate the type made its combat debut in the Solomon Islands in March 1944, and by war's end some seven of these squadrons had engaged the Japanese in the Pacific. Little has appeared in print on the PBJ over the years, and this book provides an important account of the bomber's missions in the Pacific theatre. Book jacket.Scutts, Jerry is the author of 'Pbj Mitchell Units of the Pacific War' with ISBN 9781841765815 and ISBN 1841765813.
[read more]