Overview

This book analyses how the Allies lost air superiority during the initial exchanges with Japan, and how technical and material difficulties were overcome. The war in the Far East between 1941 and 1945 is occasionally referred to as the 'Forgotten War' and this description extends to the way the campaign's air war has been analysed. However, the role of air power in Burma was vitally important to the campaign, in particular the attainment of air superiority in order to facilitate supply and close support operations. The foundation of these operations was dependent on the Allies achieving and maintaining air superiority and latterly air supremacy over the Japanese. The British lost air superiority during the initial Japanese attacks as their early warning system, aircraft, aircrew and tactics did not match their adversary's capabilities. AUTHOR: Dr Peter Preston-Hough was a visiting lecturer at the University of Wolverhampton and University of Chester. He had a lifelong interest in the history of the Royal Air Force particularly from 1939 and in airborne warfare from its earliest days. Peter died in 2017. 10 b/w photographs, 3 maps, 13 tables

Full Product Details

9781912390434

Table of Contents

Reviews

... a considerable achievement. * Aeroplane Magazine 11/07/2019 *

... a significant contribution to the literature on this long-neglected air campaign ... This new work is highly recommended for anyone interested in the air war over Burma. --Aviation Historian The author is to be commended for his pioneering attempt at analyzing the Far eastern air campaign, and the extensive references provided in the book. --RAF Commands .. . As with the best research, this volume challenges the pre-existing notions, especially of the official narratives prepared after the war, but which remained classified until well into the 1970s ... This account is well leavened with personal accounts which underline and illuminate to best effect; it also takes pains to explain methodologies and terminology which will reward the interested, even if not specialist, reader. --Society of Friends of the National Army Museum ... Such a study is long overdue ... and is a very readable and much needed addition to the historiography of the campaigns in Malaya and Burma. --Bulletin of the Military Historical Society

The author is to be commended for his pioneering attempt at analyzing the Far eastern air campaign, and the extensive references provided in the book. --RAF Commands ... a significant contribution to the literature on this long-neglected air campaign ... This new work is highly recommended for anyone interested in the air war over Burma. --Aviation Historian .. . As with the best research, this volume challenges the pre-existing notions, especially of the official narratives prepared after the war, but which remained classified until well into the 1970s ... This account is well leavened with personal accounts which underline and illuminate to best effect; it also takes pains to explain methodologies and terminology which will reward the interested, even if not specialist, reader. --Society of Friends of the National Army Museum ... Such a study is long overdue ... and is a very readable and much needed addition to the historiography of the campaigns in Malaya and Burma. --Bulletin of the Military Historical Society

The author is to be commended for his pioneering attempt at analyzing the Far eastern air campaign, and the extensive references provided in the book. --RAF Commands ... Such a study is long overdue ... and is a very readable and much needed addition to the historiography of the campaigns in Malaya and Burma. --Bulletin of the Military Historical Society ... a significant contribution to the literature on this long-neglected air campaign ... This new work is highly recommended for anyone interested in the air war over Burma. --Aviation Historian .. . As with the best research, this volume challenges the pre-existing notions, especially of the official narratives prepared after the war, but which remained classified until well into the 1970s ... This account is well leavened with personal accounts which underline and illuminate to best effect; it also takes pains to explain methodologies and terminology which will reward the interested, even if not specialist, reader. --Society of Friends of the National Army Museum

Author Information

Dr Peter Preston-Hough is a visiting lecturer in the War Studies Department of the University of Wolverhampton and the History Department of the University of Chester. He lectures to undergraduates and postgraduates on aspects of air power since its inception in the twentieth century. His areas of interest include the Royal Air Force; the Strategic Air Offensive 1940–1945; 617 Squadron in the Second World War; the Air Superiority Campaign in the Far East 1939–1945; and airborne warfare and airborne operations, particularly in Normandy and during Operation Market Garden 1944. Dr Preston-Hough's first book, ""Commanding Far Eastern Skies"", is due to be launched in May 2015 and will be published by Helion. He is currently working on a study of Airborne operations in Europe in 1944.

Tab Content 6

Countries Available