Slingshot Warbirds: World War II U.S. Navy Scout-Observation Airmen

Naval Aviation News, Sept-Oct, 2004 by Peter B. Mersky

Neufeld, William. Slingshot Warbirds: World War II U.S. Navy Scout-Observation Airmen. McFarland & Company, Inc., Box 611, Jefferson, NC 28640. 2003. Ill. 239 pp. $45.

A welcome account of a little known group of intrepid aviators, this book describes the experiences of the crews who flew Curtiss SOCs and Vought OS2Us from cruiser catapults. Often lost in books that focus more on the glamorous carrier-based fighter and attack squadrons, these crews faced many of the same challenges--flak, Zeros, weather--while flying slower, meekly armed aircraft, such as the SOC, the last U.S. Navy biplane to see combat.

The photographs are fairly good, though a few are well known. The text could have benefited from a knowledgeable editor to maintain writing style and to cull odd turns of phrase, misnomers and typos that occasionally change the author's meaning. An example: Marine legend General H. M. Smith's sobriquet was "Howlin' Mad," not "Hollerin Mad."

The author also indulges in presenting somewhat unprofessional opinions that detract from what is ultimately an interesting read and rare historical account. He often makes long analytical comments that detract from his main topic, such as his account of the Marianas Turkey Shoot. But there is excellent research here, and I was surprised to see just how much action these crews experienced, sometimes maneuvering with Japanese Zeros and German Messerschmitts, and even managing to shoot down some of these interceptors.

The details of the 1942 Aleutian campaign, operations in the Pacific and the invasions of Europe add a lot of interesting history. There are even a few descriptions of the role of the Curtiss SC-1, which was supposed to replace the SOC and OS2U very late in the war, but didn't. The activities of VCS-7 and VCS-8, Navy squadrons that respectively flew British Spitfires and American Mustangs during the European invasions, also receive coverage.

Although selling at a rather steep price, this book fills a long-standing void in the overall history of American Naval Aviation.