Intrepid Aviators: The True Story of U.S.S. Intrepid's Torpedo Squadron 18 and Its Epic Clash With the Superbattleship Musashi

by Gregory G. Fletcher

On the morning of October 24, 1944, in the Sibuyan Sea amidst the Philippine Islands, VT-18, a close-knit squadron of six young American torpedo bomber pilots, departed the aircraft carrier USS "Intrepid" on a search and destroy mission. Their target: the super-battleship "Musashi," the pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The pilots were tasked with preventing the immense enemy warship and the huge naval armada of which she was a part from inflicting unspeakable damage on the transports and supply ships that were supporting the American amphibious landings within nearby Leyte Gulf. Little did these young men know that they had embarked on the opening rounds of history's greatest--and last--epic naval battle. Two bomber crews launched in the first wave of attackers were shot out of the sky. Only pilot Will Fletcher survived the crash landing. Adrift at sea, Will made his way to land and escaped into the jungles of the Philippines, where he eluded capture by the Japanese with the help of Filipino guerrillas and joined their ranks against their common enemy."Intrepid Aviators "is the thrilling true story of the brave bomber pilots, their daring duel with the "Musashi," and Will Fletcher's struggle to survive as a guerrilla soldier. The sinking of "Musashi" inflicted a crucial blow in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and would mark the first time in history that aviators had sunk a Japanese battleship on the high seas.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, World War II, Aviation, Military History, Military Fiction

432 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2012

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Lots of info here and good unique perspective on many battles. I think my criticism of it would be that the first third of this book is a recap of previous battles that intrepid was not really involved in. But the narrative on the sinking of musashi was great

[Douglas Karlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very well researched, detailed history of a group of aviators - bombers, fighters, and torpedo bombers, who trained and then served aboard the USS Intrepid in 1944/5, this book is a valuable narrative that describes a critical period in the Pacific War - at both a strategic and personal level. It's really a remarkable and well balanced account. This was a highly accomplished and busy group of airmen, responsible for attacks on the Philippines and Formosa and on Japanese fleets defending Luzon. It was responsible for the sinking of many enemy ships, including a Yamato class Japanese super battleship. The author's father was one of the heroes of this story, and he tells his story through training, reporting to the Intrepid, life aboard the Intrepid, and his Navy Cross -winning attack and subsequent crash and survival at sea and life among Philippino guerrillas and eventual rescue by a submarine. The level of detail is excellent, and the author paints a vivid picture of life in a US Navy squadron, life aboard Navy ships - US and Japanese, and life among freedom fighters in the Philippines.

[Gail Miller]

I'm obviously not a WWII military historian, but I liked this book since my father was involved in these battles and flew off the carriers that were mentioned. The book gave me some insight to the challenges and terror of being on board a ship during the war...

[Chad Manske · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by the son of the main character, this is the true story of the World War II Pacific naval battle that pitted the USS Intrepid's naval aviators against Japan's superbattleship Musashi that made a dramatic difference in the Battle of Leyte Gulf.

“October 24, 1944: As World War II raged, six young American torpedo bombers were sent on a search-and-destroy mission in the Sibuyan Sea. Their target: the superbattleship Musashi, the pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The pilots were tasked with preventing the immense enemy warship from inflicting damage on American supply ships. Little did these men know that they had embarked on the opening round of history’s greatest—and last—epic naval battle.

Two bomber crews launched in the first wave of attackers were shot out of the sky. Only pilot Will Fletcher survived the crash landing. Adrift at sea, Will made his way to land and escaped into the jungles of the Philippines, where he eluded capture by the Japanese with the help of Filipino guerrillas, whose ranks he joined to fight against their common enemy.

Exceptional detail and context—this book is a real joy to have read!

[Anthony Bracciante · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book first tells the story of the training and formation of the Intrepid's Air Group 18 which consisted of 3 units; the fighters, dive bombers and torpedo bombers that made up her strike force. Then it details their service record leading up to the time when they took part in attacking the super battleship Musashi one of the largest warships ever built. it follows closely the life of one of the torpedo bomber pilots who struck the first blow but was shot down and miraculously escaped with his life. The first person accounts make this a very moving story and one feels the tragic loss of life that warfare entails. Any student of World War II and of the Philippines campaign in particular will find this book worth reading.

[Robert M. Roth MD · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

The book is a historical description of Torpedo Squadron 18 aboard the carrier Intrepid during WW II. The book entails the parallel history of the war intermixed with the careers and stories of the pilots. It also details the history of the Japanese naval ships and commanders. For me, there was too much jumping back and forth between these topics, and the final result wasn't very cohesive. I found the personal stories to be very interesting but some of the historical aspects were quite dry. I think the author, whose father was a torpedo bomber pilot on the ship, attempted to cover too much in one book. An interesting but at times, a flawed endeavor.

[Wayne Roberts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book - a recounting of the author's father's involvement with the main battle against the IJN Musashi.

There is a technical issue, though - the author constantly refers to the Japanese 25mm machine gun used for anti-aircraft defense, a weapon which didn't exist - as a machine gun. The Japanese did have a 25mm cannon, though, which was used for anti-aircraft fire. An editor should have caught that mistake.

[Bret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and well written. I think the author did a good job of explaining the operations of aircraft and ships without being overly technical / verbose. I cannot quite explain what I personally found lacking which stopped me from giving the book a full five stars. Perhaps the story was to broad for my taste. Regardless, it is well worth a look.

[Kim Ward · Rating 5 out of 5]

A remarkable chronicle of the wartime experiences of one man and his aviation squadron, told against the backdrop of the titanic naval and air battles fought in the South Pacific in late 1944. The human emotions and real life events recounted, including bravery, fear, courage, loss, hope, and comradeship make for an engrossing read.

[Charles Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Riveting story

Very informative and interesting as to what aircrews endured to accomplish the task they were assigned in the defeat of the Japanese naval forces during ww2 .

[Karina Dulin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Pacific Theater in WWII--one of my favorite topics to read about. At times it got hard to keep names and places straight, but that's a weakness on my part, not the book's.

[John Mandl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic.

Great detail . reading this book kept my interest through out. Hard to believe those men went through what they did. True heroees.

[Alberto Prieto Montes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book, really enjoyed some passages although maybe too much detail at some points that makes it rough to read.

[Ray Savarda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book following some of the 3 types of planes on the Intrepid during WW2 - the fighters, the dive bombers, and the torpedo bombers.
Good first hand accounts of the torpedo bombers action reports, life on ship before & after action, some training, the usual for a historic "I was there" novel. Well written, kept my interest.

[Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

An easily-readable account of a small unit, not really famous for its actions, yet contributed to the war effort.

The research was top-notch, and the writing clear and readable.

[John Salazar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good narrative, interesting insite about aviation and naval operations in WWII.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Good book, writen by a naval aviator, about a naval aviator and read by one. A good narrative with a well writen overview of cassier life and feats. Enjoyable yet educational and insightful.

[Jerrill Wyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhat interesting story, but it often gets lost in all the details.

[Ken Daigrepont · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book!

Thank you very much for this wonderful book about our heroic naval aviators and everyone that served in a supporting role.

[Bert Hopkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learned a great deal about this important period of Naval Aviation.