Savage Skies, Emerald Hell: The U.S., Australia, Japan, and the Ferocious Air Battle for New Guinea in World War II

by Jay A. Stout

While the Marine Corps island-hopped across the Pacific from Guadalcanal to Saipan to Iwo Jima, the U.S. Army was locked in a grueling, multiyear fight for the jungle island of New Guinea, which in Japanese hands threatened both Australia and the vital supply lines stretching to the United States. Forces under Douglas MacArthur intended to deny the Japanese this opportunity and use New Guinea as a stepping stone on the road back to the Philippines and, beyond it, Japan. A critical component of that campaign was waged in the air, where American pilots supported ground troops and took the battle to the Japanese in scattered villages and beaches, along the way fighting not only the Japanese, but also the dangers of the island’s mountainous terrain and thick jungles, the weather, and the surrounding ocean.

Savage Skies, Emerald Hell is the story of the stirring and terrible air combat that made winning the fight for New Guinea possible. It includes accounts from fighter, bomber, and transport crews—primarily George Kenney’s Fifth Air Force—and places their actions within the broader context of strategy and tactics, also providing descriptions of equipment and the experiences of the mechanics and support men who made it all possible. It is a riveting narrative of World War II in the air, combining deep primary research and Jay Stout’s personal experience as a fighter pilot. More than a great read, Savage Skies, Emerald Hell is an important contribution to World War II history.

Genres: History, Audiobook

432 pages, Hardcover

First published December 17, 2024

About the author

Jay A. Stout is a retired Marine Corps fighter pilot. An Indiana native and graduate of Purdue University, he was commissioned during June 1981 and was designated a naval aviator on 13 May 1983. His first fleet assignment was to F-4S Phantoms at MCAS Beaufort, South Carolina. Following a stint as an instructor pilot at NAS Chase Field Texas from 1986 to 1989, he transitioned to the F/A-18 Hornet. He flew the Hornet from bases on both coasts and ultimately retired from MCAS Miramar during 2001.

Aside from his flying assignments, he served as the executive officer of 1st Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, and in a variety of additional assignments with various staffs around the world. During his twenty-year career he flew more than 4,500 flight hours, including 37 combat missions during Operation Desert Storm.

Following his military career Stout worked for a very short time as an airline pilot before being furloughed after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He subsequently flew for the Kuwait Air Force for a year before returning to the States where he now works for as a senior analyst for a leading defense contractor.

Lieutenant Colonel Stout's writing has been read on the floor of the U.S. Senate and has been published in various professional journals and newspapers around the nation. Works published while he was on active duty addressed controversial topics (women in the military, the MV-22 Osprey, effectiveness of the AV-8B Harrier, etc.) and took viewpoints that were often at odds with senior military leadership. Nevertheless, his cogent arguments and forthrightness contributed considerably to his credibility. Indeed, his expertise is widely recognized and he has made many appearances as a combat aviation expert on news networks such as Fox, Al Jazeera and National Public Radio.

Reviews

[Brendan (History Nerds United) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jay Stout's Savage Skies, Emerald Hell is one of those books that leaves me very conflicted. The hardest books to rate for me are those which have no real problems, but at the same time, don't reach the heights of some other books within the same subject area. If you are interested in this book, I politely request you read my whole review and decide if this book is for you and don't trust the star score I end up giving it. The book mainly focuses on Papua New Guinea and the surrounding area in World War II and chronicles the horrible conditions for the Allies from the beginning to the end of the war.

First, let's start with the good and there is a lot of it. Stout has done tremendous research and specifically has delved into numerous personal accounts to bring an intimate feel to the narrative. I've read a lot about the Pacific theater of World War II, even multiple books on the Papua New Guinea area and I still learned a lot. The book has more of a tactical focus rather than a larger strategic focus. Stout has an easy writing style and the book is not overlong or bogged down with extraneous information which is not necessary to understanding the story.

The flip side of the good is not bad, but merely not exceptional. Stout does talk about a lot of characters and it would be best to describe each chapter as a vignette of the area of operations. It kept me from really understanding or being gripped by any one person's story because they would dip in and out or never show up again. And while Stout's reading style is easy, it also never quite reaches superlative in most aspects. For example, he describes multiple dogfights in the book and they are technically well told. However, they are not propulsive like some other books I have read with similar scenarios (examples: Taking London by Martin Dugard, Fifty-Three Days on Starvation Island by John Bruning).

Ultimately, I would ask anyone who wanted to read this whether or not they know much about this specific area of the war. If they could list off a bunch of books about it, I might tell them they would like this but not get too much more out of it. For someone completely new to this subject, this might be a perfect gateway to other more in-depth books. My score is based on my own personal opinion as someone who had a solid background before diving in, but if someone said they loved this book, I wouldn't tell them they shouldn't.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by Netgalley and Globe Pequot.)

[Terri Wangard · Rating 4 out of 5]

“New Guinea ranks among the absolute worst places in the world to fight a major conflict. An inhospitable hellhole, it is cloaked by smothering jungles and stinking swamps, and hosts myriad diseases. Neither the Japanese nor the Allies wanted to fight in New Guinea, but both sides were compelled to do so.”
Lots of interesting tidbits: No pretenses regarding uniforms or military courtesies, or even hygiene. Indeed, a pilot once flew a mission to wearing pajamas.
The very first thing the Americans did was set up their latrine and they had a proper collection system, and they were very superior to Australians in hygiene. The Australians considered them sissies.”
MacArthur awarded a Silver Star Medal to Lyndon Johnson, who had gone on a mission but did nothing whatsoever to earn the award. The plane hadn’t been attacked, and the crew never even saw an enemy aircraft. But MacArthur saw Johnson as a potential ally who could champion his goals in the Southwest Pacific and advocate on his behalf after the war.

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jay Stout brings to life another forgotten chapter of World War II, the air war over New Guinea from 1942 to early 1944. Primarily focused on the American Army Air Force, Stout does acknowledge the contributions of Commonwealth pilots, especially the Australians who in the beginning of the war flew trainers into battle due to a lack of aircraft. Japanese pilots engaged in atrocities, machine gunning Allied surviors of downed crafts. Allied prisoners of war were executed without cause, starved and otherwise abused. In returned, they recieved the same treatment from their opponents. Particulary horrorific, was the descrition of the Battle of Bismark Sea.

Quibbles? I wish there were more testimony from the Japanese point of view.

[Andrew Turk · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning of the book, the author promises to shed light on an area or theater of World War II, not often written about. He succeeded in that admirably. Although I do feel that the book was a little lacking in through narrative, reducing the story to an extended list of events and names at times, it provided a lot of information That, despite a decent wealth of knowledge about World War II, I was unfamiliar with. I believe this may be the author‘s first book and I would gladly read another.

If you are interested in World War II and primarily interested in the aerial campaign in the Pacific, you likely will not regret reading this book.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the Audio ARC!

This book takes a look at a microcosm within the Pacific theater of World War II: the air battles for and above New Guinea. As the author points out at the beginning of the book, many people of the world are woefully unaware even of were New Guinea is located, let alone any relevant historical events related to New Guinea. Having listened to this book, I now have a better understanding of the role New Guinea played in WWII, and a greater respect for the pilots, other airmen, and friendly natives discussed. A very interesting historical account for anyone interested in WWII history.

[Ron Baumer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well told story of the forgotten air war in the New Guinea campaign of WW2. The story is an amazing collection of first-hand accounts from both sides of the war. The horrible conditions the men fought under were gut wrenching. This book really grabbed my attention, and I found it hard to put down, A great read for the history and aircraft fans!

Thank you to #NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Neal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This author's books are good. This one was good, but I think some of his others were better. I am not sure, bur probably because other books (Race of Aces, Air Apaches, Indestructible) have covered much of the story in this book.