Fighting Falcons
The Campaigns of VMF-221 in the Pacific
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Naval Institute Press
Publishing:30th Apr '26
£28.99
This title is due to be published on 30th April, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Fighting Falcons offers a compelling account of Marine Fighting Squadron 221 (VMF-221), a unit that played a key role in the Pacific during World War II. Formed in 1941, VMF-221 flew in some of the most significant campaigns of the war, from the Battle of Midway and the long fight for the Solomon Islands to carrier operations over Japan in 1945.
Author Peter F. Owen examines the operational realities behind the squadron’s missions, analyzing the Marine Corps’ performance in the Pacific air war. He explores how missteps at higher levels of command shaped outcomes in the air, and he sheds light on the complex logistics and maintenance challenges crucial to success.
Based on extensive research, Fighting Falcons provides new insight into how Marine aviation functioned at the squadron level. The book delivers a valuable perspective on one of the Marine Corps’ notable fighter squadrons and the larger story of how the United States fought—and learned—its way to victory in the Pacific.
"Lieutenant Colonel Owen provides a thoroughly professional account of Marine Fighter Squadron 221's career from establishment in 1941 to the end of World War II, both ashore and afloat. His depth of research is exceptional, with an impressive blending of primary and secondary sources. Squadron histories seldom match the standard of Fighting Falcons."—Barrett Tillman, author of On Yankee Station and Dragon's Jaw
“A masterful blend of unit history and operational analysis. Peter F. Owen brings the reader on a journey from Midway to Tokyo, highlighting the growing pains, contributions, and contexts of Marine Corps aviation during some of the most critical moments in the Pacific War.” — Mike Fink, author of Intrepid’s Fighting Squadron 18
"In Fighting Falcons: The Campaigns of VMF-221 in the Pacific, Peter F. Owen does it all: the good, the bad, the successes and hardships of a Marine Combat unit in the Second World War. While demonstrating the accomplishments and struggles of VMF-221's pilots, Owen does not forget the oft-overlooked subjects of maintenance and logistics functions of aerial units. From strategic setbacks to tactical victories, Owen deftly weaves the complicated war in the Pacific into a damn fine read that informs and sheds new light on our understanding of the Second World War. This is Marine and aerial combat history at its finest!" — Brian D. Laslie, author of The Sundowners, Pegasus, and Little Butch: Carrier Air Group 11 and the War in the Pacific, 1943-1945
ISBN: 9781682478233
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
304 pages
New edition