num_pages: 270
description: In an action-packed war memoir and squadron history, ace fighter pilot Tom Blackburn describes exactly how he shaped a crew of over-eager hotshots into one of the highest scoring fighter squadrons of World War II and U.S. Navy history. In only 76 days of combat, Blackburn's Jolly Rogers downed a record 154 enemy warplanes, and Blackburn himself emerged as one of VF-17’s leading aces with eleven aerial combat victories to his credit. A complete history of the squadron from its commissioning in January 1943 to its disbanding in April 1944—including a harrowing account of the squadron’s intense, winning campaign against the Japanese over the northern Solomon Islands and Fortress Rabaul—this book offers a fascinating look at Blackburn’s approach to organizing, training, and leading his pilots—thirteen of whom, the author included, became air aces.
language: English
title: The Jolly Rogers: The Story of Tom Blackburn And Navy Fighting Squadron VF-17
titlecomplete: The Jolly Rogers: The Story of Tom Blackburn And Navy Fighting Squadron VF-17
genres: Biography, Naval History, Memoir, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Military History, Military Fiction, Aviation, History, World War II
ratings_count: 116
publisher: Zenith Pr