Dauntless Helldivers

by Harold L. Buell

Book Overview

A former pilot describes five pivotal carrier vs. carrier battles of World War II. This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0440212391
• ISBN13: 9780440212393
• Release Date: August 1992
• Publisher: Dell Publishing Company
• Length: 410 Pages
• Weight: 0.51 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

One of the better first person accounts of WW2

This is the first book I've read of this type that follows the war experiences of a dive bomber pilot in World War II. I've read other books about bomber pilots (I remember Harry Crosby's "On a Wing and a Prayer" especially fondly) but this is (as far as I know) the first book of this type by a dive bomber pilot from the war. The title should clue you in that this is going to be a good book: the Dauntless was the early war dive bomber of the US Navy, and it was replaced by the Helldiver. It turns out that the author graduated from flight school just prior to Pearl Harbor, and so was on the Yorktown at the Battle of the Coral Sea. He didn't really participate in the battle, only flying one anti-submarine patrol, but he *was* there. He then was assigned to the Saratoga, and arrived with that ship just after the fighting stopped at Midway. He flew patrols in the aftermath of the battle, however, and helped recover downed pilots and look for enemy stragglers, so he qualifies as having participating in that battle. He flew a mission at the start of the Battle of the Eastern Solomons, and when his flight leader decided they wouldn't be able to make it back to the carrier (by now the Enterprise) they wound up on Guadalcanal, and Buell flew from there for a month. He then returned to the carrier and participated briefly in the battle of Santa Cruz. He spent much of 1943 in the states building a new bomber group, then went with it to the new Hornet (the old one had been sunk by a Japanese sub the previous year) and was with that group through a series of raids during the rest of the year and much of 1944, which culminated in the Battle of the Phillipine Sea. In that confrontation, Buell's division of the squadron crippled and almost sank the Japanese carrier Zuikaku. He also led his division as it sank several vessels, including two destroyers, several merchant vessels, and at least one combat transport. Buell's account of all of this is lively and intelligent. He recounts everything in an interesting fashion, telling of training, combat missions, shipboard politics, and the plane types that they flew. His discussion of the Dauntless and its replacement by the Helldiver is lamented, though he does note that the Helldiver was faster and had a larger cargo capacity. While the Dauntless had numerous nicknames and was a very popular plane, the pilots referred to the Helldiver as "the Beast". I enjoyed this book a great deal and would recommend it to anyone interested in World War II.

Carrier Warfare--WW 2

This is a first class narrative by a Naval Aviator who through flying skill and a good bit of luck lived throught 16 major battles in the Pacific during World War 2. Having gone through the Naval Cadet Program and receiving my wings much later than Hal I would love to have this book on my book shelf.

Dauntless Helldivers

If you know anything about U.S. naval aviation during World War II, the title alone will grab you. "Dauntless Helldivers" is an outstanding tale, superbly written by someone who was there and did it all. It's a "you-can't-put-it-down" book, which is rare for a work of nonfiction. If you've read some of the other great naval air volumes by Walter Lord, Gordon Prange and others, you'll definitely want this one alongside them on your bookshelf.

A rare look through the sights by a US Navy dive bomber pilo

Hal Buell was one of the most experienced--and most effective--dive bomber pilots in the US Navy during WW II. He also owns a PhD in history; a unique combination which comes together in this engaging memoir. Flying SBDs in the 1942 carrier battles, and later SB2Cs in 1944, Buell had a great story to tell at the outset. His observations on human beings under lethal stress, as well as the challenge of combat flying, are well worth the effort. We can only regret that more dive bomber pilots (and crewmen) haven't committed their experiences to paper. Like the bumper sticker says: fighter pilots make movies; attack pilots make history!