WORLD WAR II - NONFICTION
"Black Cat Raiders of WW II" 
By Richard C. Knott
This is a fine account of the actions of PBY-5 and PBY-5A (wheeled) seaplanes of World War II. It follows the evolution of PBY use from pre-war Pearl Harbor to the end of the war.
The PBY squadrons in Hawaii and the western Pacific at the onset of WW II suffered greatly. But, they recovered and soon developed night tactics and soon became the scourge of the Japanese from the Solomon Islands to the recapture of the Philippine Islands. This book recounts the suffering and the great victories of the men of the squadrons achieved.
I have seen many documentaries showing the PBYs on patrol and picking up downed airmen and survivors of sunken ships. But I was not aware that these planes bombed and strafed the hell out of Japanese shipping and military bases. They also had a stellar record of spotting and reporting Japanese ship movements that were critical to winning several major surface engagements.
My hat is off to these brave men who flew these big, slow, lumbering planes and turned outdated equipment into avenging weapons of war.
Question: The Navy had enough
sense to evacuate dependents from the Philippine Islands and disburse units and
supply caches in preparation for the war. What did MacArthur and the Army do?
Nada!!!
Reviewed by Kenneth S. Smith 10/10/2000
Blue Jacket Books
Naval Institute Press
291 Wood Road
Annapolis, MD 21402
Here is a letter from his navy wing commander to a Catalina night bomber pilot who struck (and returned home with)
part of a mast of the Japanese ship he was bombing.
UNITED STATES FLEET
FLEET AIR WING SEVENTEEN
A 16-3(0-cn)
Serial: 545 27 Sep 1944
From: The Commander, Fleet Air Wing SEVENTEEN
To: Lieutenant James F. MERRITT, (A-VN), USN
Via: The Commanding Officer, Patrol Bombing Squadron Thirty Three
Subject: Ramming Tactics Plane versus Surface Ship-Disapproval of.
1. The history of naval warfare is replete with incidents of ramming as an effective method of
destroying opposing ships. Students of History will recall such battles as Salamis, Actium,
Lepanto and Lissa wherein ramming was the primary method of sinking. Formidable pointed rams were
provided by the naval constructors of those days on the underwater part of the bow. Even in modern
times, underwater rams were built into the bows of battle ships with the expectancy that ramming
tactics might be employed. However except for antisubmarine tactics, ramming has not been
effectively employed since the days of our own Civil War. Even in the times of Nelson and J. P.
Jones ramming tactics assumed a secondary role in ship to ship contact, the placing of a ship
alongside an enemy for the purpose of boarding being preferred.
2. A cursory comparison of aircraft and surface ships will readily reveal that in a case of contact
between the two, the plane will come out second best because of its lighter construction.
Furthermore, a careful inspection will reveal the complete absence of a ram device on aircraft.
3. In consideration of the foregoing, that part of your action on the night of 16-17 September
1944, wherein you deliberately rammed the ship you were attacking, is disapproved. It is
considered that factors contributing to the destruction of the ship can be assesses as follows:
bombs 98%, machine gun fire 2%, and ramming 0%.
4. The official report covering your action has not yet been reviewed but it is assumed that being
so imbued with naval tradition you issued the proper commands to our gallant crew when the decision
to ram was made and that your boarding party was properly equipped and indoctrinated.
5. It is entirely possible, due to shortage of critical materials in the Japanese Empire, that
Japanese surface ships may eventually be lightly enough constructed to make ramming tactics by
aircraft profitable. At such time your experience may prove invaluable in the indoctrination and
training of crews in these revolutionary tactics.
C. B. Jones
Copy to
ComAir 7th Flt
CFAW-10
from: Black Cat Raiders, Naval Institute Press.