Customer Reviews

BUFFALOES OVER SINGAPORE: RAF, RAAF, RNZAF and Dutch Brewster Fighters in Action Over Malaya and the East Indies 1941-1942

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This is another in a series of books written by Brian Culls, Christopher Shores, or another of the latest generation of WWII aviation historians from Grub Street who are begetting comprehensive histories of often little explored WWII aerial arenas. The aerial defense of Singapore has been largely neglected by historians. Often, when one of these writers publishes, there is little left to explore on the topic. Cull's research isn't quite up to that standard in this volume. This is due in part to the fact that his subjects lost the battle and, thus, many of their records. (Ever wonder what the battle history of Japan's 68th Sentai at New Guinea was?) Japanese records don't exactly abound either. Nonetheless, he does an excelent job and I recommend this work mightily to anyone interested in the Pacific air war.

This book is a real delight. Take and obscure fighter aircraft flown by Commonwealth Air Units in Malaya and Singapore, combine it with an absolutely hopeless battle and you have the makings of a great read.

The Buffalo fighter has won the appelation of "the worst aricraft ever manufactured." Cull proves that although obsolete before it was even delivered to RAAF, RNAF and Netherlands East Indies units in S.E. Asia, it was clearly not a complete washout. Having read numerous works on the fall of Singapore and Malaya I had assumed that the Buffaloes were simply swept from the sky in the one fell swoop. It is amazing to learn that some units actually gave as well as they got from the Japanese.
There are actually some confirmed kills of Japanese Naval Zeros!!!

The fighter leaked oil along the crank seals, was underpowered, slow, and most times the .50 machine guns would not fire most of the time. But on the other side of the equation, the aircaft, because of it weight, was fast in a dive an robust (your chances of coming out of belly landing were good as Cull renumerates in many accounts).

They were largely unloved by their crews, and they could not stand up to even a Japanese dive bomber in aerial combat.

It becomes clear that the fighter may have been capable if it had been better flight tested, uparmed, up-poowered. But even then it would still be outclassed by the Japanese fighters.

Cull recounts numerous aerial combats with great detailed accounts from most of the suviving Australian, British and NZ pilots.

There is a lot here. One is struck by the fact that British were so bamboozled by the Japanese aerial supremacy that they convinced themselves that they were actually fighting Germans and claimed engagements with numerous Me-109s??! The shock that Asians were really much, much better as pilots, had much better equipment was simpley too much for them to believe.

There are also larger issues that Cull does not explore, but these books offer wonderful jumping off points for further study.

Written after delving directly into the Squadrons' archives, this book is made up of the reports and recollections of the RAF, RAAF, RNZAF and ML-KNIL pilots who flew the Buffalo against the Japanese in the early stages of the Second World War. Air operations by other units are only mentioned in relation to them. There is not much in the way of analysis or comments (in fact, there is little actually written by the authors), but you get first-hand, day-by-day accounts of the flying operations undertaken by the men within the 243, 453, 488 RNZAF and 21 RAAF, and some from the Dutch pilots from 1-, 2- and 3-V1G-V. Written in the almost casual, careless style so typical of fighting soldiers and airmen, they convey a sensation of approaching disaster which is hard to match. There is a very interesting photo section made up of the very few period pictures existing. Appendices show the complete Buffalo victory claims, the casualties, the fate of every single airframe, some useful maps as well as some individual recollections. Probably the most detailed look on the operations undertaken by Allied Buffalo operators, and an indispensable component of any book collection dedicated to the Pacific war.

The Book was a good read, how many books are there out there about the Battle of Britian, or Midway or on spitfires or mustangs. Ther is very little about the allied pilots and thier expreicnes flying the buffalo in combat.

This book was a good read about a little known part of the war in the pacific, in the skies over malaya and singapore. It covers the pilots that flew the buffalo with the RAF, RAAF and The RNZAF as well as the NEI airforce.

The book has a weird lay out mixing facts with the actual expreicnes of the pilots during this stage of the war in a narrative mehtod, once you get pass that, the book is quite good.

Its definately worth looking especially if you have a intrest in aviation and planes used in the early stages of the war with Japan in world war two. worth the price and the read.

I used to think the Buffalo was the worst fighter plane in WW2. Reading this book however provided a great illumination on the fighter plane, its pilots and aircrew - as well the inept British leadership of the war in the East 1941 - 1942.

The Buffalo was actually as fast and highly agile - and made a great match against the Japanese fighter planes. Unfortunately, the RAF loaded it up with too much armor and too much armaments. Before you say anything else- you should not that the Japanese fighter planes were armed mainly with only two 7.7 machine guns. True the A6M had 2 cannon guns - but it carried only 60 rounds of ammo. And the Japanese planes had no armor or self-sealing fuel tanks and frequently no radios, etc..

The pilots who were grumbling about the Buffalo's performance were usually novice fighter planes or pilots who were more used to the Spitfire or Hurricane. One pilot wanted 12 machine guns on his Buffalo!

It seemed information about the relative lack of armor on Japanese fighter planes and bombers (thus increasing their speed) was not disseminated to RAF crew. It took only a few machine gun hits to turn most Japanese planes of 1940 - 1942 vintage into flaming fireballs. Thus the best approach would be to NOT dogfight the Zero or the Frank/Nate fighter planes - but to get in a quick burst before diving down - where the Japanese weaker airframes did not permit them to follow.

One interesting story was told about how one Buffalo was streamed down to basic essentials - and how its performance increased dramatically. It was called the Super Special.

Bad fortune also seemed to dog the RAF - a good RAF commander and some of the best crew were killed before hostilities when the boat they were on hit a British mine.

Excellent, promt service. I was very pleased with how quickly the book was delivered and would definitely order from this seller again.