Grumman TBM Avenger Pilot's Flight Manual [Paperback]

Periscope Film.com (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 10, 2006

One of the most legendary naval aircraft of WWII, the Grumman TBF Avenger (and the General Motors-produced TBM) saw action in most of the major battles in the Pacific including Midway and Leyte Gulf. Armed with a forward machine gun and a second in a dorsal turret, the plane could carry a 21-inch torpedo or four 500-lb. bombs, or a combination thereof. Avengers are credited with sinking the Japanese superbattleships Musashi and Yamato. A young aviator who would later become President, George H.W. Bush flew a TBF off the carrier USS San Jacinto in 1943-44. Originally printed by Grumman and the U.S. Navy late in the war, this revised Flight Operating Handbook taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted", the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted and color images appear in black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

On the afternoon of December 7, 1941, Grumman Aircraft first displayed the new TBF to the public. Ironically, on that day, the Imperial Japanese Navy attacked Pearl Harbor.

Six TBF-1s were present at the Battle of Midway, as part of VT-8 (Torpedo Squadron 8), while the rest of the squadron flew Devastators from the Hornet. Only one TBF survived the battle with heavy damage and casualties.

On August 24, 1942, the next major naval battle occurred at the Eastern Solomons. With only USS Saratoga and the Enterprise, the 24 TBFs present were able to sink the Japanese aircraft carrier Ryujo and claim one dive bomber, at the cost of seven planes.

The first major "prize" for the TBFs (which had been assigned the name "Avenger" in October 1941, before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor) was at the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942, when Marine Corps and Navy Avengers helped sink the battleship Hiei.

Besides the traditional surface role (torpedoing surface ships), Avengers claimed about thirty submarine kills, including the cargo submarine I-52, whose remains were found in 1998. They were one of the most effective sub-killers in the Pacific theatre, as well as in the Atlantic, when escort carriers were finally available to escort Allied convoys. There, the Avengers contributed in warding off German U-Boats while providing air cover for the convoys.

After the "Marianas' Turkey Shoot", in which more than 250 Japanese aircraft were downed, Admiral Marc Mitscher ordered a 220-aircraft mission to find the Japanese task force. At the extreme end of their range (300 nautical miles out), the group of Hellcats, TBF/TBMs, and dive bombers took many casualties. However, Avengers from USS Belleau Wood (CVL-24) torpedoed the light carrier Hiyo as their only major prize. Although Mitscher's gamble was acceptable, it did not pay off as well as he had hoped.

Near the end of the war, TBF/TBMs killed two of the Japanese "super battleships": the Musashi and the Yamato (which was Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto's flagship for most of the war).

The Avengers played a major role in the American victory during World War II.

From the Author

One of a series of historic flight manuals reprinted by Periscope Film, all of which are available on Amazon.com The others include: P-40 Warhawk, P-38 Lightning, P-61 Black Widow Night Fighter, Vought F4U-4 Corsair, B-17 Bomber, B-29 Superfortress, B-24 Liberator Bomber, YB-49 Flying Wing, SR-71 Blackbird, and X-15 Rocket Plane.

Product Details

• Paperback: 110 pages
• Publisher: Lulu.com; First Edition edition (May 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1411693876
• ISBN-13: 978-1411693876
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 11 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,210,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An ideal gift for anyone interested in U.S. Navy aircraft of WWII, July 1, 2006

By 

FullFathomFive (Kings Harbor, Georgia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Grumman TBM Avenger Pilot's Flight Manual (Paperback)

Got this book for a friend's dad who flew as gunner on a TBM-3 Avenger in WWII. It brought back a rush of memories -- turns out he used to have this exact same manual when he was stationed aboard USS Yorktown, the Essex carrier. We took a stroll down memory lane with this book, which is a really neat historic document. It's full of photos and diagrams, and a lot of fun to read with a friend. You really get the inside scoop on this plane by reading this manual, I think it's just an exceptional addition to my bookshelf of WWII aviation books.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pilot Guide, June 15, 2010

By 

Alex C. (Réunion) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Grumman TBM Avenger Pilot's Flight Manual (Paperback)

You definitely need this manual specially if you forecast to build an accurate plastic model of the TBF. Greats details of the cockpit, dash board, radios ect....
If you are one of the 100 fortunated lucky owner of a TBF, you definitely do not need this fligth manual because you are supposed to own an original one, for the others, why not?

alex from Reunion island (France)

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars True duplicate, July 10, 2009

By 

Hiram R. Webster (South Carolina) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Grumman TBM Avenger Pilot's Flight Manual (Paperback)

Not disappointed at all. Exactly as discribed and an insight into acft operations of those days. Thanks.