Consolidated-Vultee PB4Y-2 Privateer: The Operational History of the U.S. Navy’sWorld War II Patrol/Bomber Aircraft

While Carey covers the Privateer development and service, photos are not as sharp as they could be. The section of aircraft assignments by BuNo. and squadron is excellent and extensive. This book is not a substitute for the Ginter tome on this subject; it is, however, a wonderful and useful compliment.

I’m a warbird fan, but I’m not an aeronautical engineer, and I don’t pretend to be one. When I go to airshows, I pack a camera, not a dial caliper. My favorite books on WWII aircraft are those that give broad coverage of their topic or their focus aircraft without becoming too mired in tedium. Carey’s book on the PB4Y-2 Privateer does exactly that. He primarily sticks to where, when, and how the Privateer was used in combat, with less focus on the plane’s tech specs. Carey introduces the Privateer to the reader as a modified B-24 Liberator, which mirrors the company’s development of the aircraft itself. He gives us the basics on what changes were made by Consolidated-Vultee to go from parent to offspring, but he (wisely) declines from drenching us in loving commentary on every rivet and cable, and he (again, wisely) presumes that anyone who picked up his book probably already has a passing familiarity with a B-24. If you want a forensic dissection of either a Liberator or a Privateer, this isn’t where you’ll find it. Since such design-heavy dissertations tend to make for boring reading to the layman, I applaud Carey’s strategy.However, don’t presume from what I’ve said thus far that this isn’t a detailed book. It is, but he details the service that the plane provided, rather than its engineering. To that end, even if it sounds trite to say it, this is probably the only book a warbird lover will need on the PB4Y-2. Most of the book talks about the bombing or strafing missions flown during WWII against Japanese shipping or transportation targets. These are big planes, but since the engines weren’t supercharged, they made attacks from medium or low altitudes. As a result, as Carey relates, they often did as much or more damage with bullets than with bombs. Many specific missions from various groups are narrated, both the successes and the tragedies. Carey also tells us a great deal about the PB4Y-2’s trials and tribulations deploying the ASM-N-2 Bat guided weapon, most of which ended in failures. In his last several chapters, he discusses the plane’s service in the Korean war and, to a lesser extent, in French Indochina and by Nationalist China, and he even makes brief mention of civilian use of demilitarized Privateers as firefighting aircraft. The photos are plentiful, of high quality, and reasonably well chosen. There are several very good in-flight shots of these planes, and you get to see it on the ground from all angles. Carey also shows us a boatload of nose art, though, which gets a little repetitive. The lion’s share of Privateers sported similar looking nude or semi-nude pin-ups, and after the first dozen or so lounging vixens you’ve pretty much seen it. The writing quality is more than adequate, and although there are occasional typos, there aren’t so many that it derails the reader. I have to assume that Carey’s facts were accurately reported, but lacking the prior knowledge to fact-check anything, I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt.I’m pleased with my purchase, and I was pleased with the read. I wanted to learn more about this type, but not be bogged down by excess minutiae, and that’s exactly what Carey’s excellent book did for me. I often write longer reviews than this, but I haven’t got anything to complain about, so I’ll keep it short. If you only buy one book on the PB4Y-2 Privateer, and frankly there aren’t a whole lot more than that to choose from, then buy this one.

I get these reference books mainly for color guides for painting models. Although this is a wonderfully detailed tome, there are no color profiles unfortunately.

I enjoyed reading this book. My interest in the Privateer stems from my dad's service in WW 2 as a Privateer pilot. It gives a good description of the airplane and its development from the Liberator. The totally unexpected bonus was discovery my father being mentioned in the book.

Very detailed book on history of the little known PB4Y-2 Privateer. Successful follow-on to the famous B-24 Liberator (Navy version was PB4Y-1). Same famous Davis wing, but with single vertical stabilizer versus twin tailed Liberator. Author Carey does a great job of chronicling the history of the Privateer. Very successful in WWII and Korea as well in the service of other nations. The book is also chocked full of Privateer photos.

The Privateer has been a great interest of mine ever since I was a kid. I always knew it was the revised and improved edition of the B-24 Liberator but really knew little else. This book answered many of my questions about the airplane, its design, and flight properties. I got a bit bogged down in all the operational and unit histories. But I'll gladly concede that the unit histories of those flying the Privateer are of vital interest and should be historically recorded. All in all, a good book, but I'd like to have had more stick and rudder!

The U.S. Navy flew Liberators and Privateers in the Pacific Theater during the Second World War. The Privateer was a stretched version of the Liberator that was more heavily armed, faster and easier to fly. This book has a lot of pictures of the aircraft, especially the nose art, the cockpit interior and diagrams of the interior layout.

I bought this and its companion volumes a gift for a co-worker whose late father was a radio operator on one in WWII's Pacific theater. He thought they were great and learned much of the dangers the men faced which too many aren't told about.

コンソールのオンラインゲームで出会った仲間の中に、50歳くらいのアメリカ人男性がいた。メッセージをやりとりしていたら、父親が第二次大戦中に海軍軍人として太平洋戦争に参戦、飛行機に乗って東南アジアから沖縄、台湾、対馬海峡あたりで戦っていたという。彼の父親が乗っていたのは陸軍の爆撃機コンソリデーテッドＢ-24”リベレーター”の海軍版で哨戒爆撃機PB4Y-1、そして尾翼を１枚に改修したPB4Y-2”プライバティア”である。任務は主として日本軍輸送船団の補足や物資を運ぶ船舶の撃沈である。部隊の活動は米国国内でさえ戦史の上で忘れられ、長い間まとまった記録がなかった、という。本書はゲーム仲間の父親が所属していた哨戒爆撃部隊VBPの戦歴をまとめたもの。テニアン島における部隊創設から、冷戦、朝鮮戦争における戦歴も掲載され、作戦活動の全体像が網羅されている。写真も多数収録されており、英語が解らずとも見るだけでも参考になる。著者のAlan C. Careyとは、ゲーム仲間本人や父親も実際に会っており、部隊の記録をまとめ始めた発起人のような存在で元隊員らから感謝されたという。高度数十メートルの超低空で銃撃するため、飛行のバランスを崩すとパラシュート脱出する高度の余裕が無く搭乗員全員が即死だ。そのため生死をともにする部隊内の結束は高かったが、戦史に顧みられない時期が長く隊員たちは誇りを傷つけられていた。しかしCareyの著作によって闇に光が与えられた、それが感謝の理由であった。というわけで、対馬海峡や朝鮮半島南岸まで我が物顔で飛んで来て物資を運ぶ貨物船を銃撃したPB4Y-2、燃え上がる船の写真は正直言って日本人、いや私を複雑な心境にする。なぜなら、彼の父親が空を飛んでいた時、私の祖父は朝鮮釜山と福岡県戸畑を往復する木造貨物船の機関士をやっていたから。もし運が悪ければ、彼の父親の乗機から銃撃を受け祖父は海の底だったかもしれない。彼の父も私の祖父も無事復員し、それからウン十年後、私と彼はオンラインで出会って事の次第を知った。その記念に買った一冊である。

Plein de photos originales

Excellent book, excellent service