On the morning of October 24, 1944, in the Sibuyan Sea amidst the Philippine Islands, VT-18, a close-knit squadron of six young American torpedo bomber pilots, departed the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid on a search and destroy mission. Their target: the super-battleship Musashi, the pride of the Imperial Japanese Navy. The pilots were tasked with preventing the immense enemy warship and the huge naval armada of which she was a part from inflicting unspeakable damage on the transports and supply ships that were supporting the American amphibious landings within nearby Leyte Gulf. Little did these young men know that they had embarked on the opening rounds of history’s greatest—and last—epic naval battle. Two bomber crews launched in the first wave of attackers were shot out of the sky. Only pilot Will Fletcher survived the crash landing. Adrift at sea, Will made his way to land and escaped into the jungles of the Philippines, where he eluded capture by the Japanese with the help of Filipino guerrillas and joined their ranks against their common enemy. Intrepid Aviators is the thrilling true story of the brave bomber pilots, their daring duel with the Musashi, and Will Fletcher’s struggle to survive as a guerrilla soldier. The sinking of Musashi inflicted a crucial blow in the Battle of Leyte Gulf, and would mark the first time in history that aviators had sunk a Japanese battleship on the high seas.
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"My father, Ens. Owen F. Williams, was one of the pilot of the 18th squadron and received the Navy Cross for a direct hit. This is the first I've heard of this book and will be reading/listening to it, with revue to follow very soon." — Terry Williams (5 out of 5 stars)
"My father, Ens. Owen F. Williams, was one of the pilot of the 18th squadron and received the Navy Cross for a direct hit. This is the first I've heard of this book and will be reading/listening to it, with revue to follow very soon."
“An incredibly well-researched story. Its scope is awesome and the writing superb…As exciting as any novel.”
“Intrepid Aviators provides a rare look at a successful but little-appreciated unit in the Pacific War…Fletcher portrays the men of Torpedo 18 as recognizable individuals whom the reader comes to know, to admire—and too often, to mourn.”
“Enthralling…Beautifully re-creates the epic clash…A thrilling, deeply moving literary memorial to the American flyboys whose immense sacrifice and courage really did change the world.”
" Very Good book, writen by a naval aviator, about a naval aviator and read by one. A good narrative with a well writen overview of cassier life and feats. Enjoyable yet educational and insightful. "
" Good narrative, interesting insite about aviation and naval operations in WWII. "
Don Hagen has been behind the microphone since fifth grade. He is a nine-time winner of the Peer Award for narration/voice-over and twice winner of an AudioFile Earphones Award. He has also been heard in radio and television commercials and documentaries. In addition to his freelance voice work, he is a member of the audiobook narration team at the Library of Congress.
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