Doomed at the Start
American Pursuit Pilots in the Philippines, 194-1942
by William H. Bartsch

William H. Bartsch tells the story of the failed five-month Philippines campaign from the standpoint of the young flyers and enlisted men, showing how limited training, inadequate warning systems, and a superbly prepared enemy doomed the young Americans before they could even begin fighting.

"William H. Bartsch's thoughtful study of the Twenty-fourth Pursuit Group, unlike earlier studies, uses interviews with Japanese pilots who participated in this campaign and other Japanese materials now available in translation. . . . Bartsch has gathered far better documentation than other writers, and he has clearly and fairly told the story of the members of the Twenty-fourth Pursuit Group."—Journal of American History

" . . . an admirably detailed history of the five fighter squadrons deployed in the Philippine Islands on Dec. 7, 1941. . . . From archives and extensive interviews, Bartsch pieces together the story of an effort 'doomed at the start.'"—Publishers Weekly

". . . a prodigious achievement . . . that does overdue justice to the memory of a tragic group of airmen who did the best they could with what they had . . . "—Military History

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