What do you think?
Rate this book
Black Cats and Dumbos: WWII's Fighting PBY's
The colorful, humorous, and sometimes miraculous story of the U.S. Navy's ugly-duckling seaplane, the PBY Catalina flying boat, in the words of those who flew her.
- GenresAviationWorld War II
296 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2002
32 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
November 3, 2023
From the distances we would drive to see one of these birds and the look my dad would get walking around them, this , the PBY Catalina was one of my Father's favourite aircraft of WWII. I am pretty sure he had gotten a few rides on them when he was roaming around the Pacific as a young American Army Engineering Officer. This book too, is a love letter from the American Navy fliers who put their lives in her hands to the greatest American Amphibious Aircraft of all time. Mel Crocker, the author/editor is himself a veteran Radioman with experience in the South Pacific. The stories come from every theatre the US used the plane- so all of them- and vary between funny training tales to harrowing stories of bad weather and slim survival. I loved it all, I think my dad would have too, and I think any reader can feel the romance through the pages.
The PBY was a two engine amphibious aircraft that the Americans, Brits, Australian, and New Zealanders flew in the Pacific and the Atlantic, primarily for aerial reconnaissance , but also for ASW, Transport, Liaison, and a myriad of other mundane but important tasks. It had range, the ability to carry payloads, a dazzling hardiness, but not speed. Armed with Radar, though, it could stay in the air and detect raiders or submarines for a convoy or a taskforce to foil the Axis in many ways. As you read this book- you see how having an aerial jack of all trades readily available was an enormous advantage for the Allies. And of course- if you wrecked yours - you could get another one sent out from a depot to fill its place- something simply not true for the German, Japanese, and Italian Seaplanes or Amphibians. The production content is as interesting as any of the squadron service content here.
There's just a hint of adult content and a few of the tales get into some harrowing territory, so this book is best for the Junior Reader over 12/13 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is that perfect counter resource to the Gear -focused books that have the info on how the aircraft were built and decorated- this tells you how she was flown by her crew. The gamer gets a lot of sample missions from real life, and possible what if scenarios. The modeler gets great diorama ideas- but will certainly need a few colour resources as this books' pics while good are not model- useful. The Military Enthusiast get's a close up look at one particular plane and its crew/biggest fans. It's a love story - between pilots, crew, and a plane that always seemed to get them home and hurt the enemy. I enjoyed it immensely - and I think most readers willl too.
The PBY was a two engine amphibious aircraft that the Americans, Brits, Australian, and New Zealanders flew in the Pacific and the Atlantic, primarily for aerial reconnaissance , but also for ASW, Transport, Liaison, and a myriad of other mundane but important tasks. It had range, the ability to carry payloads, a dazzling hardiness, but not speed. Armed with Radar, though, it could stay in the air and detect raiders or submarines for a convoy or a taskforce to foil the Axis in many ways. As you read this book- you see how having an aerial jack of all trades readily available was an enormous advantage for the Allies. And of course- if you wrecked yours - you could get another one sent out from a depot to fill its place- something simply not true for the German, Japanese, and Italian Seaplanes or Amphibians. The production content is as interesting as any of the squadron service content here.
There's just a hint of adult content and a few of the tales get into some harrowing territory, so this book is best for the Junior Reader over 12/13 years. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this is that perfect counter resource to the Gear -focused books that have the info on how the aircraft were built and decorated- this tells you how she was flown by her crew. The gamer gets a lot of sample missions from real life, and possible what if scenarios. The modeler gets great diorama ideas- but will certainly need a few colour resources as this books' pics while good are not model- useful. The Military Enthusiast get's a close up look at one particular plane and its crew/biggest fans. It's a love story - between pilots, crew, and a plane that always seemed to get them home and hurt the enemy. I enjoyed it immensely - and I think most readers willl too.
Displaying 1 of 1 review