RAAF Black Cats: The Secret History of the Covert Catalina Mine-Laying Operations to Cripple Japan's War...

— —

Robert Cleworth John Suter Linton

RAAF Black Cats

The Secret History of the Covert Catalina Mine-Laying Operations to Cripple Japan's War Machine...

Robert Cleworth, John Suter Linton

$34.99

Paperback

Not in-store but you can order this
How long will it take?

Availability Information

We source books from suppliers in Australia and overseas. For books we don't currently have in stock, the time it takes to get them from our suppliers can vary widely - from a few days to a few months - so we check each book with each supplier to determine the expected time it will take to be supplied to us.

We then advise you accordingly. If the time taken to get any book is too long for you, you can let us know and we will cancel or adjust your order, and refund as required.

To find out the anticipated arrival time for specific items prior to ordering, please contact us by phone or email:

Phone +61 2 9264 3111, or 1800 4 BOOKS (1800 4 26657) if outside Sydney:
option 1 Abbey's Bookshop (Crime, History, Science, Kids & more) • info@abbeys.com.au
option 2 Language Book Centre (ESL & Foreign Languages) • language@abbeys.com.au
option 3 Galaxy Bookshop (Sci-fi, Fantasy, Romance, Graphic Novels) • sf@galaxybooks.com.au

QTY:

English

Allen & Unwin
03 September 2019

History; Australasian & Pacific history; Second World War; Air forces & warfare; War & defence operations

In March 1945 Reg Cleworth, a navigator on PBY Catalina seaplanes flying out of Darwin, went missing in action. No details were ever given about the incident that took his life, nor the reason his plane went down. For Reg's younger brother, Robert, the news came as a fulfilling prophecy. The last time they saw each other, Reg confided in Robert, 'I don't think I'm coming back'.

Forty years later Robert decided to investigate what happened to his brother. What he uncovered was an extraordinary story of a covert Australian airborne mine-laying operation in cooperation with the US Seventh Fleet to disrupt the Japanese supply routes. One of the riskier and more dangerous RAAF undertakings of the Pacific War, secrecy restrictions were imposed on everyone involved. They were never formally lifted.

Had it not been for a chance meeting that allowed Robert access to previously unopened files in the US national archives, this remarkable story may never have been untold. What he unearthed revealed the sacrifice and achievements of the RAAF Catalina crews and the vital role they played in MacArthur's strategic plan for the south-west Pacific.

Absorbing, compelling and powerfully told, RAAF Black Cats is an important addition to our understanding of Australia's role in the Pacific War.

By: Robert Cleworth, John Suter Linton
Imprint: Allen & Unwin
Country of Publication: Australia
Dimensions: Height: 234mm, Width: 153mm,
Weight: 420g
ISBN: 9781760633066
ISBN 10: 1760633062
Pages: 288
Publication Date: 03 September 2019
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Maps Preface Chapter 1: Germany First and 'limited offensive' in the Pacific Chapter 2: 'Beware-this harbor is mined!' Chapter 3: Nothing left to chance Chapter 4: Mining operation suffers a severe blow Chapter 5: Everyone had their jobs to do Chapter 6: Keeping up the pressure Chapter 7: The Manila raid Chapter 8: The fighting men Chapter 9: End game Chapter 10: Bringin' 'em home Chapter 11: Correcting history Epilogue Note from the authors Acknowledgements

Robert (Bob) Cleworth MPhil has compiled five books, one on Australian War Graves and Missing Australians, in addition to three publications on the work of RAAF Catalina Operations in World War II. He was, for a number of years, Secretary of the Catalina Association of New South Wales. John Suter Linton has worked extensively in the print and electronic media as a journalist, feature writer, researcher, scriptwriter, editor and producer. He is also the author of six true-crime novels.