Flight Deck: US Navy Carrier Operations, 1940-1945 - Aircraft Specials series (Squadron/Signal Publications 6086)

An aircraft carrier's flight deck has often been described as choreographed chaos and one of the most dangerous places to work. United States Navy flight and deck crews had their hands full just trying to stay alive during World War Two. This was due to bad weather, rain slicked decks, turning propellers, highly volatile aviation fuel, bombs, rockets, and out of control aircraft landing on the flight deck. Add to those ele­ments enemy bombs, strafing aircraft, and the dreaded kamikaze ("divine wind'' Japanese suicide attackers) and it is a wonder that any­one on the flight deck made it home alive; many crewmen did not survive. This photo monograph illustrates their story.