Project Seven Alpha: American Airlines in Burma 1942 - Hardcover

Shanle, Leland

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1844158268 ISBN 13: 9781844158263

Publisher: Pen & Sword Aviation, 2008

Synopsis

WINNER OF THE HISTORICAL FICTION AWARD for 2012 (Gold Medal Award); by the Military Writers Society of America (MWSA). P7A IS THE FIRST IN A TRILOGY SET IN WWII: In late 1941, President Roosevelt agonized over the rapid advances of the Japanese forces in Asia, they seemed unstoppable. He foresaw their intentions of taking India and linking up with the two other Axis Powers, Germany and Italy, in an attempt to conquer the Eastern Hemisphere. US naval forces had been severely surprised and diminished in Pearl Harbor and the army was outnumbered and ill-prepared to take on the invading hoards. One of his few options was to form a defensive line on the eastern side of the Patkai and Himalayan Ranges, there he could look for support from the Chinese and Burmese. It was to be the only defence to a Japanese invasion of India.To support and supply these troops, fighting in hostile jungle terrain where overland routes had been cut off, he desperately needed to set up an air supply from Eastern India. His problem was lack of aircraft and experienced pilots to fly the dangerous 'Hump, over the world's highest mountains. Hence came Operation Seven Alpha, a plan to enlist the aircraft, DC-3s, and pilots, veterans of World War One, of American Airlines. This newly formed Squadron would fly these medium-range aircraft in a series of long-distance hops across the Pacific and Southern Asia to the Assam Valley in India. They would then create and operate the vital supply route carrying arms, ammunition and food Eastward to the Allied bases and return with wounded personnel. This is the story of this little-known operation in the early days of the Burma Campaign.
This book is based on the true experiences of those who were involved and is a fitting tribute to the bravery and inventiveness of a band of men who answered their country's desperate call at the outset of the war against Japan in Asia.

REVIEWS
"...very detailed... you can almost feel your feet getting cold and you want to turn up the oxygen....a really great historical read." IPMS, 07/2009
"...an excellent story concerning this forgotten and misunderstood area of WWII"Aeroscale, 07/2009

About this title

From the Author

I'm one of the lucky few; my occupation is my passion.  A few years ago I was flying a training mission at twilight off the coast of Southern California. The Hale-Bopp comet was blazing overhead.  I decided to get a better look; dumping the nose of my F-4N Phantom II, I held it at zero g as I shoved the throttles to full afterburner.  With no induced drag on the aircraft, the J79-GE-8 engines very quickly pushed the jet supersonic.  Leveling at 35,000, its best energy addition altitude, I let the Phantom run up to 1.5 Mach and then began a climb.

Burying the needle of the VSI above it's 6,000 feet per minute climb limit, the Phantom ascended toward the peeking stars.  I should have leveled at 50,000 feet, the limit without a pressure suit, but I didn't.
Above me the stars were coming alive for the night, below me was the ocean, glistening in the pastel color of a sun just set.  Glancing to the east, the coast and San Diego; the city's lights brighter than the emerging stars.  To the west the curvature of the earth was accentuated by the dark ocean against back lit sky.

Finally I looked up to the moon and watched as the Hale-Bopp Comet streaked the sky, just below it.  I wondered how I could share this; and some of the other amazing and horrific things I've seen in a life of aviation. I have since tried through: film, video, and mostly the written word.

From the Inside Flap

In late 1941, President Roosevelt agonized
over the rapid advances of the Japanese
forces in Asia, they seemed unstoppable.
He foresaw their intentions of taking India
and linking up with the two other Axis
Powers, Germany and Italy, in an attempt
to conquer the Eastern Hemisphere. US
naval forces had been severely surprised
and diminished in Pearl Harbor and the
army was outnumbered and ill-prepared to
take on the invading hoards. One of his
few options was to form a defensive line
on the eastern side of the Patkai and
Himalayan Ranges, there he could look for
support from the Chinese and Burmese. It
was to be the only defence to a Japanese
invasion of India.
To support and supply these troops,
fighting in hostile jungle terrain where
overland routes had been cut off, he
desperately needed to set up an air supply
from Eastern India. His problem was lack
of aircraft and experienced pilots to fly the
dangerous 'Hump, over the world's highest
mountains. Hence came Operation Seven
Alpha, a plan to enlist DC-3 aircraft and
veteran pilots of World War One of
American Airlines. This newly formed
Squadron would fly these medium-range
aircraft in a series of long-distance hops
across the Pacific and Southern Asia to the
Assam Valley in India. They would then
create and operate the vital supply route
carrying arms, ammunition and food
eastward to the Allied bases and return
with wounded personnel. This is the story
of this little-known operation in the early
days of the Burma Campaign.
This historical novel is based on the true
experiences of those who were involved
and is a fitting tribute to the bravery and
inventiveness of a band of men who
answered their country's desperate call at
the outset of the war against Japan in Asia.

Edition details

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Aviation
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 1844158268
• ISBN 13: 9781844158263
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256