This thorough study of the history, development and service of
floatplanes carried on battleships and cruisers documents a long
neglected subject for the first time in over 400 photographs. From the
1920s through World War II, aircraft operating from catapults were
used for spotting gunfire and scouting ahead of the fleet. Flying
these planes was unique and the dramatic launching and recovery
operations are covered by both photographs and text. Colors and
markings are detailed and special attention has been paid to images
showing catapult and ship details for both the ship and aircraft
modeler. The assignment of all aircraft by type, totals, squadrons and
ship is given annually from 1942 to 1949. In addition to rare photos
of all of the experimental aircraft that were tested for this purpose,
an addition chapter covers floatplanes used on small ships and
submarine.
