The First Team

Archival Summary & Scope

John B. Lundstrom's acclaimed 1984 study delivers a detailed and accurate operational history of carrier-based air warfare in the Pacific, from early engagements through the decisive Battle of Midway. Drawing on extensive American and Japanese sources, including interviews with over fifty airmen from both sides, Lundstrom reconstructs significant actions from the pilots' perspective.

The book highlights the remarkable combat record of American ace fighter pilots like Jimmy Thach and Butch O'Hare—dubbed the "first team"—and their squadrons. It assesses the crucial role these fighter squadrons played, detailing intimate aerial engagements and demonstrating how innovations in tactics and gunnery were pivotal in reversing American fortunes. This work remains a definitive account of early naval aviation combat.