Books

The 118th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron was one of four squadrons that made up the 23rd Fighter Group. These two books have been written about the 23rd FG and include pictures and information about the 118th TRS. Sharks Over China is out of print, but you can easily find a used copy in good shape. The second book came out in 2009. There is some duplicate material in it. Both books were written by Carl Molesworth.


The next book is from Wayne Johnson, a pilot with the 118th. It covers his entire life from childhood in Minnesota, to the war years, and finally his fifty years as an attorney.


Roger Molina, another member of the 118th, also wrote a book about his life. It is available online in PDF format from several website including Amazon and GooglePlay. The following description is from Amazon

"This autobiography is about a young man growing up during the great depression, who fought in WW2, came home and started a family, retired from the military, and pursued a second civilian career. You hear his frustration and joy in his own words as if he was speaking to us."


Bold Venture tells the nearly forgotten story of the American airmen who flew perilous combat missions over Hong Kong during the Second World War. Steven K. Bailey sheds new light on the American military campaign against Japanese forces in occupied China. From the first reconnaissance flights over Hong Kong by lone pilots in 1942 to the massive multi-squadron air strikes of 1945, he describes the complex history of American air operations in the China theater and paints an indelible portrait of the American air raids on Hong Kong and the airmen who were shot down over the city.

Today unexploded aircraft bombs are unearthed with frightening regularity by construction crews in Hong Kong. Residents are eager to know where these bombs originated, who dropped them, when, and what the targets were. Bailey’s account answers some of these questions and provides a unique historical perspective for Americans seeking to understand the complexities of military involvement.