Book Review – Ironclaw

Desert Storm saw the advent of a slew of first person books by various service members.  Ironclaw[1] is one such and is the story of then Lt.(j.g.) Sherman Baldwin who flew an EA-6B Prowler (VAQ-136) off the USS Midway during the conflict, having joined the ship mid-cruise, straight out of training, at the start of the air war.  The book offers a refreshing change from the usual fighter pilot story and gives a different perspective of the Desert Storm air war and carrier flight operations.
 
The book opens with a detailed, first person account of his first night cat, tank, and trap experience after arriving on the Midway.  The descriptions of the terror and techniques are riveting.  You’re in the cockpit with him, helping him balance stick and throttle.
 

Baldwin describes the challenge of attempting to be a Landing Signal Officer (LSO) for the first time and recognizing and grading landing approaches.  He also notes the challenges and, occasionally, the risks in handing out landing grades to pilots who may not appreciate the candor.
 
You get a good feel for the constant awareness of fuel level that hangs over a pilot during a mission.
 
He describes a night rendezvous with an E-2 Hawkeye that suffered a navigation failure in bad weather and was lost.  In the process, his Prowler suffers its own sensor failure (icing) and he has to fight off disorientation and loss of instruments.
 
Other highlights include:
 

• Recovery of a Hornet with a fuel leak that required an emergency deck clear with seconds to spare.
• A night mirror-image practice strike during the days immediately prior to the start of hostilities.
• His first SEAD combat mission of the war and the seeming wall of AAA as well as SAMs.
• Confusing his own chaff and flares with exploding anti-aircraft fire and frantically trying to evade the decoys.
• The tension of a jamming mission with enemy aircraft in the air and fighter cover leaving to engage.
• The constant challenge and difficulty of aerial refueling.
• The unique challenge of landing on Midway which had much more pitch and roll than other carriers.
• The danger of maneuvering an aircraft across a slippery deck whose coating has worn away.

The value of this book is that it presents the Desert Storm air war from a different perspective - that of a Prowler rather than the typical fighter pilot book.  It is written in a very easy to read, informal style that focuses on the feelings, fears, and uncertainties of a new pilot thrown into a war.  The author offers an intimate look at carrier and aircraft operations from a personal perspective.  If you enjoy ‘inside’ looks at military occupations and the ‘what’s it really like’ kind of writing, this is the book for you.

 
Disclaimer:  I have no connection, whatsoever, with the author, the book, or the publisher. 
 
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[1]Baldwin, Sherman, Ironclaw, William Morrow and Co., Inc., 1996, ISBN 0-688-14303-2