The Sundowners, Pegasus, and Little Butch : Carrier Air Group 11 and the War in the Pacific, 1943-1945

Much like Carol Reardon’s Launch the Intruders: A Naval Attack Squadron in The Vietnam War, 1972, this book will look at the War in the Pacific from August 1942 through January 1945 and demonstrate that one unit’s example was indicative of a wider whole. This book was birthed out of the August 2019 issue of Naval History titled “The Tale of Eleven,” which details the exploits of Carrier Air Group 11 during World War II. CVG-11 was composed of three to four squadrons of aircraft, most memorably fighter squadron VF-11, nicknamed the Sundowners for the dual nature of downing the rising sun of Japan and for the term indicating hard working sailor. CVG-11 saw action early in the war at Guadalcanal during its first tour and was later assigned to the USS Hornet in 1944 and fought at Leyte Gulf, Luzon, Mindoro, French Indochina, and Okinawa. The fighter squadron produced several aces during the war. The book will also demonstrate the exploits of the other two squadrons, illustrious in their own right: VB-11 and VT-11.

The Pacific theater is often discussed in terms of its most famous battles: from Coral Sea and Midway to Guadalcanal and Leyte Gulf. The Sundowners, Pegasus, and Little Butch provides a new perspective on the Pacific War by following the exploits of a single Navy unit, Carrier Air Group 11 (CVG-11), beginning in 1943. Author Brian D. Laslie tells the riveting story of how the unit produced several aces, built a storied combat record, and played an important role in the defeat of Japan. 
  
Like other Carrier Air Groups, CVG-11 comprised three aircraft squadrons: fighter (VF-11), bomber (VB-11), and torpedo (VT-11). The fighter squadron’s “Sundowners” nickname references both the “downing” of Japan’s Rising Sun and a hard-working sailor. The bomber group’s “Pegasus” nickname is believed to be related to Pegasus, the winged horse of the Muses in Greek mythology. The “Little Butch” nickname was bestowed on the torpedo group after the war when Walt Disney designed their insignia, which consisted of a black torpedo with a skull and crossbones on it and a winged cherub wearing a green helmet nicknamed “Little Butch.”  
 
CVG-11 saw its first action on Guadalcanal in 1943. It was then deployed on the aircraft carrier USS Hornet (CV 12) and fought throughout the Central and Southwest Pacific areas, including Luzon, Mindanao, Mindoro, French Indochina, and Okinawa from 1944 to 1945. The air group’s achievements during World War II were laudable, amassing 103 air-to-air victories, destroying 272 grounded planes, and sinking more than 100,000 tons of Japanese shipping. During its time on the Hornet, CVG-11 also produced four aces, with top ace Charlie Stimpson shooting down an impressive sixteen enemy planes. VF-11 took great pride in protecting their shipmates and other squadron members in VB-11 and VT-11 and logged a perfect escort record, losing no bombers or torpedo planes to Japanese aircraft during the entire conflict. 
 
Laslie weaves together diaries, interviews, archival research, and official battle reports to present CVG-11’s compelling story. The book offers fascinating insight on how most units contended with the daily challenges of war in the Pacific—both ordinary and extraordinary, from rough weather to kamikaze attacks. The Sundowners, Pegasus, and Little Butch tells an exhilarating tale of men and machines at war that adds to the collective memory of World War II.