Naval Battle of Guadalcanal:
Night Action, 13 November 1942
By James Grace
Author
James Grace does a very good on describing the actions of the
U.S. and Japanese forces during the naval battle of Guadalcanal,
especially given that the action was a night-time slugging
match. His coverage of the Japanese combatants is appreciated.
He also covers the immediate aftermath of the battle, detailing
some of the stories of damaged ships and overboard sailors. The
author generally eschews dramatic writing, and doesn't spend a
lot of ink second-guessing the commanders. He lets the story,
especially the limited success of radar and the tragic episodes
of "friendly fire," speak for themselves. A major weakness of
the book is the overly-short discussion of the near-term effects
of the battle on the Guadalcanal campaign. The author also
assumes that the reader is familiar with the layout and design
of surface warships. Nonetheless, highly recommended for those
interested in the Solomons Campaign, naval operations in the
Pacific during World War Two, or in naval surface warfare.
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors:
The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour
By James D. Hornfischer
One
of the finest WWII naval action narratives in recent years, this
book follows in the footsteps of Flags of Our Fathers, creating
a microcosm of the war's American Navy destroyers. Hornfischer,
a writer and literary agent in Austin, Tex., covers the battle
off Samar, the Philippines, in October 1944, in which a force of
American escort carriers and destroyers fought off a Japanese
force many times its strength, and the larger battle of Leyte
Gulf, the opening of the American liberation of the Philippines,
which might have suffered a major setback if the Japanese had
attacked the transports. He presents the men who crewed the
destroyer Taffy 3, most of whom had never seen salt water before
the war but who fought, flew, kept the crippled ship afloat, and
doomed ships fighting almost literally to the last shell.
Finally, Hornfischer provides a perspective on the Japanese
approach to the battle, somewhat (and justifiably) modifying the
traditional view of the Japanese Admiral Kurita as a fumbler or
even a coward-while exalting American sailors and pilots as they
richly deserve. (American admirals don't get off so easily.) Not
entirely free of glitches in research, the book still reads like
a very good action novel, indicated by its selection as a dual
split main selection of the BOMC and History Book Club
alternate.
Amazon.com review
Hunters in the Shallows:
A History of the PT Boat
By Curtis L. Nelson
Hunters
in the Shallows examines the development of the small torpedo
boat in U.S. naval history from Lt. William Cushing's heroic
Civil War attack on the Confederate ram Albemarle in 1864 in a
forerunner of the PT to the type's zenith in World War II.
Curtis L. Nelson takes readers inside the scandalous 1939 Elco
deal to manufacture PTs, describes Gen. Douglas MacArthur's
dramatic escape from Corregidor via PT in 1942, and assesses the
sinking of John F. Kennedy's PT-109 off the Solomon Islands in
1943.
PT Boats at War:
World War II to Vietnam
By Norman Palomar, S.L.
Morison
Conceived prior to World War I to accommodate the invention of
the torpedo, PT, or patrol, boats came into their own during
World War II. There, they were not only used to great effect by
the U.S. Navy as torpedo launchers and attack vessels in all
theaters of operation, but PT109 gained fame as the vessel
skippered by a young John F. Kennedy.
At Close Quarters:
PT Boats in the United States Navy
By Robert J. Bulkley
This
book is a thorough history of American PT boat operations in
World War Two. It covers all battle actions of the boats and
what they accomplished in all theaters that the boats operated
in -- the South Pacific, the Aleutians, and in Europe and the
Mediterranean, an area of the PT boat war that, for some reason,
has had much less coverage than what these boats did in the
Pacific. It also details the origins and developments of the
boats, and the vastly complicated logistical problems covering
huge distances that often bedeviled the boats and their crews.
The book features many photographs of the boats and their crews
and how they lived, as well as a complete list of every man
killed or wounded on a PT boat during the war, as well as the
numerous medals awarded to pt boat crews. It is a great record
of these versatile boats and their courageous sailors.
Yet, it is a dry history. There is little or nothing about the
men that sailed these boats into harm's way. Where did they come
from? Why did they choose the dangers of a PT boat? What led
them to go up against destroyers in plywood-mahogany boats? A
little bit of that and it would have been a fantastic account of
the pt boats. Still, for anyone that loves naval history this is
an incredible book.
Amazon.com review
MacArthur's Escape:
John "Wild Man" Bulkeley and the Rescue of an American Hero
By George W. Smith
I
am pleased to say that I have now just finished the Book. I
thought it was very good with wonderful sources of information.
In reading the Book, I too went back to the Philippines at a
time of desperation and the feeling of being deserted by my
Country. The feeling of hunger, the thirst for Torpedoes,
Engines, Spare Parts, and Ammo stayed with me thru-out the Book.
I tried to close my eyes and feel the horror of knowing that I
was fighting a no win Battle. I came away feeling that MacArthur
was a true Toot your own Horn type Commander, whose Ego was
larger then the Japanese Troops surrounding the Island.
Some Higher Brass in the States were really angry that MacArthur
was rescued and had hoped he might perish on the Rock. I felt a
true sense of anger that MacArthur did not visit his troops more
and that his every move was a type of Chess Move to Crown
Himself King when all was said and done. The heroics of the PT
Boat Boys should never be underestimated. They took the fight to
the enemy with odds that no Bookmaker would dare take. Fighting
with Tired Engines, Bad Gas, and Horrible World War One Vintage
Torpedoes, they did our Navy Proud.
The book shows that PT not only stood for Patrol Torpedo Boat,
but PLENTY TOUGH. It is true that Bulkeley loved to toot his own
horn and was a master Talker and promoter of himself. But one
thing is for sure, Bulkeley believed in the PT Boat as a
fighting weapon, and believed in the men who stood on her decks.
No one can ever take that away from the man. I would have to
rate the Book on a scale of ten as an 11. It was informative and
kept me wanting to go back and read more. Nice Job...........
Amazon.com review
American Pt Boats in World War II:
A Pictorial History
By Victor Chun
This
pictorial history book consists mostly of large, clear pictures
of PT boats and the people who served on them. I enjoyed reading
about the PT boat tactics, formations and seamanship. Actual
diagrams from declassified "PT Boat Tactical Orders and
Doctrine" provided an easy understanding of squadron operations.
There aren't a whole lot of PT boat books out there - but I
consider this book one of the best! It really is worth the price
if you're a PT boat enthusiast as I am.
Amazon.com review
Devil Boats:
The PT War Against Japan
By William Breuer
Historian
William Breuer has produced a popular, anecdotal history of the
PT Boat in WWII. It's a good, enjoyable read that gives the
reader a broad overview of what the boats did and what kind of
people manned them. If you are interested in PT Boats, this is
an excellent place to start, but keep in mind you are skimming
the surface. Highly recommended as a companion book is Victor
Chun's pictorial history of American PT Boats in WWII. For more
detailed PT stories, try Dick Kersey's "PT-105" or track down a
copy of "At Close Quarters."
Amazon.com review
PT 105
By Dick Kersey
The
only bad thing I can say about Dick Keresey's memoir "PT-105" is
that it is too brief. In addition to educating the reader of his
experiences as a PT Boat skipper during the Pacific War, he also
shares with us what it was like to be a young American caught up
in great events of his time. He is quite candid about the rather
bassackwards way he joined the Navy and eventually ended up at
Melville for Motor Torpedo Boat training. Once he becomes a PT
man, though, he becomes fiercely loyal to the boats and the men
on them. Great stuff here, not only on how the PTs were fought,
but what the day to day routine was and how decisions were made.
Mr. Keresey is also about mistakes and problems, not only among
his superiors but about his own as well.
This is
probably the most fun I've had reading a book on the Mosquito
Fleet (I have lots of them). Highly Recommended.
Amazon.com review
They Were Expendable
By William L. White
Not
everyone understands the fact that, if you are in military
service, you are expendable. Your commander can order you to
sacrifice your life to achieve an objective. You may be ordered
to hold off the enemy so your fellow soldiers can escape, or you
may be ordered to dive your bomber into an impossible hail of
gunfire, but you are expendable. Such was the case for the six
70-foot speedboats of the US Navy's Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron
Three. They were part of the Navy's tiny Far Eastern Fleet in
the Philippines when the Japanese attacked with overwhelming
force in 1941. It was soon clear that the Philippines would be
lost, and the remains of the fleet went to Australia, leaving
MTB Squadron Three to help the doomed soldiers on Bataan hold
off the Japanese Army for as long as possible. After losing boat
after boat in suicidal attacks on Japanese cruisers and
destroyers, the remaining boats carried General MacArthur, his
wife, his son, and assorted generals and admirals on a perilous
trip to the southern Philippines for escape by air to Australia.
MTB Squadron Three lost its remaining boats in further attacks
on the Japanese and prepared to fight as infantry against the
oncoming juggernaut. But four of the officers were ordered to
get out on the last planes to leave the Philippines. William L.
White, in a magnificent piece of writing, lets the survivors
tell their story. It is certainly one of the best stories ever
written of World War Two.
Amazon.com review
PT 109:
John F. Kennedy in WWII
By Robert Donovan
As
Daniel Schorr in the new forward to this book suggests, World
War 2 brought out the best in many men, and the ones who manned
the motor torpedo boats were among the bravest, setting out in
small plywood boats to fight an enemy in often large ships. The
ordeal that Kennedy and his crew went through after PT-109 was
destroyed is a story of courage that will last the ages. It is
obvious that Robert Donovan was very careful to get the facts
straight as he wrote this book, it is a great war story. For me
it was a page turner, written in an easy to read, flowing style.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this, a gem of a book about a small
piece of American history, a fascinating account indeed. Kennedy
is portrayed, and rightly so, as a compassionate and intelligent
young man.
In a very fine
after word to this 40th anniversary edition, Duane Hove give us
additional details of Kennedy's military service, and also
interesting text on the history of the PT boats before, during,
and after the war, and also where you can see PT boats on
display today, only a few of these magnificent boats remain with
us.
Amazon.com review
Collision With History:
The Search for John F. Kennedy's PT 109
By Robert D. Ballard
It’s
about 2 a.m., August 2, 1943. Lt. John F. Kennedy squints into
the fog and black while at the wheel of PT 109, idling in the
Blackett Strait off Gizo in the Solomon Islands. His orders are
to attack the “Tokyo Express” resupplying Japanese
installations.... He and his young crew are ready, but
handicapped by darkness and fog.... Suddenly, only 300 yards
away, a black shape looms...traveling without lights and at high
speed. Only seconds before impact...the ship is identified as a
Japanese destroyer, the Amagiri. The much larger craft slices
through the hull of PT 109, cutting the 80-foot wooden-hulled
boat in two. Several of the crew are injured, one critically.
The crew takes refuge on the larger section that remains afloat
until dawn. Then all are into the water, and Lt. Kennedy begins
the series of epic swims that will save his crew and earn him a
place in history.
Forty years
after his death and 60 years after his first collision with
history in the South Pacific, John F. Kennedy and his story
still inspire readers. In Collision with History, JFK’s
heroic efforts to save the 11-man crew of PT 109 are brought to
vivid life, interwoven with a comprehensive history of PT boats
and the World War II campaign in the Solomon Islands. Combining
renowned explorer Robert Ballard’s account of his search for the
wreckage of PT 109 with survivor accounts and Kennedy family
members’ personal recollections, this companion volume to the
major National Geographic television event is a moving
introduction to the young war hero who would later become
president.
Amazon.com review
Clash of the Carriers:
The True Story of the Marianas Turkey Shoot of World War II
By Barrett Tillman
Author
of specialty histories about U.S. Navy planes of the Pacific
War, Tillman here writes up the war's largest
carrier--versus--carrier battle. Exacting in his attention to
data about planes and weapons, Tillman's narrative of the Battle
of the Philippine Sea in June 1944 remains sufficiently
straightforward to follow through the fury of dogfights and
bombing attacks. Briefing readers about the strategic
precipitator for the battle, the American capture of the Mariana
Islands, Tillman explains what the Japanese navy proposed to do
about it. Having rebuilt its naval air force after the Midway
disaster, the Japanese retained one technical advantage:
superior aircraft range. Unfortunately for them, the arsenal of
democracy had built a superior fighter plane since Midway: the
Hellcat, which in this battle destroyed every Japanese carrier
strike. In his metier describing these melees of aerial combat,
Tillman zooms in on the few Japanese pilots who survived the
Hellcats to press home their attacks, and then turns to the
American counterattack that sealed the victory. An active
account that will entice the tailhook audience.
Amazon.com review
The Battle Of Leyte Gulf: The Last Fleet Action
By H.P. Willmott
"The Battle of
Leyte Gulf was an extremely unusual battle. It was unusual on
five separate counts that are so obvious that they are usually
missed. It was unusual in that it was a series of actions, not a
single battle. It was unusual as a naval battle in that it was
fought over five days; historically, naval battles have seldom
spread themselves over more than one or two days. It was unusual
in terms of its name. This battle involved a series of related
actions subsequently grouped together under the name of just one
of these engagements, but in fact none of the actions were
fought inside Leyte Gulf. . . . More importantly, it was unusual
in that it was a full-scale fleet action fought after the issue
of victory and defeat at sea had been decided, and it was
unusual in that it resulted in clear, overwhelming victory and
defeat." —from Chapter One
The Battle of
Leyte Gulf—October 22-28, 1944—was the greatest naval engagement
in history. In fact the battle was four separate actions, none
of which were fought in the Gulf itself, and the result was the
destruction of Japanese naval power in the Pacific. This book is
a detailed and comprehensive account of the fighting from both
sides. It provides the context of the battle, most obviously in
terms of Japanese calculations and the search for "a fitting
place to die" and "the chance to bloom as flowers of death."
Using Japanese material never previously noted in western
accounts, H.P. Willmott provides new perspectives on the
unfolding of the battle and very deliberately seeks to give
readers a proper understanding of the importance of this battle
for American naval operations in the following month. This
careful interrogation of the accounts of "the last fleet action"
is a significant contribution to military history.
Amazon.com review
First Shot
By John Craddock
America’s first
shot of World War II was fired by a worn-out World War I
destroyer with a brand-new captain and a teenage crew. An hour
before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the U.S.S. Ward hit
its mark—a tiny but lethal Japanese submarine--but no one heeded
the captain’s report. Before the morning was out, more than
2,400 people were dead, thousands more were wounded, and more
than 100 American warships were destroyed or crippled.
What became of
the Ward’s message? Why didn’t Pearl Harbor command sound a
general alarm, put planes in the air, and rush its “indomitable”
fleet out to sea? And what was the mission of the midget
submarine and four others like it—a mission deemed critical
enough by the enigmatic Admiral Yamamoto, mastermind of Japan’s
Pacific naval war, that he was willing to risk the element of
surprise on which his entire plan depended? With the discovery
in 2002 of the midget submarine sunk by the Ward, these
questions have come flooding back. First Shot turns a
forgotten footnote of history into a compelling and exciting
examination of a missed opportunity and the quixotic role of
midget submarines in Japan’s Pacific war strategy.
Amazon.com review
Due to Enemy Action:
The True World War II Story of the USS Eagle 56
By Stephen Puleo
The
USS "Eagle" - PE-56 (Patrol Escourt) was as ugly a ship as our
navy could put to sea. 200 feet long with a crew of 62, the
"Eagle" was one of sixty ships of her class, a subchaser. She
had spent the war on the East Coast of the United States doing
rescue work, patrolling, and other tasks. Her last job was
towing a target for dive bombers out to sea. Sitting dead still
in the water a massive explosion occurred mid-ship and blew the
"Eagle" into two parts. Forty nine of her crew were killed,
either immediately or from emersion in the frigid spring waters
off Maine.
The Navy ruled that the explosion was an accidental boiler
explosion. This was in spite of some of the crew reporting that
they had seen a submarine surface just after the attack. The
"Eagle" was the last American warship sunk by a German U-boat. A
few days later the Navy changed their ruling to "undetermined
causes." And there the matter remained for forty seven years.
Paul M. Lawton was convinced that the Navy was wrong and
patiently worked (a little at a time) for forty seven years to
collect evidence that the Navy ruling was wrong. He was finally
vindicated when various previously classified documents were
released, and the knowledge of the U-853 came out. Finally the
Navy changed its finding that the "Eagle" was lost "due to enemy
action."
This is the story of Paul Lawton's quest. It's a story of one
man's triumph over bureaucracy. It's quite a story.
Amazon.com review
The Last Big-Gun Naval Battle:
The Battle of Surigao Strait
By Howard Sauer
This
is a great look inside the workings of a "big gun" battleship
during World War II. While only one chapter is dedicated to the
Battle of Surigao Strait, Howard Sauer speaks from his
experience as an officer in the gunnery department. He includes
a map of the action, with postitions of combatants noted, in
addition to firing tracks. His detailed look at life aboard the
USS Maryland is helped with pictures, diagrams, and maps. The
book is a valuable resource for anyone wanting to know about
life aboard a battleship during war. Another feature of this
book is the directory of all United States battleships.
Amazon.com review
United States Destroyer Operations in WW II
by Theodore Roscoe
The destroyer's best years were
WWII. She could sink a BB or Cruiser with five steam torpedoes,
chase down and blast submarines into an icy grave, give fire
support to troops ashore and those landing; or they could
shuttle admirals and generals & pick up downed pilots. There was
no ship like the destroyer. They laid one keel a week and they
ruled the seas from Midway to Anzio and Omaha. This book tells
it all in fast moving, battle experienced detail; the exact
details of the battles, the line of march, the mistakes, the dud
torpedoes, the intrepid captains, the iron discipline, and a
sense of humor.
Amazon.com review
Destroyers of World War Two:
An International
Encyclopedia
by M.J. Whitley
Fast,
compact and formidable, destroyers were in the thick of the
action in every theater of operations during the Second
World
War. They performed a wide range of duties, often of the most
hazardous nature. Not only were they assigned to escort the main
battle fleets into action, but they were called upon to escort
convoys and protect them from attacks by aircraft and
submarines.
Illustrated
with hundreds of photographs and line drawings, this reprint of
the popular 1988 book comprehensively details in one volume all
the destroyers built between 1939 and 1945 by the navies of the
world. Each class is described under three headings: design,
modification, and service. The author, a leading World War II
historian, provides a wealth of data on each ship's builder,
dimensions, armament, performance, and fate as well as
keel-laying, launch, and commissioning dates. Such a detailed
record of these highly effective, versatile ships will prove
invaluable to warship enthusiasts everywhere.
Amazon.com review
Blood on the Sea:
American Destroyers Lost in WW
II
by Robert Sinclair Parkin
Seventy-one
American destroyers went down during World War II, and this
meticulously researched book describes the history of each-from
launch to the ship's final hours. Through these stories we
travel from the stormy North Atlantic to the calm Mediterranean,
from the East Coast of the United States to the vast reaches of
the Pacific, on destroyers from the USS Reuben James to the USS
Callaghan. We join them-and their crews of young soldiers-as
they engage the enemy and do pitched battle with German
submarines, Japanese kamikaze pilots, or long-range cruisers.
Filled with eyewitness accounts, precise statistics, and
historical contexts for each battle and each ship sunk, Blood on
the Sea serves as both a tribute to these lost ships and a
critical reference guide for historians and veterans alike.
Amazon.com review
Also available
in
paperback
South Pacific Destroyer:
The Battle for the
Solomons
by Russell Sydnor Crenshaw
The
naval actions around the Solomon Islands were a series of
hard-fought actions between two well-matched opponents. The
Japanese ability to fight aggressively at night challenged the
U.S. Navy. Eventually, increased tactical ability joined with an
advantage in radar allowed the Americans to defeat the Japanese,
but as Crenshaw shows, it was not easy. The pleasant surprise in
this book is the emphasis the author (a former gunnery officer
on the USS MAURY) puts on the effectiveness and use of weapons
and fire control systems. His narrative flows, and shows the
reader the many tasks destroyers were
called upon to do.
Amazon.com review
Brave Ship Brave Men
By Arnold S. Lott
a
tribute to all who have sailed into harm's way. a description
of real heroism that was not limited to the USS Aaron Ward or
the US Navy. the terror of an engagement at sea for any
sailor, officer or enlisted, regardless of the uniform worn is
the same. no matter how often I re-read the book Ii cannot
hold back the tears as the quartermaster calls the list of
names of those missing. The book honors all sailors who
unknowingly stood their last watch. It is a fine way to
remember all marine casualties, naval and merchant, who have
no monument or national park constructed on the site to honor
their death. As Lott explains the sea simply closes over the
scene as if nothing ever happened. A literal day-to-day
example of not only what the slow times were like aboard a
naval vessel in the Pacific theater, but how quickly it can
turn deadly and the bravery that ordinary men can exhibit.
Against
overwhelming odds, the USS Aaron Ward fought and struggled...and
the best of the men came forward to prevail. It's a heroic tale
and, the entire time you read it, you'll have to remind yourself
it's not fiction. It happened, they did what they did, and this
book will serve to make sure it's never forgotten. It never
should be.
Amazon.com review
The Battle of Cape Esperance:
Encounter at Guadalcanal
By Charles Cook
Popular
mythology of the Solomons Campaign holds that the Japanese
Navy was invincible at night and hopelessly outclassed the
United States Navy. Read the average account of the battles in
the Slot and you come away with the impression that the
Japanese won them all, or at least all up until Second
Guadalcanal.
Cook's book
provides a fine, straightforward narrative of one of the early
engagements which the US Navy, in fact, won. It's a readable,
exciting book which also contains information useful to serious
students of the war and campaign.
Amazon.com review
Ship Strike Pacific
By John Bruning Jr.
This
is a wonderfully illustrated summary of the major sea actions of
the Pacific War....but with major differences from previous
works on the subject. Many of the photos are previously
unpublished and the authors' description and vantage point is
unique. The treatment of the Bismark Sea battle and the battles
around Leyte Gulf are particularly exciting with their fresh
perspectives. If you have an interest in the Pacific War, you
will want this reasonably priced work.
Amazon.com review
Antisubmarine Warrior in the Pacific:
Six Subs Sunk in Twelve Days
By John A. Williamson
The
USS England (named after a sailor killed at Pearl Harbor, not
after the country) was a small destroyer escort ship (DE 635 306
feet long, 1200 tons). This book is the story of her wartime
career from launching in San Francisco through her nine month
career. Yes, nine months, launched December 10, 1944, she fought
in the South Pacific until hit by a kamikaze at Okinawa. She
struggled back to the Philadelphia Navy yard and was in the
process of extensive rebuilding when the war ended and such a
damaged ship was no longer needed by the Navy.
The crowning point of the England's career was the record it set
for killing six enemy submarines in twelve days. This was enough
to make the Navy use her name on a guided-missile cruiser
(CG-22) to keep the history alive.
The author was exec and then commander of the England during her
short life. He writes a tale of navy life during the war that is
fascinating and interesting. Amazon.com review
Good Night Officially:
The Pacific War Letters of a Destroyer Sailor
By James Orvill Raines
The
destroyer USS Howorth , commissioned in 1944, took part in 11
shore bombardments, destroyed 12 Japanese warplanes, and won
battle stars in the Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa campaigns.
Yeoman Second Class Orvill Raines's remarkably expressive
letters to his wife convey in vivid detail what it was like to
serve aboard a "tin can" in an increasingly dangerous war zone.
He writes of the daily
routine of ship and crew, his struggle against boredom and
homesickness, his dreams of the postwar future, and periods of
stark terror as Japanese kamikazes began to stalk the fleet.
Raines, a former Dallas Morning News reporter, was 26 years old
and passionately in love with his wife of four years, Ray Ellen.
His expressions of devotion ("I kiss the lipstick you put on
your letters . . . and feel your heavenly body next to mine")
are universal and poignant in the context of a war he would not
survive. McBride, professor of history at James Madison
University in Virginia, has done an excellent job of editing,
footnoting and putting the letters in historical context.
Photos.
Amazon.com review
To War in a Tin Can:
A Memoir of World War II Aboard a Destroyer
By James H. Patric
During
World War II, James Patric served for two years aboard the
destroyer USS George E. Badger. The ship, launched in 1918, was
one of several hundred "mothballed" World War I four-pipers. As
American involvement in World War II drew closer, most of them
were re-activated for service in the US Navy; four-pipers such
as the Badger were involved in reporting and tracking ships and
aircraft approaching American shores, seizing Axis ships in
American ports, occupying Greenland, and relieving the British
from the defense of Iceland. The Badger was involved in every
stage of the conflict, from pre-war Neutrality Patrol, escorting
convoys, anti-submarine warfare (a pioneer hunter/killer),
carrying Underwater Demolition Team 8, and pre-invasion
(Frogmen) reconnaissance of South Pacific invasion beaches.
This memoir
weaves together the oral and written memories of James Patric, a
Connecticut farm boy who was drafted in early 1943, with those
of his shipmates on the Badger, supporting them with documents
and historical records. The book records the ship’s role in
worldwide conflict and traces the author’s evolution from raw
peacetime civilian to veteran wartime sailor. Appendices list
the muster rolls of the crew and commissioned officers.
Amazon.com review
Shattered Sword:
The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway
By Jonathan Parshall
Very few
histories can be considered groundbreaking treatments of an
event more than 60 years afterward, but "Shattered Sword" meets
that exceptional standard. As the authors conclusively prove,
much of what has been written about the most important naval
battle of the 20th century was incomplete, inaccurate, or simply
fabricated. No future account of Midway will be worthwhile
without reference to "Shattered Sword".
Parshall and Tully delve far beyond their unmatched mastery of
the technical aspects (some more detailed than accounts of US
Navy operations!) to explain why Japan lost the battle. The
reasons are many and varied, extending from procedural,
operational, and strategic concerns to the very culture that
produced the Imperial Navy. In the process, the authors not only
provide rare clarity to their analysis, but they raise the bar
for naval histories of the Second World War. Readers yet unborn
will be grateful to them. I know that I am.
Amazon.com review
Midway: The Battle that Doomed Japan
The Japanese Navy's Story
By Mitsuo Fuchida
Many
accounts of the battle of Midway have been written from the
American point of view and of the reasons for our success--code
breaking and trickery to reveal the target, the amazing repair
job done on the Yorktown, and American adaptation to battle
conditions plus a little bit of luck. Little is known, however,
of the Japanese view of the battle.
A few years
after Midway two Japanese Naval aviators, Mitsuo Fuchida and
Masatake Okumiya, wrote a scathing critique of the battle,
exposing Japanese overconfidence, the rigidity of Japanese
decision-making, and tarnishing in so doing the reputations of
Admiral Yamamoto and others. Fushica's views are particularly
valuable in that he was aboard the Japanese carrier Akagi during
the battle, though grounded because of a recent operation. His
record of the terrifying few minutes when the Dauntless dive
bombers came out of the clouds to destroy the heart of the
Japanese carrier fleet are invaluable, including his rescue and
eventual return to Japan. Okumiya was attached to the northern
force, part of the Midway operation, that attacked the fog-bound
Aleutians, but who gathered much information about the battle
afterwards from survivors.
The authors are
harsh on the fecklessness of the Japanese naval forays into the
Indian ocean which accomplished little of strategic value, the
high-level conflicts in the Japanese decision-making process,
and the over-confidence generated by their success at Pearl
Harbor and elsewhere. Tactics are also criticized, such as the
perfunctory search plane missions to detect and locate enemy
forces because the Japanese high command could not imagine that
US forces might be within striking distance.
Amazon.com review
Miracle at Midway
By Gordon Prange, et al
Gordon
Prange, author of the acclaimed "At Dawn We Slept", has written
a masterful book about how America struck back against the
Japanese at a tiny island 1000 miles west of Pearl Harbor:
Midway.
On one fateful day in June, 1942, the tide of the war in the
Pacific turned against the Japanese. In the span of only a few
minutes, three Japanese aircraft carriers, all veterans of the
Pearl Harbor attack, were sunk by American dive bombers. The
fourth Japanese carrier was sunk later in the day. The Americans
lost the carrier USS Yorktown, but it was a relatively small
price to pay for such a smashing victory. American industrial
capacity had increased by this time, and new carriers would soon
be coming into service, so the loss of the Yorktown was
diminished. The Japanese, however, had nowhere near the capacity
of the United States. The Japanese never recovered from this
terrible blow.
I've read Prange's excellent analysis of Pearl Harbor, and this
book does just as good of a job describing the battle of Midway.
From the initial sighting of the Japanese fleet to the final
withdrawal, Prange describes the battle in a manner that will
keep the reader enthralled throughout. Prange earned the title
of "The Dean of Pearl Harbor" with his masterful trilogy, now he
has added the battle of Midway to that impressive list. I highly
recommend this great book. Read it and discover how a small
American fleet destroyed a vastly superior enemy force and
turned the tide forever against the Japanese.
Amazon.com review
How They Won the War in the Pacific:
Nimitz and His Admirals
By Edwin P. Hoyt
After
the Pearl Harbor disaster, President Roosevelt decided to
relieve Admiral Husband Kimmel of his Pacific Fleet command.
Many thought that Kimmel was made out to be a scapegoat and did
not deserve to be relieved, but Roosevelt felt that a new
commander was needed to lift America out of the ashes of Pearl
harbor and begin the road to ultimate victory. The man chosen
for the task was Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. Nimitz was chosen
over many higher-ranking officers, but in the end, Nimitz proved
to be the perfect choice to lead the American Navy. Blessed with
a keen sense of fairness to his fellow man, this fine book
examines Nimitz and his admirals and how they ultimately won the
war in the Pacific.
Although Nimitz was considered a "calm tower of strength" and
the principal architect of victory in the Pacific, he could not
have accomplished this feat alone. His choices of supporting
staff members and Admirals are the ones who, in the end, helped
win the war for the United States.
This book, written by historian Edwin P. Hoyt, does a fine job
of explaining the transition of the U.S. Navy from a weakened
and busted fleet early in the war to the offensive juggernaut
that it became by the time of Japan's surrender. Each important
naval battle is discussed, and the role of Nimitz and his
commanders is explained. Form the dark days of January 1942 to
the ultimate victory in September 1945, Nimitz' navy fought the
Japanese tooth and nail, and, more often than not, came out on
top. The book also discusses the inter-service rivalries that
existed between the Army and Navy, as well as the rise of the
"young turks", or the Naval Aviator Flag Officers. I recommend
this book very highly. It does a very good job of explaining
Nimitz' role in the Pacific war, as well as that of his
commanders. Read it and learn about one of the greatest
commanders and leaders our country has ever had.
Amazon.com review
