Hellcats: The Epic Story of World War II's Most Daring Submarine Raid
A worthwhile addition to most naval collections, this is the uncensored story of the 1945 penetration of the Sea of Japan by nine U.S. submarines. Penetrating heavy minefields with the aid of a new short-range (and not wholly debugged) sonar, the submarines sank 28 Japanese ships in attacking Japan’s connection to the Asian mainland. Having received extraordinary cooperation from the operation’s survivors and their descendants, Sasgen gives eloquent and accessible accounts for the general reader of the development of the FM sonar, the picking of the submarines, and Operation Barney itself. He also gives a memorable and moving portrait of Laurence Edge, captain of Bonefish, the one submarine lost, and of his family. He suggests that the operation was not really worthwhile, coming as late in the war as June 1945, yet admits that Admiral Lockwood, commanding Pacific Fleet submarines, probably could not have known that. Deserves the commendation well done. --Roland Green--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.