A Blue Sea of Blood: Deciphering the Mysterious Fate of the USS Edsall
Library Journal, February 2009“The World War II disappearance of the U.S. Navy destroyerEdsallunder, until now, mysterious circumstances would make a good read in and of itself; but in recounting the vessel’s far-ranging, prewar career, military historian Kehn creates a fascinating tale of atrocity, murder, unpreparedness, and, ultimately, deliberate cover-up. Launched atPhiladelphiaon July 29, 1920, and commissioned that November, theEdsalltrained in the Pacific Ocean before being ordered to the Mediterranean as part of theU.S.naval detachment in Turkish waters in 1922. There she was a witness to the mass murder of Greeks by the Turks atSmyrna. Subsequent service in the Far East, as a charter member of the U.S. Asiatic fleet, put the ship in harm’s way following the Japanese attack onPearl Harborin December 1941. Lack of Allied preparedness and planning led to needless loss of men and matériel, and such was the case with this destroyer—lost in an uneven battle on March 1, 1942. Kehn’s persistence in uncovering the facts surrounding her disappearance and the murder of her surviving crew makes this a compelling read. Recommended for all public libraries.”