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Blood On The Sea: American Destroyers Lost In World War Ii Hardcover – December 21, 1995
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- Print length360 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherDa Capo Press
- Publication dateDecember 21, 1995
- Dimensions6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches
- ISBN-101885119178
- ISBN-13978-1885119179
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- Publisher : Da Capo Press (December 21, 1995)
- Language : English
- Hardcover : 360 pages
- ISBN-10 : 1885119178
- ISBN-13 : 978-1885119179
- Item Weight : 1.65 pounds
- Dimensions : 6.25 x 1 x 9.5 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #2,109,184 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1,314 in Ship History (Books)
- #4,959 in Naval Military History
- #20,178 in World War II History (Books)
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Sarpedon Publishing, Fifth Avenue, New York, New York. 1995.
The U.S. Navy lost 71 destroyers in World War II; their stories are told in this book. Some of the ships were sunk by enemy gun fire. Some of these "tin cans" were sunk by Kamikaze action. Others were lost to the all powerful sea. Each of the 71 vessels is given a short, (perhaps 3 pages on average) history.
The book's general format begins each of the 71 sections with a few paragraphs on the history of the name of the destroyer. Once, it was Navy policy to name battleships after states, aircraft carriers after battles, cruisers after cities and so on. Destroyers were named after people who were famous in naval history or who had performed some act of gallantry, or good performance in the naval service. For example, the USS Blue (DD-387) was named for Rear Admiral Victor Blue (1865-1928) who had "...excellent intelligence missions in Cuba during the Spanish-American War..." and later commanded the battleship "New York... during her service ... in World War I". (Page 78).
The next part of each section deals with the actions the destroyer was involved in and the cause of the sinking of that ship. In the back of the book, there is an appendix summarizing the various methods used to sink the American destroyers: naval gun fire, Kamikaze attack, explosion, storm and so on. The book lists the sinking of the destroyer in general chronological order. Interestingly, the first destroyer sunk by enemy action in World War II was the USS Reuben James (DD-245), lost on October 31, 1941, some five weeks before the dastardly Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The notes on the torpedoing of the Reuben James show that her captain, Lt. Commander H. L. Edwards, died when the ship was lost.
So, each section gives a history of the ship's name, a brief listing of the actions the destroyer was involved in, how she was sunk and where she was sunk. I was intrigued by the single ship listed as "scuttled". The American naval tradition is never to scuttle a ship. The USS Stewart, (DD-224), was involved in the disastrous retreat of the American, British, Dutch and Australian navies before the onslaught of the Imperial Japanese Navy, early in the war. The USS Stewart was disabled and brought to a floating to dry-dock in Surabaya. The dry-dock collapsed , trapping the damaged vessel, so the Stewart's crew was split up amongst other ships and the trapped vessel blown up with demolition charges. The explosives did not do a complete job, and, as the author, Robert Parkin, recounts, ..."the frugal Japanese had raised the damaged destroyer, effected temporary repairs and ...(incorporated her) ... as Imperial Japanese Navy Shoaki-tei...Patrol Boat 102". Interesting story.
Finally, there were those destroyers sunk by the might of the ocean, off Iceland, or on the rocks near Nova Scotia, or by that famous (infamous) typhoon in the Pacific. Navy Hymn: " Oh hear us when we cry to Thee for those in peril on the sea."
The author, Parkin, has done an excellent job of gathering much information in one place. You can read the book from front to back, in more or less chronological order, or you can skip from ship to ship, depending upon your interests. All in all, this is a fine book.
Every one of the 71 lost destroyers has a story. Most of the stories go beyond their last action and include other actions which are noteworthy.
WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT: 71 CHAPTERS ABOUT 71 LOST SHIPS & THEIR CREWS
Each ship gets a chapter and they all start out with a short biography of the ship's namesake. Then, actions in which the ships received 'Battle Stars' or citations are concisely discussed, always ending with the ships last action, for which the most detail and space is reserved.
Their are several clusters of photos which include some of the destroyers included in this volume. Some show extreme battle damage that is survived until a later action and some show the ships in prime condition cutting through the waves at 30 knots.
BUT THERE IS MORE: APPENDICES HELP TO GRASP THE SUBJECT
APPENDIX A]- AMERICAN DESTROYER CLASSES OF WW2
----- Brief listing of the various destroyers that were used in WW2, could have included more detail.
APPENDIX B]- THE HONOR ROLL
----- List of the U.S. Destroyers that were subsequently named in honor of the officers and men who are listed in this volume.
APPENDIX C]- U.S. DESTROYER LOSSES [ALPHABETICAL ORDER]
APPENDIX D]- THE "DIVINE WIND"
----- A list or about 57 Destroyers that survived 'Kamikaze' attacks [with significant casualties].
APPENDIX E]- DESTROYER ESCORTS
----- A short explaination of the difference between 'Destroyers' and 'Destroyer Escorts' as well as their varying roles.
BOTTOM LINE: FITTING AND HONORABLE REQUIEM FOR MANY LOST SAILORS
Each short chapter that covers the life and death of one ill-fated destroyer reads like a fitting memorial to the families of these young men whose lives were dramatically cut short.
Relates the ships' launchings and naming, their tour of duty, and the causes of their destruction. These include a short overview of the Ship's namesake and a short yet detailed account of what citations the ships received and their final action that resulted in their destruction and inclusion in this book.
The author makes it quite clear that this book is about these seventy-one U.S. destroyers' final days and not a study of the great battles that they were in. If you are seeking out a book that covers the strategy and tactics of these destroyers, this is not the book for you. I find this to be a great reference guide and a good addition to my library of naval history.