One of the few submarine war stories with a happy ending.After the
USS Flier was sunk off the Philippines in 1944, survivors faced
harrowing conditions behind Japanese lines, but they were
eventually rescued. Submarines, not the infantry, were the most
dangerous service of World War II, writes Sturma (History/Murdoch
Univ., Australia; Death at a Distance: The Loss of the Legendary
USS Harder, 2006, etc.). American subs wreaked more havoc on the
Japanese than Nazi U-Boats did on Allied shipping, but the United
States lost 52 craft and more than 3,500 crewmen during the war.
Not a lucky vessel, the Flier ran aground before its first tour of
duty, requiring more than two months of repairs. During its sole
successful patrol, it probably sank one Japanese ship. Barely two
weeks into a second patrol, a sudden, catastrophic explosion (the
ship may have hit a mine) sank it in less than a minute. Of the 82
crewmen, only 14 escaped, none wearing life jackets. After 18 hours
drifting and swimming, eight survivors reached an island 12 miles
away. Finding no fresh water, they built a raft and struggled to
two more islands, also waterless. Finally, after four days of
starvation and thirst, skin blistered by the sun and feet lacerated
from walking on coral reefs, they reached a larger island and found
water. The next day, Filipino guerrillas arrived and led the
Americans to their camp. Ten days later, a submarine evacuated
them. Having immersed himself in World War II submarine lore, the
author fills his entertaining book with diversions into related
areas. Readers will encounter lively essays about undersea tactics,
the claustrophobic world of submariners, the history of mines and
of torpedoes, the American-supported Filipino guerrilla movement
and the nasty politics of the U.S. submarine high command.Making no
attempt to elevate these events beyond their modest significance,
Sturma tells an engrossing story of courage, suffering and
survival. (Kirkus Reviews)
The fate of the USS" Flier" is one of the most astonishing stories
of the Second World War. On August 13, 1944, the submarine struck a
mine and sank to the bottom of the Sulu Sea in less than one
minute, leaving only fourteen of its crew of eighty-six hands
alive. After enduring eighteen hours in the water, eight remaining
survivors swam to a remote island controlled by the Japanese. Deep
behind enemy lines and without food or drinking water, the crewmen
realized that their struggle for survival had just begun. On its
first war patrol, the unlucky "Flier" made it from Pearl Harbor to
Midway where it ran aground on a reef. After extensive repairs and
a formal military inquiry, the "Flier" set out once again, this
time completing a distinguished patrol from Pearl Harbor to
Fremantle, Western Australia. Though the "Flier"'s next mission
would be its final one, that mission is important for several
reasons: the story of the "Flier'"s sinking illuminates the nature
of World War II underwater warfare and naval protocol and
demonstrates the high degree of cooperation that existed among
submariners, coast watchers, and guerrillas in the Philippines. The
eight sailors who survived the disaster became the first Americans
of the Pacific war to escape from a sunken submarine and return
safely to the United States. Their story of persistence and
survival has all the elements of a classic World War II tale:
sudden disaster, physical deprivation, a ruthless enemy, and a
dramatic escape from behind enemy lines. In "The USS" Flier: "
Death and Survival on a World War II Submarine," noted historian
Michael Sturma vividly recounts a harrowing story of brave men who
lived to return to the service of theircountry.
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
