In recent years, I have
been interested in reading World War II history books and wanted to read Stephen
L Moore’s book The Strike of the Sailfish, Two Sister Submarines and the
Sinking of a Japanese Aircraft Carrier.
The sister
submarines, the Squalus and Sculpin, seemed to be ill-fated. In 1939, off the coast of New Hampshire, the
Squalus sunk. Twenty-six of officers and
men drowned, and thirty-two men remained alive.
Thanks to the help from the men on their sistership, the Sculpin and
other ships, the men were rescued. Amazingly,
the Squalus was raised, decommissioned, and overhauled. In 1940, she was recommissioned as the USS
Sailfish. Three of the Squalus survivors
went on to serve on the Sailfish during WWII in the Pacific. Their sistership, the Sculpin was also in the
battle in the Pacific fighting against Japan.
What happened to officers
and men who served on those submarines and what they encountered during WWII is
hard to imagine. This book was well
researched and is filled with a lot of details about the men who served, operation
of the submarines, problems encountered with equipment, weapons, and the
challenges of fighting a war in a submarine.
The difference an
effective leader can make as he leads his men in the battle was amazing to read
about. What these men endured in the
submarines, the battles they fought, facing storms, disasters, being taken rescued,
only to be taken captive as prisoners of war is almost beyond
comprehension. The drive to survive and commitment
to fight and win the battle was awe inspiring.
There were times,
it was hard to read what about what these men experienced. But I am glad I finished it. In many ways, these men were part of the greatest
generation who fought evil and won. So
very grateful for their service and sacrifice.
If you are
interested in World War II history, or appreciate the military, you may wand
read The Strike of the Sailfish by Stephen L Moore. It was challenging, and at times a hard read,
but it was well worth it.
I would like to
thank the Publisher Dutton Caliber and NetGalley for the opportunity to
read a complimentary copy of The Strike of the Sailfish by Stephen
L Moore. I was under no obligation to
give a favorable review.
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