Richard Sheffield

Subs on the Hunt: the 40 Greatest U.s. Submarine War Patrols of World War Two Richard Sheffield

On December 7, 1941 the order was issued to the U. S. Navy: "EXECUTE UNRESTRICTED AIR AND SUBMARINE WARFARE AGAINST JAPAN" On that order, the subs flooded out of Pearl Harbor and towards the Japanese Empire. Those that returned came back with tales of unbelievable heroism, hard won victory, crushing defeats, faulty equipment, deadly mistakes, unexpected humor, and haunting decisions. Starting with the story of the brave little S-44 - It was very questionable as to whether or not she would even survive the crossing to Japanese waters. Despite the fact that she left a continuous oil slick wherever she went, she carried the fight to the enemy and sunk the 8800 ton Kato, the first Japanese warship to be sunk by a lone submarine. Continuing with stories from the Silversides, Wahoo, Trigger, Harder, Bowfin, and finishing with all five war patrols of the unmatched Tang, here are all the details and insights, straight from the men who fought the battles.