A Tale of Two Subs: An Untold Story of World War II, Two Sister Ships, and Extraordinary Heroism...

A Tale of Two Subs: An Untold Story of World War II, Two Sister Ships, and Extraordinary Heroism | Jonathan J. McCullough | A true tale of history and bravery

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A Tale of Two Subs...

	A Tale of Two Subs: An Untold Story of World War II, Two Sister Ships, and Extraordinary Heroism Jonathan J. McCullough Grand Central Publishing, 2008 - 304 pages average customer review:based on 10 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

On November 19, 1943, the submarine USS Sculpin, under attack by the Japanese, slid below the waves for the last time in what would become one of the most remarkable stories in U.S. Naval history. Not only did several crewmembers survive the sinking - an extremely rare event in World War II submarine warfare - but several were aboard a Japanese aircraft carrier enroute to a POW camp when it was in turn torpedoed and sunk by the Sculpin's sister ship, the USS Sailfish.

At the end of World War II, several unlikely survivors would tell a tale of endurance against these amazing reversals of fortune. For one officer in particular, who knew that being captured could have meant losing the war for the allies, his struggle was not in surviving, but in sealing his own fate in a heartbreaking act of heroism which culminated in the nation's highest tribute, the Medal of Honor.

Sculpin Lt. Commander John Phillip Cromwell was one of the few who knew that American Naval Intelligence had succeeded in cracking Japan's top-secret codes. Cromwell also knew that if the Japanese confirmed this by torturing him, it would force Naval Intelligence to change their encryption, which would potentially change the course of the war. This is Cromwell's story as well.

The incredible interconnection of the Sculpin and the Sailfish has been thoroughly researched by Jonathan McCullough. Through access to the few living survivors, scores of oral histories, never-before translated Japanese war documents, and interviews with Navy veterans, McCullough delivers a gripping and, intimate account for the reader.

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World War Two Tale Up From The Deep

Jonathan McCullough has put together a very ambitious, exciting and informative book. He writes with the authority of an old salt--I'm sure due to exhaustive research. How did we win the war with those lousy torpedoes? I felt the claustrophobia of being in a sub under attack. Who knew that it could be so hot in a submarine. One would think that being submerged in water would keep a sub cool. After reading about the Japanese treatment of our sailors I feel a little guilty owning a Nissan. McCullough's info on breaking and then protecting the secret of having broken the Jap code is fascinating. The book holds the ingredients of a great underdog / hero story. What tragedy, the sinking of a vessel carrying your own men. Thank god for men like Captain John Cromwell. A compelling read.

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A true tale of history and bravery

A must read to appreciate what this brave service did to lead the 'win' in the pacific theatre. Without the submarine service, no one could tell you of a happy outcome...

An Exciting Tale of Submarine Warfare

The Sculpin and Sailfish were two of the U.S. Navy's attack submarines. They, along with the other submarines of the U.S. fleet, were charged with "unrestricted" attacks on all types of Japanese shipping. The submariners carried this task out with cold efficiency. However, in the early days of the war, American submarines were plagued by faulty torpedoes which would "porpoise" or fail to explode upon striking an enemy vessel. Many Japanese ships escaped sure destruction as a result of these inferior weapons.

The Sailfish began its life as the USS Squalis. In the spring of 1939, the Squalis sank during a test dive off the Eastern coast of the United States. Over half of the crew was killed, but some managed to survive the sinking by moving toward the front of the boat, which was undamaged. In a remarkable feat of engineering, these surviving men were rescued from the doomed sub with a diving bell which could be attached to the sub's hull. The Squalis itself was raised from the ocean, repaired and refitted, and re-commissioned as the USS Sailfish. However, many considered the boat to be cursed due to its earlier sinking. Still, the Sailfish began its new service to the Navy.

The USS Sculpin, sister to the Squalis, had been insturmental in assisting with the rescue efforts. Now, the two subs were in service against the Japanese. On November 19, 1943, the Sculpin was attacked by a Japanese destroyer. Forced to surface due to the large amount of damage it received, the commander of the Sculpin decided to fight it out on the surface with the Japanese destroyer while making preparations to scuttle the sub. One of the men who perished aboard the Sculpin was Commander John P. Cromwell, who made the ultimate sacrifice rather than risk being captured and forced to reveal his knowledge that the Americans had broken the Japanese war code. The surviving Americans were taken aboard the Japanese destroyer, which headed for its base on Truk island. Upon reaching Truk, the prisoners were divided into two groups; one group was assigned to the Japanese aircraft carrier Unyo, while the other group was assigned to the carrier Chuyo. One group would live; one wouldn't.

Several days later, the USS Sailfish was patrolling in enemy waters. Acting on secret ULTRA information, the skipper knew that a Japanese convoy was due to pass by. Despite battling high seas and winds, the Sailfish managed to shoot its torpedoes at the enemy ships. Unknown to the crew of the Sailfish, the ship it targeted was the Chuyo, which carried survivors from the Sculpin. The group of survivors from the Unyo would ultimately reach Japan and serve out the remainder of the war as prisoners of the Japanese. These men endured barbaric treatment at the hands of their captors.

This is an exciting story. The lives of these two subs were forever intertwined. It was an unfortunate accident that the Sailfish torpedoed the enemy ship that was carrying survivors from the Sculpin.

I recommend this book highly. The author does a good job of describing the background of these two submarines as well as the code breaking efforts of the men at station HYPO. The book is written in a style that places the reader in the heat of battle. The chapters dealing with the Sculpin's battle with the Japanese destroyer are the best of the book.

Fans of submarine warfare will definitely want to read this book.

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World War II submarine heroics

Entrance to the US navy's submarine service is entirely voluntary. Submariners were close, cramped, unhygienic and potential death traps. Those who served on submarines during World War II were at a higher risk than others in the Navy. Some of the crew of the USS Squalus barely escaped death when their sub was rescued from the depths by the USS Fulton after error flooded several compartments. The Japanese fleet was merciless in the Pacific and submarine after submarine fell. The torpedoes touted by the Navy were more often than not duds leaving the subs exposed and subject to retaliation. . Both the Japanese and Germans had spies in Pearl Harbor prior to the December attack. The Japanese consulate, students, and a German family sent to Hawaii by Joseph Gobbles gathered intelligence for the Axis powers. The Japanese also had an encoding system that seemed impenetrable. Added intelligence was gleaned from US newspapers and even a member of US Congress. The US was finally having some success breaking the Japanese's code. One the few who knew the code had been broken were Commander John Cromwell of the USS Sculpin. In November 1943 the Sculpin was attacked by the Japanese destroyer Yamagumo. Despite evasive action, including a dive to depths never attempted by a sub prior to that day, the Sculpin was disabled and survivors took to the open waters. One member of the crew Lt. Commander John Cromwell urged his men to escape but chose to remain with the sinking sub. Fully aware of the possibility of torture at the hands of his captors, Lt. Commander John Cromwell urged his men to escape but chose to remain with the sinking sub, fearing if captured and tortured, he might divulge the information that the US had broken the Japanese code. Those who survived being machine gunned by Japanese sailors were taken aboard and sent to POW camps and to work as slave labor. Much of the Navy's knowledge of the sinking came from intercepted Japanese cables. Weeks later the Sculpin's, sister sub, the USS Sailfish surprised a Japanese aircraft carrier and became the first sub to sink an aircraft carrier. On board the ship were some of the Sculpin survivors on their way to POW camps. All died except one who was rescued by the Americans.

This is a comprehensive account of the USS Sculpin's last patrol and final battle. It also details the intertwined histories of the Sculpin and the Sailfish (formerly the USS Squalus) and their part in the battle for the Pacific. Sadly, the story is a bit disjointed and I kept having to go back and reread to figure where I was.

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