The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors
Wed Jul 11, 2007 12:45 pm
......by James D. Hornfischer
Has anyone else read this???? I just finished and for the most part, thought it was excellent.........
Has anyone else read this???? I just finished and for the most part, thought it was excellent.........
Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:38 pm
Is that about those guys in Leyte Gulf with the destroyers screening the jeep carriers? Samuel B Roberts? I haven't read the book, but I think the author of one of those books lives here in San Antonio at one of the retirement centers.
Ryan
Ryan
Wed Jul 11, 2007 1:40 pm
Yes, that's the book, Ryan.........The author's a fairly young guy, though.....did his post-grad work @ UT-Austin.........
If you get the opportunity, it's well worth the read........Hard to put down when you get into it, though, so be warned!!!
If you get the opportunity, it's well worth the read........Hard to put down when you get into it, though, so be warned!!!
Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:09 pm
Great book and great story - the Battle of Samar (a subset to the Battle of Leyte Gulf).
I was really taken by it when I read an account way back in high school. I believe a couple of Medal of Honors came out of it. I had the rare pleasure of working with an old retiree who was on the Kitkun Bay during the battle and used to love his yarns. Also, it was one of the sea battles profiled by History Channel's "Dogfights".
Those guys had some serious stones - taking on the giant Yamato in a tin can; even after they expended their torpedoes.
Wow.
A good website for those interested:
http://www.bosamar.com/
I was really taken by it when I read an account way back in high school. I believe a couple of Medal of Honors came out of it. I had the rare pleasure of working with an old retiree who was on the Kitkun Bay during the battle and used to love his yarns. Also, it was one of the sea battles profiled by History Channel's "Dogfights".
Those guys had some serious stones - taking on the giant Yamato in a tin can; even after they expended their torpedoes.
Wow.
A good website for those interested:
http://www.bosamar.com/
Wed Jul 11, 2007 2:33 pm
I know a couple of veterans or their widows at the Towers here in town, and they pointed out a fellow to me one day who was one of the surviving officers on one of those destroyers. Said I should talk to him. My problem is that it's really hard to get into those places to do interviews, and if you can get in, they like to restrict you to not doing anything with the material. There's a lot of good stories basically locked up in those places - and the guys are dying off rapidly.
Ryan
Ryan
Wed Jul 11, 2007 8:37 pm
I enjoyed "Last Stand..", but if you're interested in WWII naval combat, "Shattered Sword" is an even better book.
It is a well researched book which presents both sides of the battle of Midway. Along the way, it dispells several popular myths about the battle.
It is a well researched book which presents both sides of the battle of Midway. Along the way, it dispells several popular myths about the battle.