U.S.S. Barb (SS-220)
U.S.S. Barb (SS-220)

Author: Everett P. Weaver

Publisher: Riverdale Books

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 419

ISBN-13: 9781932606102

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Among the most successful of all American fleet type submarines, U.S.S. Barb made a total of twelve war patrols. During the course of the war, Barb was credited with sinking a total of 26 enemy ships, including the escort aircraft carrier Unyo. During her final five war patrols, under the command of Eugene B. Fluckey, Barb set a record for innovation and aggressiveness unmatched in the submarine service. In a series of rocket attacks during Patrol 12, Barb became the first American submarine to launch rockets in combat. During the same patrol, volunteer saboteurs slipped ashore and blew up a coastal train, in the process becoming the only Americans to "invade" Japan during the war. An incursion into Namkwan Harbor, on the China coast, during the eleventh war patrol, earned the Medal of Honor for Fluckey. This volume contains the complete text of the 12 war patrol reports filed by Barb's wartime commanding officers. Also included is a Foreword by former Barb officer Everett P. Weaver, an Introduction and extensive notes.

Thunder Below!
Thunder Below!

Author: Eugene B. Fluckey

Publisher: University of Illinois Press

Published: 2013-04-01

Total Pages: 466

ISBN-13: 0252097440

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The thunderous roar of exploding depth charges was a familiar and comforting sound to the crew members of the USS Barb, who frequently found themselves somewhere between enemy fire and Davy Jones's locker. Under the leadership of her fearless skipper, Captain Gene Fluckey, the Barb sank the greatest tonnage of any American sub in World War II. At the same time, the Barb did far more than merely sink ships-she changed forever the way submarines stalk and kill their prey. This is a gripping adventure chock-full of "you-are-there" moments. Fluckey has drawn on logs, reports, letters, interviews, and a recently discovered illegal diary kept by one of his torpedomen. And in a fascinating twist, he uses archival documents from the Japanese Navy to give its version of events. The unique story of the Barb begins with its men, who had the confidence to become unbeatable. Each team helped develop innovative ideas, new tactics, and new strategies. All strove for personal excellence, and success became contagious. Instead of lying in wait under the waves, the USS Barb pursued enemy ships on the surface, attacking in the swift and precise style of torpedo boats. She was the first sub to use rocket missiles and to creep up on enemy convoys at night, joining the flank escort line from astern, darting in and out as she sank ships up the column. Surface-cruising, diving only to escape, "Luckey Fluckey" relentlessly patrolled the Pacific, driving his boat and crew to their limits. There can be no greater contrast to modern warfare's long-distance, videogame style of battle than the exploits of the captain and crew of the USS Barb, where they sub, out of ammunition, actually rammed an enemy ship until it sank. Thunder Below! is a first-rate, true-life, inspirational story of the courage and heroism of ordinary men under fire. A Main Selection of the Military Book Club. Winner of the Rear Admiral Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature given by the Naval Order of the United States, New York Commandery.

The Galloping Ghost
The Galloping Ghost

Author: Carl P Lavo

Publisher: Naval Institute Press

Published: 2011-11-15

Total Pages: 252

ISBN-13: 1612510752

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Eugene Fluckey was one of the great naval heroes of World War II. His exploits as captain of the submarine USS Barb revolutionized undersea warfare and laid the groundwork for a nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine fleet. He retired as a rear admiral and was awarded numerous presidential, congressional, and military honors, including the Medal of Honor and four Navy Crosses. In the war against Japan, Fluckey fired the first ballistic missiles from a submarine, sank more tonnage than any other U.S. submarine skipper, including an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, a destroyer, and blew up a train after landing submariners-turned-saboteurs on mainland Japan in 1945. Here is the legendary submariner's story, told with the exclusive access to Fluckey's personal papers and based on interviews with him, his family, Barb shipmates, official Navy documents, and the recollections of his contemporaries.

The Story of the Submarine
The Story of the Submarine

Author: Farnham Bishop

Publisher: Good Press

Published: 2023-10-26

Total Pages: 136

ISBN-13:

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In 'The Story of the Submarine' by Farnham Bishop, readers are taken on a comprehensive journey through the history and development of submarines. The book not only explores the technical aspects of submarine construction and operation but also delves into the strategic and tactical implications of submarine warfare. Bishop's writing style is both informative and engaging, making this book accessible to both naval enthusiasts and general readers interested in military history. The detailed accounts of submarine battles and key naval engagements provide a vivid backdrop to the evolution of submarine technology. Set in the context of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the book offers valuable insights into the role of submarines in shaping modern naval warfare. Farnham Bishop's expertise as a naval officer and historian is evident throughout the book, as he draws upon firsthand knowledge and extensive research to provide a thorough account of submarine warfare. 'The Story of the Submarine' is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of naval technology and its impact on modern warfare.

U.S. Submarines Through 1945
U.S. Submarines Through 1945

Author: Norman Friedman

Publisher: US Naval Institute Press

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 408

ISBN-13:

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The period covered by this book was one of radical change for the U.S. Navy. When the modern navy first considered buying a submarine in 1887, it was a coast defense force confined to the Western Hemisphere. The United States became a world power just as its new submarines offered a way of defending its most distant possession, the Philippines, without tying down an expensive fleet. World War I found U.S. submarines in an unexpected role, countering German U-boats in British waters. Then the situation changed again with unexpected speed.

Where Divers Dare
Where Divers Dare

Author: Randall Peffer

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2016-04-05

Total Pages: 322

ISBN-13: 0698168968

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In the tradition of Shadow Divers, this is the gripping true account of the search for German U-boat U-550, the last unfound, diveable wreck of a U-boat off the United States coast, and the battle in which it was sunk. On April 16, 1944, the SS Pan Pennsylvania was torpedoed and sunk by the German submarine U-550 off the coast of Nantucket, Massachusetts. In return the sub was driven to the surface with depth charges, and then sent to the bottom of the ocean by three destroyer escorts that were guarding the naval convoy. For more than sixty years the location of the U-boat’s wreck eluded divers. In 2012, a team found it—the last undiscovered U-boat in dive-able waters off the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, more than three hundred feet below the surface. This is the story of their twenty-year quest to find this "Holy Grail" of deep-sea diving and their tenacious efforts to dive on this treacherous wreck—and of the stunning clash at sea that sealed its doom and brought the Battle of the Atlantic to America’s doorstep.