Author: Michael Sturma
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
From Baird Online:
An interesting combination of an Australian historian writing about an ill-fated American submarine that was lost with most of its crew on its second long patrol.
The USS 'Flier' (strange name for a submarine) was a long, sleek, wide-ranging "fleet" submarine. She carried a substantial armament and up-to-date electronics. The fleet submarines were very effective boats once their early torpedo problems were overcome. They sank enormous amounts of Japanese shipping.
'Flier', however, was one of the unluckier boats of the class. This fine book describes, very dramatically, how and why.
Badly damaged in a grounding at Midway Island early on her first patrol, the accident prone submarine had much worse to come. After extensive repairs in Pearl Harbor and an "excusable" finding from the contemporaneous Board of Investigation into the grounding, 'Flier' departed on her second patrol. Her first resulted in the deaths of six American sailors.
The remainder of her first patrol was relatively successful with one Japanese cargo ship sunk at least. However, on her second patrol in Philippine waters 'Flier' was doomed. The submarine hit a mine and sank. Fourteen men of its crew of 86 survived the explosion, only eight survived ashore.
The amazing aftermath is particularly well described in considerable detail. A fascinating story.
Ordering Information:
The University Press of Kentucky Lexington, USA Web: www.kentuckypress.com