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A Tale of Two Subs: An Untold Story of World War II, Two Sister Ships, and Extraordinary Heroism
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Binding: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 940.54510973
EAN: 9780446178396
ISBN: 044617839X
Label: Grand Central Publishing
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Date: May 13, 2008
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Studio: Grand Central Publishing
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Editorial Review:
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.
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Scattershot Account of Two Subs at War!
The intertwined histories of two USN WWII submarines - USS Sculpin and USS Sailfish - are supposedly the subject of this 2008 book from Grand Central Publishing. I say supposedly because the book is so poorly focused you wonder exactly what's in author Jonathan McCullough's periscope sights.
Sculpin (SS-191) and Sailfish (SS-192) had two tragic connections. In May 1939, SS-192, then named Squalus, sank; Sculpin aided in the rescue of her surviving crew. In November 1943 Sculpin was sunk ... Read More
Rating:  - 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 ... Read More
Rating: - 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 ... Read More
Rating:  - 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...
Rating: - 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 ... Read More
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