The USS Flier : Death and Survival on a World War II Submarine

The fate of the USS Flier is one of the most astonishing stories of the Second World War. On August 13, 1944, the submarine struck a mine and sank to the bottom of the Sulu Sea in less than one minute, leaving only fourteen of its crew of eighty-six hands alive. After enduring eighteen hours in the water, eight remaining survivors swam to a remote island controlled by the Japanese. Deep behind enemy lines and without food or drinking water, the crewmen realized that their struggle for survival had just begun. On its first war patrol, the unlucky Flier made it from Pearl Harbor to Midway where it ran aground on a reef. After extensive repairs and a formal military inquiry, the Flier set out once again, this time completing a distinguished patrol from Pearl Harbor to Fremantle, Western Australia. Though the Flier's next mission would be its final one, that mission is important for several reasons: the story of the Flier's sinking illuminates the nature of World War II underwater warfare and naval protocol and demonstrates the high degree of cooperation that existed among submariners, coast watchers, and guerrillas in the Philippines. The eight sailors who survived the disaster became the first Americans of the Pacific war to escape from a sunken submarine and return safely to the United States. Their story of persistence and survival has all the elements of a classic World War II tale: sudden disaster, physical deprivation, a ruthless enemy, and a dramatic escape from behind enemy lines. In The USS Flier: Death and Survival on a World War II Submarine, noted historian Michael Sturma vividly recounts a harrowing story of brave men who lived to return to the service of their country. Copyright......Page 5 Contents......Page 8 Acknowledgments......Page 10 Prologue......Page 12 1 The Aleutians......Page 16 2 A New Boat......Page 26 3 Midway......Page 32 4 Grounded......Page 38 5 USS Macaw......Page 44 6 Board of Investigation......Page 50 7 Resumed Patrol......Page 58 8 Fremantle......Page 68 9 Death in Thirty Seconds......Page 76 10 Cause and Effect......Page 84 11 Black Water......Page 96 12 Castaways......Page 102 13 Guerrillas......Page 108 14 Brooke’s Point......Page 116 15 USS Redfin......Page 122 16 Evacuees......Page 128 17 On Board......Page 134 18 Fallout......Page 140 19 Bend of the Road......Page 146 20 Inquiry......Page 150 21 Report Incognito......Page 158 22 Back in the USA......Page 164 23 Next of Kin......Page 168 Epilogue......Page 174 Notes......Page 178 Bibliography......Page 202 Index......Page 212 Photo Section ......Page 221 The fate of the USS Flier is one of the most heroic stories of the Second World War. On August 13, 1944, the submarine struck a mine and sank to the bottom of the Sulu Sea in less than one minute, leaving only fourteen of its eighty-six crewmen alive. After enduring eighteen hours in the water, the eight remaining survivors swam to a remote island controlled by the Japanese. Deep in enemy territory and without food or drinking water, the crewmen soon realized that their struggle for survival had just begun. Noted historian Michael Sturma's vivid recounting of the harrowing story of the USS Fl The USS Flier: Death and Survival on a World War II Submarine КНИГИ ;ВОЕННАЯ ИСТОРИЯ Издательство: The University Press of KentuckyАвтор(ы): Michael SturmaЯзык: EnglishГод издания: 2008Количество страниц: 228ISBN: 978-0-8131-2481-0Формат: pdf (e-book)Размер: 1.8 mb RAPIDили IFOLDER 85 Documents the life-or-death struggle of eight men who survived when their submarine sank after striking a mine on August 13, 1944