Hellcats - by Peter Sasgen (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A heart-stopping true tale of a submarine mission aimed at destroying Japan's merchant marine lifeline and ending World War II.

By 1945, the U.S. Navy's submarine force in the Pacific had sunk over a thousand enemy cargo ships and tankers supplying the food, weapons, and oil Japan needed to continue to fight. Yet this once mighty merchant fleet continued to thrive in the Sea of Japan, where, protected from American submarines by a seemingly impenetrable barrier of deadly minefields, they provided a tenuous lifeline for the Japanese. Senior American commanders believed that if these enemy ships were sunk, Japan would be forced to surrender.

Here is the incredible story of Operation Barney, the daring plot to penetrate those minefields and decimate the enemy fleet. The brainchild of the dedicated sub commander Vice Admiral Charles Lockwood, the mission would hinge on a new experimental sonar system that would, with luck, guide American submarines safely past the mines and into the open sea.

The nine submarines chosen, nicknamed Hellcats, were tasked with the impossible--the combined crews of 760 submariners all knew their chances of survival depended on an unproven technology and their own nerve. Based on original documents and the poignant personal letters of one doomed Hellcat commander, Sasgen crafts a classic naval tale of one of World War II's most dangerous missions.

Review Quotes

"Sasgen vividly recounts the pulsating drama of the Hellcats... well-written, engaging, and fills in the last chapter of the Navy's submarine war against Japan."--Naval History

"A worthwhile addition to most naval collections...Sasgen gives eloquent and accessible accounts for the general reader of the development of the FM sonar, the picking of the submarines, and Operation Barney itself...memorable and moving ...Deserves the commendation well done."--Booklist

About the Author

Peter Sasgen is the author of two previous nonfiction books on submarine warfare, including Stalking the Red Bear, a selection of the Military Book Club, and three submarine techno-thriller novels. He is a U.S. Navy veteran who lives in Florida.