The Bravest Man: The Story of Richard O'Kane & U.S. Submariners in the Pacific War

My father served on USS 212 Gato, as mentioned in this book. Tuohy captures the day-to-day feel of life on board a WWII submarine as well as any, and his descriptions of Tang's war patrols are a fitting tribute to Dick O'Kane and the men of the "Silent Service". If you want a better understanding of the sacrifices of a generation in a simpler time, from an author who doesn't pull any punches with regard to the politics of the WWII navy, you'll enjoy this read.

This is the second book that I have read about Richard O'Kane and his experiences in the Wahoo and Tang and waiting on two more books to arrive. I simply cannot get enough! Will someone please make a movie about him?

"It's a big ocean," Dick O'Kane once told me. "You don't have to find the enemy if you don't want to."O'Kane was 60 when we met. He was a compact man, straight as a ramrod, with a small smile and bushy eyebrows. He loved to talk, especially on technical matters, but he seldom spoke about what it was like to be a submariner in the Pacific, in a war that claimed the lives of 22% of the Americans who went to sea in the pig boats, as submarines were called. It was a pleasure to meet him again in "The Bravest Man" and to learn more about his remarkable accomplishments in World War II.That a submariner need not find the enemy was brought home to O'Kane in 1942 on his first patrol in Wahoo, under an older captain who had learned caution in the peacetime Navy. The cautious skipper was replaced by Dudley "Mush" Morton, who with O'Kane's support made Wahoo the deadliest American boat in the Pacific, sinking nine ships on one ferocious patrol through the Yellow Sea, between China and Korea. "You can't afford to flinch," Morton said; "you can't afford to give up. You must constantly keep 'rassling, and keep shooting till you destroy him."Wahoo was later lost with all hands, not including O'Kane, who by then -- the fall of 1943 -- had command of Tang. He soon proved that he too had a great desire to keep 'rassling and to sink Japanese ships, despite the second-rate torpedoes supplied to American submarines. On its first patrol, Tang sank five ships; on its second, it rescued 22 American airmen, shot down in the battle for Truk at the center of the Pacific's Caroline Islands. On its fourth patrol, it set a U.S. record by sending 10 enemy ships to the bottom, despite new torpedoes that were sometimes as balky as the old.As a skipper, Richard O'Kane was audacious, persistent and inventive. He was willing to go up against the shore, if that's where the enemy was to be found. Yet he always had an escape route in mind -- and he took care of his people. Sailors clamored to join Tang, despite its record of going in harm's way.Alas, having a good captain is never enough. On Tang's fifth patrol, the odds caught up with O'Kane, and he had the unhappy experience of watching his 24th and last torpedo circle back to explode on the boat's stern. The men on the bridge were thrown into the water, but their troubles were scarcely over. It was the middle of the night, and they had no flotation gear. When morning came, 9 of the 87 crewmen were still alive, including some who had made the first-ever escape from a submarine sunk in combat. They were picked up by a Japanese destroyer, whose captain treated them decently but delivered them to starvation, torture and slave labor at Yokohama. Like aviators, submariners were classified as "special prisoners of Japan," imprisoned in the foulest camps with their existence unreported to the International Red Cross. Again O'Kane survived the impossible, to be reunited with his family and to receive the Medal of Honor from the hand of Presi

(...)this is one fine book. This book contains facts not covered in the other books I have found. Sure it covers the great history of U.S. submarines. But it also covers what went on behind the actions. It also uncovers some of the gross blunders made. If you are into WW II submare history this is one book to have. It is also backed up by those that have been there and done that. That is in addition to the usual history found in the archives. Unfortunatly this book is probably the last of it's kind.

This is an engrossing, often riveting, account of the life of an American naval hero of World War II, but much more than that. It gives fascinating insights into the history of U.S. submarine warfare in the Pacific, including the failures of nerve suffered by some commanders and the scandals of dud torpedoes, torpedoes that turned and sank the submarines that fired them, divided commands and bureaucratic inertia in dealing with problems that cost men's lives. Much of this may be known to naval specialists but much will come as an eye-opener to the general reader. William Tuohy's graphic descriptions of submarine warfare are enhanced by his authoritative grasp of how these boats were designed and operated, making the reader feel he is viewing the action through the eyes of the crew. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and recommend it to anyone with an interest in warfare and in how people react under the stresses of military conflict.