Overview

World War II submariners rarely experienced anything as exhilarating or horrifying as the surface gun attack. Between the ocean floor and the rolling whitecaps above, submarines patrolled a dark abyss in a fusion of silence, shadows, and steel, firing around eleven thousand torpedoes, sinking Japanese men-of-war and more than one thousand merchant ships. But the anonymity and simplicity of the stealthy torpedo attack hid the savagery of warfare -- a stark difference from the brutality of the surface gun maneuver. As the submarine shot through the surface of the water, confined sailors scrambled through the hatches armed with large-caliber guns and met the enemy face-to-face. Surface and Destroy: The Submarine Gun War in the Pacific reveals the nature of submarine warfare in the Pacific Ocean during World War II and investigates the challenges of facing the enemy on the surface. The surface battle amplified the realities of war, bringing submariners into close contact with survivors and potential prisoners of war. As Japan's larger ships disappeared from the Pacific theater, American submarines turned their attention to smaller craft such as patrol boats, schooners, sampans, and junks. Some officers refused to attack enemy vessels of questionable value, while others attacked reluctantly and tried to minimize casualties. Michael Sturma focuses on the submariners' reactions and attitudes toward their victims, exploring the sailors' personal standards of morality and their ability to wage total war. Surface and Destroy is a thorough analysis of the submariner experience and the effects of surface attacks on the war in the Pacific, offering a compelling study of the battles that became ""intolerably personal.""

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9780813129969

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<p> In examining both the operational and human aspects of submarine surface gun attacks, Michael Sturma offers a potent corrective to the traditional view of submarine warfare. -- Post Library

<p> A relatively little-known aspect of the Pacific War. Well documented, this book is recommended for those interested in World War II naval and Pacific operations. --Library Journal --

<p> An important book for every serious Naval buff for the author offers countless insights into just about every type and condition of surface gun attack and its consequences. ... A superb read by an author who knows his subject well. --Sea Classics --

<p> . ..Michael Sturma has penned an intriguing book on a virtually unknown aspect of a submariner's war WWII History --

Author Information

Michael Sturma, chair of the history program at Murdoch University, is the author of several books on naval history, including The USS Flier Death and Survival on a World War II Submarine. He lives in Perth, Australia.

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