Red scorpion : the war patrols of the USS Rasher / Peter T. Sasgen.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sasgen, Peter T., 1941-

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Rasher (Submarine).

Physical Description:

xviii, 366 pages : illustrations, maps ; 24 cm

Edition:

First printing.

Place of Publication:

Annapolis, Md. : Naval Institute Press, 1995.

Summary:

Given the Rasher's extraordinary war record it is surprising that fifty years passed before a book was written about her experiences in the Pacific. The Rasher sank 18 enemy ships and destroyed 99,901 tons - the second highest tonnage of the war. Her fifth patrol is the stuff of legends: in August 1944 during a single night surface attack on a Japanese convoy off the Philippines she sank the escort carrier Taiyo and three marus, and during that same patrol she sank another ship. More like a novel than a historical narrative, Red Scorpion covers all aspects of the Rasher's outstanding combat history in a way that both the general reader and veteran submariner will appreciate. The author is the son of a "mustang" who served in the Rasher, and from his father's perspective he follows the sub from builder's ways, through eight action-packed patrols, to war's end. His richly detailed descriptions of submarine operations include lively commentary by former Rasher crew members and excerpts from patrol reports, along with a close examination of patrol procedures, communications, lifeguarding, and other topics rarely covered in such detail. The book also explores the essence of submarine combat - aggressive leadership - and its role in the Rasher's success.

Notes:

Originally self-published by the author, 1993.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 353-355) and index.

ISBN:

1557507600

OCLC:

31815120