Books like Thunder Below! by Eugene B. Fluckey

Exploring the tragic fate of the U.S. Navy submarine Tang during World War II.

The "story of the submarine force that helped win World War II in the Pacific by ravaging Japan's merchant fleet and destroying the nation's economy. Focusing on the unique stories of three of the wars top submarines--Silversides, Drum, and Tang--[the author] takes readers beneath the waves to experience the determination, heroism, and tragedy that defined the submarine service"--Dust jacket flap.

In June 1944, U.S. Navy Task Group 22.3, a "hunter-killer" force commanded by Daniel Gallery to track down German submarines, boarded and captured U-505 off the coast of Africa. It was the first time that an enemy ship of war had been captured on the high seas by U.S. Navy sailors since 1815, when the USS Peacock seized HMS Nautilus as part of the War of 1812. The extraordinary feat is described in gripping narrative by Gallery himself, who chronicles the long and arduous battle against the German U-boat under the most hazardous conditions. Once they succeeded in capturing and towing their prize seventeen-hundred miles across the Atlantic Ocean, U-505 proved to be of inestimable value, yielding secrets to radio codes among other things. U-505 is now on exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry.

With the content of an authoritative reference and the excitement of a thriller, this history of the U.S. submarine war is one of the most informative and entertaining books written on the Pacific campaign. The author, a respected journalist and World War II submariner himself, is credited with providing a complete and unbiased account of what happened. When published in 1975, it was the first such account to detail controversial aspects of the American campaign, from the torpedo scandal to discrepancies between claimed and confirmed sinkings. To get to the truth, Clay Blair interviewed scores of skippers, staff officers, and code breakers, and combed thousands of documents and personal papers. In addition, he thoroughly researched the development of the submarine and torpedo from pre-war to post-war times. As a result, he takes the reader into the submarine war at all levels―the highest strategy sessions in Washington, the terrifying moments in subs at the bottom of the ocean waiting out exploding depth charges, the zany efforts of a crew coaxing a chicken to lay an egg. He also exposes the reader to the jealous infighting of admirals vying for power and the problems between cautious older skippers and daring young commanders. Supplementing the text are nearly forty maps showing submarine activity in the context of every important naval engagement in the Pacific, more than thirty pages of photographs, multiple appendixes (including a calendar of submarine war patrols), and an index of over 2,000 entries. This is a work of great scholarship and scope that makes a timeless contribution to the history of World War II.

The captain of a World War II submarine recounts the eventful war patrols of his ship, whose sinkings of enemy vessels ranked second among American ships.

Sea war in its most harrowing phase.

Final Patrol chronicles the U.S. Navy's submarine service during World War II, detailing how fifteen U.S. submarines and one German U‑Boat participated in operations that crippled Japanese shipping and contributed decisively to the Allied victory.

A gripping account of a US submarine commander’s World War II patrols, written by former skipper Edward L. Beach Jr., detailing the tension of hunting Japanese merchant ships and the personal drama of life beneath the waves.