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NOTABLE NAVAL BOOKS OF 1952 By Associate Professor Louis H. Bolander Librarian, U. S. Naval Academy Library
During the past year the number of books Published on naval subjects has shown a fall- lng off from the previous year when 63 such books were produced. For there were but 50 Such titles published in 1952, including a fewbooks published in 1951 but which were n°t generally available to the public until the present year. But contrasted with this year’s output only 39 such books were published in 1950 and 37 in 1949.
The outstanding naval biography of the year, as well as the outstanding book, is I’leet Admiral King (Norton, $6.75) by Admiral Ernest J. King and Walter Muir Whitehall. For this portrays the career of n°t only a high-ranking American naval °fficer but is the biography of the man who ''’as the acting head, not only as Chief of ^aval Operations during World War II but Commander-in-Chief of the United States "leet, of the greatest aggregation of sea Power in the world’s history. Admiral King was a man who knew intimately practically ‘hi the great naval and military leaders of the Mhes. His comment on the men and events this crucial period should prove of fascinating interest.
Another biography of importance is Admiral Stephen King-Hall’s My Naval Life, 1906-1929 (Faber, 18 shillings). The author is a member of a famous family which has had its representatives in the Royal Navy for several generations. Another interesting biography of a British naval leader is Admiral Sir Thomas Louis by Henry B. Louis (Giov, Muscat, 6 shillings, 6 pence). The author is Headmaster of St. Edwards College, Malta.
A number of books have been.published on various phases of World War II naval history. One of the most important of these appears to be Albert Norman’s Operation Overlord; Design and Reality; the Allied Invasion of Western Europe (Military Service Publishing Company, $3.75). A fascinating account of a lesser-known phase of the war is David Howarth’s Across to Norway (Sloane, $3.75). This is the story of one of the most unusual and hazardous naval operations of the war, the transporting of men and arms from the Shetland Islands to Norway in fishing craft. This book was published in England under the title, The Shetland Bus (Nelson, 12 shillings, 6 pence).Albert Kam- meter’s La Passion de la Flotte Franqaise (Fayard, 750 francs) is an account of the catastrophes which struck the French Navy at Mers-el-Kebir and at Toulon. Heinz Schaeffer’s U-Boat 977 (Kimber, 18 shillings) recounts the escape of the German U-Boat 977 to South America following the fall of Hitler’s Reich. The author was the submarine’s commander and for a time it was widely held that Hitler had escaped with him. Another book from the German side is Llidde- Neurath’s Regierung Doenitz; die Letzten Page deS'Dritten Reiches (“Musterschmidt” Wissenschaftlicher Verlag, $1.45 est.). The author was Admiral Doenitz’s aide-de-camp, and in this book he records the closing days of the war in Germany and Admiral Doenitz’s part in these events. An interesting account of submarine adventure during the war is Edward Young’s One of Our Submarines (Hart-Davis, 18 shillings). The author, a member of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, entered the Navy in 1940 and in August of the same year entered the submarine service, the first RNVR officer ever to do so. Three years later he commanded the submarine Storm, the first RNVR officer ever to command an operational submarine in the Royal Navy. Edward L. Beach’s Submarine (Holt, $3.50) tells the story of United States submarines in the war and particularly recounts the exploits of the submarine Trigger. The account of the Italian Navy’s activities with submarine and other underwater techniques in World War II is told in Junio Valerio Borghese’s Decima Flolliglia Mas (Gorzanti, Milan, $1.90 est.). Borghese has also written a book entitled The Sea Devils (Melrose, 18 shillings), the story of the first frogmen, the British counterpart of the American UDT’s (Underwater Demolition Teams). A second book of importance on this list would be Robert Sherrod’s History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II (Combat Forces Press, $6.50). Admiral Pierre Jean Ronarc’h’s L’Evasion du Jean Bart (Flammarion, $2.10 est.) relates in fascinating detail the author’s stirring adventures in, bringing out the partially-finished Jean Bart from the port of St. Na- zaire from almost under the noses of the fast- advancing German armies during the Battle of France. With his ship safely at sea he sailed her to Casablanca.
Captain Walter Karig has added his sixth volume to his Battle Report series, which is entitled The War in Korea (Rinehart, $6.00). This is the most comprehensive account yet published on the naval side of the Korean conflict.
An interesting pictorial record of the U. S. Marines has been compiled by John Crane and entitled History of the United Slates Marine Corps (Marine Corps Memorial Fund, $1.00). A valuable contribution to aviation history is Bernard J. Hurren’s Fellowship of the Air, 1901-1951 (British Book Centre, $6.75). This is the jubilee book of the Royal Aero Club and provides an excellent survey of military and naval aviation in England. A worthwhile addition to the books available on amphibious warfare is John Cress- well’s Generals and Admirals; The Story of Amphibious Command (Longmans, 18 shillings).
Admiral Henry J. Feakes of the Royal Australian Navy has written a detailed history of this little-known service from its beginnings to the late 1930’s. It bears the title While Ensigns—Southern Cross (Ure Smith, 42 shillings). And Sante Romiti has performed a similar service for the Italian Navy but it covers its history only up to 1861, or to the era of ironclad ships. It is called La Marine Militari Italiene nel Risorgimenlo, 1748-1861 (Italgraf, Rome, $2.75 est.). That versatile historian of maritime matters, Mr. Frank C. Bowen, has written a new book entitled Men of the Wooden Walls (Staples Press, 21 shillings). It sketches the lives of valiant naval officers in the days of sail whose experiments, exploits, and explorations brought them enduring fame. Another naval history that explores a little-known area is R. C. Anderson’s Naval Wars in the Levant, 1571-1853 (Princeton University Press, $7.50). An entertaining book that is bound to bring back memories of their service to Navy men everywhere is Henley E. Combs’ Shellbacks; Sons of Neptune (Pageant Press, $2.00). This book gives a detailed account of “Crossing the Line” ceremonies with copies of “Shellback” and “Golden Dragon” certificates.
shill
>ngs, 6 pence) Max Miller’s observations
The new Jane’s All the World’s Fighting Ships, 1952-1953 (McGraw-Hill $22.50) presents again its wealth of accurate, fascinating detail about the ships of the world’s navies. This issue marks the 54th year since this justly famous annual was first issued. The first edition, 1898, was illustrated, by the way, not with photographs, but with numerous black and white drawings fresh from the hand of Fred T. Jane himself. The current edition is published in England by Sampson, Low and sells for 63 shillings. Brassey’s Annual; the Armed Forces Yearbook 1952 (Macmillan, $8.50) is a handy compendium of information on the armies, navies and air forces of the world. The French counterpart of Jane’s Fighting Ships is entitled Flottes de Combat, 1952 (Societe des Editions, 1500 francs). It is also a highly useful compendium of naval information though not as detailed as Jane’s.
Several books have been published during the past year of special interest to navigators. One of them is F. J. Wylie’s Use of Radar at Sea (Hollis & Carter, 31 shillings, 6 pence). This is regarded as an authoritative treatment of the subject. Another is tierrit J. Sonnenburg’s Radar and Electronic Navigation (Newnes, 31 shillings, 6 pence). Another useful book for navigators has been issued by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research of Great Britain and Fears the title, Radio Direction-Finding and Navigational Aids (H.M.S.O., 4 shillings, F pence). This is known as Radio Research Special Report No. 21. Still another valuable aid to navigators is the second enlarged edition of The Navigator’s Guide to Radar thrown, Son and Ferguson, 6 shillings), by N. Davies. The concise history of man’s Ijjeat navigational aids is told in Henry L. tritchins’ From Lodestone to Gyro-Compass tUutchinson, 12 shillings, 6 pence). And nally to complete this year’s output in the eld of navigation there is Louis A. Hard- [ng’s History of Navigation (William-Freder- lck, $3.50).
For students and others who wish to keep oreast with modern naval design there has _^en published in England William Muckle’s odern Naval Architecture (Temple Press, 9 of the ancient Middle Sea while on an assignment with the American Sixth Fleet are recounted in his book, Always the Mediterranean (Dutton, $3.50). Of special interest to Navy men everywhere should be Admiral Harley F. Cope’s Petty Officer’s Guide (Military Service Publishing Co., $2.50) and Commander John V. Noel’s Division Officer’s Guide; a Handbook for All Young Naval Officers (U. S. Naval Institute, $2.50). Commander Noel has also compiled a glossary of up-to-date naval expressions entitled, A Dictionary of Naval Terms (Van Nostrand, $5.00). In distinct contrast to this book Bertil Sandahl’s Middle English Sea Terms (Harvard University Press, $3.15) gives us the language used particularly by men of the sea several hundred years ago. J. Hazard’s Dictionnaire Anglais-Francais et Francais- Anglais des Termes de Marine et du Navire (French Book Guild, $2.50) provides an up- to-date French-English glossary of sea terms.
Several books dealing with international law have been published during the year. It is believed that these should be included since naval officers should be conversant with this important subject. First, the second volume of the seventh edition of Op- penheim’s International Law; Disputes, War and Neutrality (Longmans, $14.00) brings up-to-date this classic of international law. Other useful books in the field are Hans Kelsen’s Principles of International Law (Rinehart, $5.00); the second revised edition of International Law of the Sea (Longmans, $10.00) by Alexander P. Higgins and C. J. Colombos; L. C. Green’s International Law Through the Ages (Stevens, 75 shillings); and finally Otto Groos’ La Doctrina de la Guerra Maritima Secun Ensenazas de la Guerra Mundial (Compania Bibliografica, $1.50 est.).
Several novels dealing with naval history and with the marines seem definitely to merit a place in this list of notable naval books of the year. First, there is C. S. Forester’s Lieutenant Hornblower (Little, Brown, $3.50), probably the last in the famous “Horn- blower” series; Pat Frank’s Hold Back the Night (Lippincott, $3.00), a novel based on the fighting retreat of a Marine company in
Korea; Pearl Frye’s The Sleeping Sword (Little, Brown, $3.75), a retelling of the oft- told romance of Admiral Nelson and Lady Emma Hamilton; Maxwell Griffith’s Port of Call (Lippincott, $3.50), a novel of a three- day action aboard an aircraft carrier; Jan de Hartog’s The Distant Shore (Harper, $3.50), a novel dealing with the battle against submarines in the North Atlantic in the second World War; and finally Geoffrey M. Bennett’s (who styles himself “Sea-Lion”) The Diamond Rock (Hutchinson, 10 shillings), a novel of the Royal Navy in 1804 and the defence of Diamond Rock off the south coast of Martinique.
HISTORY OF MARINE CORPS AVIATION IN WORLD WAR II. By Robert Sherrod. Combat Forces Press, Washington, D. C., 1952. 512 pages, plus photographs. $6.50
Reviewed by Lieutenant General Ralph J. Mitchell, U. S. Marine Corps (Retired)
{General Mitchell, a graduate of the Naval Academy in the Class of 1915, commanded Marine air squadrons in Nicaragua in 1931, was Director of Aviation in the Marine Corps for a four-year term, including the first fifteen months of World War II, and held a number of major air command assignments in the Pacific during the remainder of the war)
Robert Sherrod has produced an excellent and authentic coverage of Marine Corps Air in World War II; he has, however, gone a step further and coupled his detailed air story with enough of the general military operations, adequately tied in with high level plans and decision, to produce a very comprehensive picture of the Pacific campaign as a whole.
Sherrod has been meticulous about his facts. Starting in early 1948 on a task he estimated at six months, he spent nearly four years checking his figures and statements through existing military documents of both Allies and enemy, through interviews with hundreds of individuals both military and civilian, and through countless other sources. Some of the long period of production may be due to the fact the author has delved deeper than the name of his book would imply—he has gone back to the beginnings of Marine Corps Aviation and traced its history from its birth (1912). Such a step has not been amiss for it gave him the opportunity to mention the Nicaragua Campaign of the late twenties—a campaign where Marine avaition (and aviation of no other service) was developing under actual fighting conditions its “close aviation support of ground troops” (crude as it then was), as well as demonstrating to the world for the first time the value of air cargo transport in war.
Coming to World War II proper, Sherrod slips briefly but interestingly over the Pearl Harbor attack, the historic Marine defense and regrettable loss of Wake (“send us more Japs”), and the Battle of Midway, where although the honors went to the carrier aircraft, Marine Air was nevertheless lauded by Admiral Nimitz with having “written a new and shining page in the annals of the Marine Corps”; then on to the first American offensive in World War II—-Guadalcanal. This campaign has been covered in quantities of other books—but in none more dramatically. With deepest concern the world watched the outcome of Guadalcanal for nearly half a year, and Sherrod, in painting a picture of this operation, fully explains why the concern reached such high international pitch. The critical balance, the vicissitudes, the deplorable living conditions, the miracles, the heroic mark of Marine Air (“Operation Shoestring,” Sherrod terms all this) are vividly recounted. He follows up with the march through the Northern Solomons culminating in the air strangulation of the bastion of by-passed Rabaul, and then, infuriating as it was to the war’s most experienced and battle scarred pilots of the hour, the anti-climax—relegation to “kicking the corpse around” in the defeated Solomons- New Britain area.
The closing-in process, the extension of the front lines, has meanwhile proceeded across the Central and South West Pacific, with Marine Air, in relatively inconspicuous evidence, almost everywhere, including occasional duty aboard the carriers, development of night fighters, and formation of Air Transport Service. Much of Sherrod’s account, in this advance, is devoted to the Philippines. Here, although Marine fighter pilots were regrettably denied an anticipated assault assignment, it was nevertheless only six weeks after the Leyte landing ' that they were shore-based at the Tacloban strip with day and night fighters. The highlight of the remainder of the Philippine capture, which is adequately covered from all military angles, is, from the standpoint of Marine Aviation, close aviation support of Army ground troops. A complete picture of the development of such support by Navy and Marines is covered. In the Philippine campaign, more than in any previous one, the true possibilities of this type air operation were developed, and the mission of close support, as a result, was firmly established as doctrine in American military tactics.
The Iwo Jima campaign with its sordid stories of Jap murder and cannibalism, mak- lng interesting though staggering reading, is followed by an account of the closing campaign of the war, the Okinawa assault. By this time (1945) Marine Air had grown to a unit of well over 120,000 pilots and other Personnel. Well equipped and trained, it was honored with the command of the Tenth Army’s Tactical Air Force, charged after the landing with air support and air defense of Okinawa, a task for which it was eminently ready. Thus with its greatest assembled strength in history, Marine Air played a major role in the Pacific’s greatest umphibious attack. Kamikazes, night attacks, close support, surface action, ground action, carrier action—the account is inspiring.
And then—the atomic bomb.
The History of Marine Corps Aviation in World War II is the most readable, authoritative, and complete volume on Marine Aviation in existence; it is ably and interest- ]Ugly illustrated with authentic photographs; A contains many tables, representing exhaustive research, of casualties, awards, aircraft shot down, and aces—and in addition a brief historical sketch of every Marine Corps Air Tnit. All of it has been vividly combined into a colorful volume of absorbing interest.
fleet admiral king.- a naval
RECORD. By Ernest J. King, Fleet Admiral, U.S.N. and Walter Muir Whitehill,
Commander, U.S.N.R. New York: W. W.
Norton & Company, Inc., 1952. 674 pages. $6.75.
Reviewed by Commodore Dudley W.
Knox, U.S. Navy (Retired)
(Commodore Knox, a graduate of the Naval Academy in the Class of 1896, is a founder of the Naval Historical Foundation and one of the U. S. Navy's best known historians.)
This is history of the highest order; authoritative, forthright, lucid and weighty with substance. Of greatest interest is the material dealing with World War II, constituting more than half the volume. Therein is set forth policy-making, strategy, planning, and administration at the top level. The book is an invaluable complement to the publications by Churchill, Leahy, and others in the field of policy, and to the wealth of operational history by Morison and many other authors.
For the naval profession Fleet Admiral King contributes much more. He offers a liberal education in the realms of military character and the exercise of command. His is no ordinary “case history,” but one that shines with conspicuous ability from Naval Academy days progressively through all the various naval ranks, techniques, and responsibilities. Near the normal conclusion of his brilliant career World War II broke out. His sheer merits at once pushed King to unprecedented heights of authority, rank, and responsibility. That he more than measured up is something in which the American Navy can ever take pride.
The story of all this is told simply, modestly, and objectively, and in a style which flows and holds the reader’s interest. He points out that “In most professions a training measured in years is followed by decades of practice, while in the Navy the terms are reversed.” An account of his previous nava- service is deemed to be essential to an uni derstanding of decisions made during World War II because “Any man facing a major decision acts, consciously or otherwise, upon the training and beliefs of a lifetime.”
The hand of fate seems to have been at work in equipping King for the tremendous demands made upon him in the great war. He then had behind him twenty-five years of service in surface ships, four years in sub-
marines, and thirteen years in naval aviation. He himself was a well qualified naval aviator of much experience in the air. He was a graduate of the Naval War College. He had studied military history, visited many old battlefields critically, and participated in Army game-board work. During World War I, as a key member on the staff of Admiral Mayo (C-in-C of the Atlantic Fleet), he did much high-level planning and made several trips to Europe where he participated in
many top conferences, inspected every kind of naval activity, and visited battle-fronts. Later he was Chief of the Bureau of Aeronautics at the Navy Department, and subsequently he served as a member of the General Board.
Throughout his career King took a keen interest in problems of organization, administration, and methods of exercising command, and developed superior abilities in these fields which underlie efficient joint effort so fundamentally. Decentralization combined with due initiative on the part of subordinates was a cardinal principle. His philosophy and practice in these respects are admirably set forth in the chapters covering Kings’s command of the Atlantic Fleet just prior to our declaration of war and are worthy of careful study.
The spark of genius with which he established the great office of “Cominch” and largely reorganized the Navy Department in the general confusion of beginning war is most illuminating. It is scarcely less than phenomenal that, as organized and administered by King, so much of this great Department together with the new Cominch office could function so effectively to conduct the greatest of all wars. Especially is this true considering that two-thirds of King’s Personal time was unavoidably taken up by the meetings and affairs of the Joint Chiefs pf Staff and the Combined Staffs, and that m addition he had to be often away on distant inspections, conferences with Nimitz, etc. This whole achievement is rich in lessons.
Reading between the lines it becomes apparent that King’s great scope of qualifications gave him a unique position on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, which of course was the President’s main reliance for advice and decisions on the general conduct of the war. King spoke with authority on every phase °f naval activity, and every phase of avia- rion. He also had a comprehensive grasp of land military affairs, especially of strategy. % contrast, each of the other members of the Joint Chiefs had expert knowledge in only one of these three major elements of warfare. Consequently in grand strategy— the co-ordinated and mutually supporting employment of land, sea, and air forces—■ King stood alone in comprehension. He could point to why a proposal would work, or why it would not. It seems to be true also that he was similarly outstanding within ]he larger Combined Chiefs of Staff, which Included both British and American Chief °f Staff. At the series of fateful international conferences between heads of state on the war situation, the Combined Chiefs of Staff were called upon to evaluate current conditions, and to plan future courses of action for consideration and decision at the national level. Thus, on the whole, King’s personal contribution to the entire war effort seems obviously quite remarkable.
Throughout all the time-consuming world wide planning of grand strategy with international cooperation, King actively directed American naval operations. This involved not only the floating forces—his responsibility as Cominch—but also, as C.N.O., the logistic support to those forces. Manifestly the dual command of such unprecedented magnitude was well beyond the possibility of detailed supervision by a single person. Decentralization combined with the principle of the initiative of subordinates was the only feasible way in which such a vast complex could be made to work. That is the way it did work, and with extraordinary success, thanks to King and his wise selection of key subordinates. Nevertheless, in a seemingly occult way his hand and brain were in constant touch with the salient features of the great campaigns, and preparation for them. Actual exercise of the high command was his. With consummate skill in exposition and narrative the book weaves the high level planning into the operational phases of the war, in a way to keep the reader’s interest at a high pitch. On this score Commander Whitehall deserves much credit.
The volume is packed with comment and opinions that are especially enlightening, coming from one possessed of King’s remarkable experience, analytical powers, and judgement. New light is shed on many incidents of great historical importance. The book is of exceptional and permanent value as (1) a source of naval and national history, (2) a study in grand strategy, (3) a guide to the development of military character, (4) an exposition of the principles and the exercise of command and (5) an illustration of sound policy in employment of aviation.
★