Customer Reviews

First Shot

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese launched the sneak attack on the American Pacific fleet based at Pearl Harbor. Over 300 aircraft operating from 6 aircraft carriers participated in the attack, but lost in the annals of history are the Japanese midget submarines, who's job it was to penetrate the harbor and launch torpedoes at the American ships.

The destroyer USS Ward was patrolling the waters surrounding the entrance to the harbor on that fateful morning. Suddenly, a lookout aboard the Ward spotted an object that looked like a periscope. Knowing that no American submarines were operating in the area, the Ward swung into action, attacking the sub with gunfire and depth charges. One shot hit the sub directly on the conning tower. The little sub then disappeared beneath the waves. The Ward immediately sent a report to Pearl Harbor but, the message failed to rouse any suspicion or action from the Americans. Approximately one hour later, the Japanese planes appeared, and the rest is history. Imagine what might have happened if the Americans would have taken the Ward's report more seriously and had planes in the air, anti-aircraft guns ready, and ships prepared to sail into open water? One can only wonder. As it turns out, the failure to act on the Ward's message is just another blunder committed by the Americans on this day of infamy.

I felt this book had some good points, but the title is somewhat confusing. When I purchased the book, I was hoping to read about the midget submarines and the role they played in the attack on Pearl Harbor. I've read numerous books on the Pearl Harbor attack, but the efforts of the mini-subs are not described in great detail. I was somewhat disappointed with this book, because the author only devotes perhaps one or two chapters of this book to the mini-subs. Instead, he talks about the battles of the Coral Sea and Midway and he devotes an entire chapter to the death of Admiral Yamamoto at the hands of American fighter pilots. He even mentions the sinking of the USS Indianapolis. This happened 3 1/2 years after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

This book has some interesting chapters, such as the narrative about the capture of officer Kazuo Sakamaki, commander of one of the Japanese min-subs. However, this book tends to concentrate on the Pacific war as a whole rather than solely on the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Overall, I rate this book as only average. The author should have kept to his original theme about the Japanese mini-subs' roles in the Pearl Harbor attack instead of branching out to cover the entire Pacific campaign.

On the plus side, the author does well in detailing the history of the midget sub by various countries before and during WW2. He also does well in telling the story of Japan's efforts to develop and put them into service throughout the war.

My main criticism with the author is that he didn't need 255 pages to tell that story. Craddock writes a great number of pages going over operations in which the mini-subs were not engaged. There are any number of books on the Coral Sea, Midway, and the other campaigns Craddock brings up. Also, why a chapter on the shootdown of Yamamoto? What does it have to do with the subs?

My final criticism is the accuracy of some of Craddock's facts. For instance, on page 35, he repeats the myth that the C.S.S. H.L. Hunley, the first successful operational submarine in history, was sunk because it was destroyed in the explosion that sank the U.S.S. Housatonic. This is not true. In 1995, the Hunley was discovered not where it's victim was sunk, but some distance away. The crew apparently died of asphixiation while waiting for the tide to change so they could return to base.

A second inaccuracy, on page 26 jumped out at me- "On November 4, the mock attack force took off- Betty bombers, dive bombers, torpedo bombers, and Zeros- and over a few days, carried out their tasks successfully." There could not have been any "Betty bombers" involved in the exercise, since they were land-based, two engine medium bombers. There were no "Bettys" involved in the air attack on Pearl Harbor.

These are simple errors that should have been remedied before the manuscript ever went to the printer.

However, I still give the book 3 stars because it does give a good account when it stays on the subject.

This is a well written book, keeps the reader's attention and is full of interesting information. It may be at times a bit simplistic and, as noted in other reviews, may contain the occasional factual error, but it does provide everything you ever wanted to know about Japanese midget subs. It is true, as others have noted, that this could have been done in many fewer pages, but as a non specialist I enjoyed reading the various chapters devoted to the historical context. The parts on the history of midget subs in other countries is welcome as it puts the Japanese boats and plans in context. Yes the book could have been shorter: but, as such, the "first shot" episode of 7 December 1941 would be just a footnote in history, while the wider context, which well described here, provides an interesting and new angle to the whole Pacific war. The persnal story of the sole midget sub survivor, POW n.1 in the U.S., receives adequate attention and personality of Yamamoto is explored in depth, which I think is relevant to the broader history.

Craddock discusses midget submarines used in all wars and then concentrates on the midget Japanese submarine sunk by a U.S. destroyer an hour before the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 and what might have happened if the message about the sinking had reached the right authorities. Along the way we learn about a fascinating man, the Japanese admiral, Yamamoto, who planned the Pearl Harbor attack and also about efforts to find the sunken sub.

The midget subs launched into the attack at Pearl Harbor is an interesting small part of the whole Pearl Harbor story. The story of the 'Ward' firing on the sub is well know. We know that the 'Ward' then reported the incident and that it was ignored, beginning a logn sequence of What If's.

This book tells the story of the midget subs at Pearl. It also goes into the story of midget subs in general from the Italian frogmen, the British designs, and more. Other incidents in the war that touch on the subject are covered as well, such as Yamamoto and his meeting with the P-38's.

Two points particularly stand out. His analysis of the Japanese view of the war. The abject denial that seems to be underway in Japan as if they were going along one day and then the atomic bombs began to fall. Second is his story of the sub the 'Ward' fired on. He didn't finish the story until the Epilogue at the end of the book, so I'm not going to say what happened. After all, if I had to wait and wait and wait until reading to the end of the book you should too. All I can say is that it's a good thing that the book was so interesting as to make it worth the wait.

I know for a fact that Julia Craddock was the inspiration of this book. This book provides you with factual information and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. I would most definately recommend this book because it is AMAZING!!