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The Last Battle Station: The Story of the Uss Houston

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A true historical rendition of one of the first sea battles of World War II. Of the few survivors, one is now a 97-yr-old Vice Admiral, one of only 12 WWII naval officers remaining. The story of the fate of the USS Houston couldn't be better told.

This is the heart-wrenching story of the heavy cruiser U.S.S. Houston, the flagship of the Asiatic Fleet. The story of the ship is a microcosm of pre-Pearl Harbor America. A victim of various naval treaties, the Houston was seriously under-armored. Also suffering from budget cutting, she was underpowered and carried no radar as well as faulty ammunition. Her only attribute was her veteran crew who was willing and able to fight tenaciously despite the odds.

At the outbreak of the War, the Houston was the largest American ship operating in the deep South Pacific and the leader of a multinational task force of Australian and Dutch ships. They were fighting a determined but losing campaign for almost 3 months when suddenly on February 28, 1942, the U.S.S. Houston was lost off the Dutch East Indies.

Her disappearance remained a mystery until after the war when 292 (of a crew of over 1,000) of her survivors were repatriated after Japan surrendered. They were able to tell the story of the valor of the crew and the audacity of her commander leading a ship who refused to die but eventually succumbed in her last battle.

This book is an oldie but a goodie for anyone interested in the early Pacific campaigns and the state of the Navy just prior to World War II.

John E. Nevola
Author of The Last Jump - A Novel of World War II

Bridge over the river kwai fame. This is a book written by one of the survivors of th USS Houston. These men stumbled on the Japanese invasion force. Learn more here:
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