The Last Patrol [Paperback]

Harry Holmes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 2001

During World War II, the submarine service of the U.S. Navy suffered the highest percentage of losses of any branch of the American armed forces, with almost one in five vessels failing to return. Despite these heavy losses, however, submarines accounted for more than fifty-five percent of Japanese shipping losses. This book, first published in 1994 in hardcover, chronicles the careers of all fifty-two U.S. submarines lost during the war--their successes, failures, and fates. With some thirty photographs and a wealth of first-hand material, it offers a compelling look at a legendary fleet.

Product Details

• Paperback: 212 pages
• Publisher: US Naval Institute Press (February 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557504784
• ISBN-13: 978-1557504784
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,886,525 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A concise telling of the tragic ending of US submarines, November 5, 2001

By 

T. Whigham (Tampa, FL USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Patrol (Paperback)

This book gives 2 or 3 page brief accounts of the launching, service history, and demise of every US submarine lost in WW2, including the old S-boats left over from the 'between wars' years that saw action in the early days of WW2. The author has done a thorough job of corroborating theories of how certain submarines "died" by comparing official US Navy documents with IJN reports.

While the writing doesn't compare with the "you are there" styles of "Thunder Below", "Clear The Bridge!", and "Wahoo" by other authors, this book does do a good job of reporting the too-brief combat careers of US submarines. Pictures accompany the text for each submarine and are in black and white. The chapters are short and easy to read, and you won't need to possess any particular knowledge of how submarines operate to understand how the boats were destroyed. Submarine fans will want a copy. Naval historians will want a copy. Anyone who's played a submarine game and enjoyed it will want a copy. But if you're looking for action, you might try "Run Silent, Run Deep" or any of the numerous sub commander memoirs that have been published (including the ones mentioned in this review).

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Useful reference on these gallant subs and crews, January 5, 2003

By 

C. Ryan (Winthrop, WA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Last Patrol (Paperback)

This book is not intended to be an exhaustive account of the 52 American submarines lost in WWII, but provides a concise basic reference. There is a brief chapter, in chronological order, for each sub giving a summary of its war history, a description of how it was lost and two and a few photographs of the sub and perhaps some of its crew and related ships (e.g., Japanese ships it sank). Appendices include a summary of all the losses in two pages and a summary by submarine of the losses each one inflicted on the Japanese. One important missing element in the submarine loss charts is an analysis of the cause of loss; a significant number were actually lost to sea conditions (e.g., running aground), systems failures or friendly fire, as opposed to combat. While the precise cause of loss, if known, is included in each sub's story, it would be enlightening to also have a summary in the appendix. Also a chart mapping the loss locations would provide another useful perspective. Recommended as a reference for looking up the "quick story" of each of these gallant crews and boats.