Customer Reviews

New Guinea

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New Guniea is the story of Naval operations to support Army operations in the Southwest Pacific Area. This Naval force is dwarfed by Admiral Spruance's fast carriers and the assualts in the Central Pacific. It is the story of destroyers and modified landing craft operating the in same roll as cruisers and battleships in the Central Pacific. It is well written with a lively style that gives me at least, a you are there feeling.

The destroyer is a good vehicle for this story. A small ship but one that has many different people to make up the whole. Admiral Mack examines the prejudice factor that was part of the Navy - that no black of filipino could serve in any rate other than that of steward; even though the chief steward of the ship has better skills as a signalman than some of the actual signalmen.

The story goes from Guadalcanal to the assault on the Philippines - very important period in the Naval war in the Pacific. We see the lives of the crew, not as cyphers filling in a tapestry but as a group of men, of various backgrounds, thrown together to operate a fighting ship in it's mission of destroying the enemy. The enemy in this case varies from Japanese aircraft attacks to typhoons.

This is a book that is entertaining, informative and sheds light on joint warfare before it became the mantra of the 1990s. I recommend this to all people with an interest in Naval warfare in World War II - especially in the lesser known Naval theatres of operations.

I found this an enjoyable book that gave an insight into everyday operations of a line destroyer.