Riding on Luck: Saga of the U.S.S. Lang (DD-399) [Paperback]

Rex A. Knight (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 11, 2001

They called her the "Lucky Lang." Commissioned 30 March 1939, she ranged from Nova Scotia to the Caribbean, from Scotland to the Mediterranean, before traversing the Panama Canal to engage the enemy in the Pacific at Guadalcanal, New Georgia, Kwajalein, Saipan, Leyte, and Okinawa. The Lang wreaked havoc along the "Tokyo Express" route and helped decimate Japanese air power.

Yet, though heavily involved in nearly every major campaign of the war in the Pacific, she survived it all with hardly a scratch, and not one of her roster received the slightest enemy-inflicted wound. Over such an extended time and equal number of actions, no other U.S. Naval warship could boast such a record. Even the sum of her hull number's digits (399) adds up to 21, a lucky number to be sure.

This is the story, the complete history of the USS Lang as told by the ship's official biographer, himself the fortunate son of a former Lang sailor.

Editorial Reviews

Review

I proudly salute all who served aboard the USS Lang... -- former President Ronald Reagan

About the Author

Rex Knight has been actively researching and writing about WWII history, specializing in the Pacific Theater for over ten years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Hellgate Press (April 11, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555715516
• ISBN-13: 978-1555715519
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,855,682 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars U.S.S.Lang,DD-399, August 8, 2001

By 

Charles H. Lee (San Francisco, California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riding on Luck: Saga of the U.S.S. Lang (DD-399) (Paperback)

I was a gunner on the U,. S. S. Lang, DD-399, from October 1942 to June 1945. I have read Knight's book and lived the experiences he describes so vividly about the actions of the ship in the war zone. Even thoough he was not a member of the Lang he gives a crucial account of what it was like to be an 18 or 19 year old involved in life aboard a destroyer in WWII and of its actions in the war zone in the Pacific theatre. Knight's research and detail notes make the book excellent reading and reminded me of those years in the Pacific . As an enlisted man I wasn't aware of many things the author wrote about so from that perspective it recaptured those feelings and memories of events. The book reinforces the crucial part destroyers played in winning the war and captures the feelings at the time of action. From time to time I know I will be rereading parts of the chapters over again and realize how lucky I was to be a part of the Lang crew. I will always treasure the book as a special part of my collection of WWII books. It represents an excellent account of the Lang's Participation in crucial battles and is an historical memory for future generations. My son and daughter each have a copy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic picture of service aboard a destroyer, August 1, 2002

By 

A. G. Weber (Houston, Texas USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riding on Luck: Saga of the U.S.S. Lang (DD-399) (Paperback)

This book captures the reality of life on a destroyer during wartime--long days of monotony and routine patrol which may be suddenly interrupted by moments of intense action. In combat zones, the ship was required to remain at a high state of readiness for several days with little sleep and only minimum food for the crew. Despite several years of exposure in major campaigns, the ship suffered no combat casualities. This may strike some readers as "dull" but to me it is almost miraculous! As a WWII veteran who served on two destroyers (one of which was the Lang), I must give the highest praise to the author for his accurate portrayal of shipboard existence and the varying morale of the crew during the ups and downs of their campaigns. The book brought back many memories!

5.0 out of 5 stars Life on a "Tin Can" during war time, August 14, 2002

By 

Louis Perry (Arlington, Texas United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Riding on Luck: Saga of the U.S.S. Lang (DD-399) (Paperback)

I personally cannot attest to the grueling and nerve racking time period of being on a destroyer in war time; however, my father served on the USS Lang from February 1942 to October 1943. He told some stories, when his sons and daughters would inquire, of his exploits during this difficult time. I was amazed to read Mr. Knight's section on the battle of Vella Gulf only to remember my father telling us stories of this battle. My father's account of the battle accurately matched the information provided in the book. I could only imagine being a nervous 22 year old enlisted man in battle stations knowing this upcoming battle could have adverse affects if a shell were to hit the Lang. My father would tell us about the suicide missions, facing the Tokyo express, enjoying camaraderie with shipmates sipping torpedo juice, etc. This information was depicted in Mr. Knight's book as accurate as my father explained to me over 20 years ago.
Recently I was extremely fortunate to meet former members of the USS Lang at a reunion held in Houston, TX. I personally enjoyed meeting former members of the USS Lang and talking about their exploits during WWII. I only wish my father was still alive to relive the memories with former shipmates.
I personally found the book extremely rewarding to read and feel a sense of being on board with these heroic men. Reading Mr Knight's book and meeting some of the real life heros who served on the USS Lang only enhances my appreciation for the people who are truly representative of the Greatest Generation. I am extremely proud of my father and the book only enhances this feeling.
Thank you for the wonderful reading.