Customer Reviews

The USS Flier: Death and Survival on a World War II Submarine

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Submariners assert their's was the most dangerous duty posting in World War II. Unlike the thousands of Airmen shot down over Europe who had a chance to bail out, if submariners were forced to abandon ship, there was little chance of survival. "The USS Flier: Death and Survival on a World War II Submarine" retells the story of eight survivors who not only survived the sinking of their ship, but made their way back to allied lines to fight again.

Sturma researched War Patrol Reports and the 1944 transcripts of the ship's skipper, Commander John Crowley, along with numerous other applicable publications available from US Navy Archives. After reading the book, you may jump to the conclusion either Commander John Crowley was a hard luck skipper, or the USS Flier was a hard-luck ship. In January 1944, on its first outing in the Pacific, Commander Crowley brought the sub into Midway harbor for refueling. Sturma provides a detailed look into the circumstances that led to the stranding of the submarine and subsequent sinking of its rescue vessel, the USS Macaw.

The book briefly describes the board of inquiry into the accident which held Crowley accountable, but permitted him to retain command. After major repairs in California, Commander Crowley led the USS Flier on its second patrol where it came to an abrupt end in the Balabac Strait on August 13, 1944.

Sturma begins with survivor accounts ("there was a big explosion") and analyzes the possible causes for the explosion. Although never proven conclusively, Sturma establishes a credible argument for a Japanese naval mine as the probable cause of the explosion. The story continues with the incredible fourteen-hour swim to a nearby island. Two days later the survivors make contact with coast watchers in the Phillipines, who radioed US Seventh Fleet to coordinate a rescue during the night of August 29, 1944.

The balance of the book describes the subsequent inquiry into the loss of the USS Flier, and the careers of Crowley, the other survivors, and Admiral Christie, the commander of the submarine fleet based out of Freemantle, Australia.

Whether it's a description of the evolution of Midway Harbor; mine warfare tactics; or the personal rivalries between the American commanders of Australia-based submarines, Sturma provides detailed segues into many facets of Naval and submarine warfare during World War II. The book has numerous charts that enhance the reader's ability to understand the operations areas.

This enjoyable and readable book honoring the USS Flier would be a welcome addition to any maritime library.

I bought this book with the expectation of an interesting tale of survival during war. What I got was a story of US Navy bureaucracy. The Flier story is an interesting adventure saga of men who survived the sinking of their submarine by a Japanese mine and eventually contact Phillipino Guerillas who arrange for their extraction to Australia. That part of the book is excellent. But the author proceeds to pad the book with the politics of deck bound navy brass. Those men in the subs are the heroes. They should have gotten more print time than some paper pushers in Honolulu and Australia.

Fifty-two American submarines were lost in action during World War II. USS Flier (SS-250) was one of those 52, being lost on 13 August 1944. Flier was running on the surface at the time, 14 crewmen including skipper John Crowley surviving the sinking. Eight made it to land. The combat career of Flier is detailed in this well-written book by Australian professor Michael Struma.

SS-250 had a short, checkered career. In January 1944, enroute to the war zone, she ran aground off Midway Island and one crewman was lost overboard. Refitted, in May she headed out on her first patrol, eventually being credited with sinking 10,000+ tons of Japanese shipping. Her second patrol was abruptly terminated on 13 August when she hit a Japanese mine in the Sulu Sea. Eventually meeting up with coastwatchers/guerrillas, the eight survivors were later rescued by USS Redfin.

USS FLIER is a good read. Sturma has an engaging writing style and does a fine job relating the short life of Flier. The subsequent inquiry held on Flier's loss and its effects on various Naval officers' careers makes for interesting reading.

Recommended for all 'Silent Service' enthusiasts.

I purchased this book because I had a personal interest in the history of the vessel and its crew. I searched for several years to locate an Uncle I knew who perished during WWII on a Navy submarine and I found him on the USS FLYER.

The story is not for everyone, but for those that have an interest in the vessel, it fills in a lot of details.

On February 1, 2010 the US Navy confirmed that the USS Flier has been found in the Balabac Strait. The Flier was not the luckiest submarine in the US Fleet during WWII, she grounded herself at Midway losing a sailor, and sank on her second war patrol. The USS Flier looks at the history and impact of the loss of the Flier. What is discussed is the factors surrounding her sinking, the commanding officer sailing under a Shakespearean star crossed sailing record, did his lack of previous aggressiveness contribute to the loss by wanting to be more aggressive, the bon vivant Hollywood star looking admiral who liked to gamble on anything, did he gamble with the lives of his men, to the currents forcing the Flier out of the safe channel in the Balabac Strait. Sturma lets the reader decide which factor was the most important.

What Sturma does is in 166 pages creates the ability for questions to be raised about the Flier's loss and the story of the rescue of the eight survivors. The Flier's loss seems to have been connected to the loss of the USS Robalo commanded by Commander Manning P. Kimmel (son of Adm Husband Kimmel of Pearl Harbor). The Robalo was lost near where the Flier was lost. Rear Admiral Ralph Waldo Christie was relieved of his command after an inquest of the loss of the Flier and the Robalo. Sturma suggests that family ties between Kimmel and Admiral Thomas Kinkaid (Manning Kimmel was Kinkaid's nephew) or perhaps Christie gambled his career in wanting an inquest and lost.

Perhaps the location of the Flier would help answer questions about her loss. Such as did the Flier stray into a minefield? The Japanese laid mines in the shallow parts of the Balabac Strait. Could the location of the Flier give an idea if she was in the area of minefields. It has been reported she was found in 330 feet of water could confirm that idea she had been sailing in a minefield. The Japanese also laid deep mines as well as shallow. The location will give Historians a better idea of what caused the loss of the Flier and Sturma's book will help understand the aftermath.

The previous reviewers have sufficiently pointed out all the positive (and negative) elements of the book USS Flier: Death and Survival on a World War II Submarine by Michael Sturma, so to add any more general critiques would be superfluous. Alas, there are two glaring points I must make, for they propelled me to write this truncated quasi-review.

First, why no mention of the USS Flier as a Gato-class submarine? The actual submarine designated USS Gato (SS-212) is mentioned twice. So, why is there no mention of the class of submarine? The repetition of this question is symptomatic of how puzzled I was. Also, a more detailed discussion about the R-class (which were WWI coastal defense boats) and the S - Class boats would have been welcomed.

Second, a more in-depth discussion should have been made about the total failure of the US Navy's Mark 14 torpedoes at the start of the Pacific campaign. It was a huge SNAFU on the part of the Navy and not a subject of debate today for history has shown the facts. The Navy even presented the problem to Albert Einstein! (They found his solutions a bit complicated!)

Here is a synopsis from the October 1996 issue of THE SUBMARINE REVIEW:

(Take a look at:http://www.geocities.com/Pentagon/1592/ustorp2.htm)

THE GREAT TORPEDO SCANDAL

"The Great Torpedo Scandal emerged and peaked between December 1941 and August 1943, but some of its roots went back twenty five years. It involved primarily the Mk.14 and three distinct problems, depth control, the magnetic influence exploder and the contact exploder, whose effects collectively eroded the performance of the torpedoes. The scandal was not that there were problems in what was then a relatively new weapon, but rather the refusal by the ordnance establishment to verify the problems quickly and make appropriate alterations. The fact that after twenty five years of service the Mk.10 had newly discovered depth control problems adds weight to the characterization of the collection of problems and responses as a scandal. These comments should, however, be mitigated a little by the fact that each of the Mk.14 problems obscured the next. Although BuOrd did not identify the final problem, contact exploder malfunction when a torpedo running at high speed struck the target at ninety degrees, their response, once the difficulty had been identified, was notably prompt. In spite of the promptness of BuOrd's response, by the time it reached Pearl Harbor a number of relatively simple solutions to the problem had been proposed, and modifications had already been designed and implemented. This was, however, almost two years after the United States entered WW II."

One final point, a full list of submarines and their actions during WWII in a glossary format would have been an excellent addition. Thus, every follower of the Silent Service could look up their favorite boat.

These points should otherwise not detract from a decent book about the Silent Service and the men that sacrificed so much.

Submarine warfare in the Pacific always catches my attention. I've enjoyed many books on this subject, each boat has its own tale to tell... Buy this one.

the book went by fast, it was that great! those submariners in world war two were extraordinary.