Customer Reviews

Wake of the Wahoo: The Heroic Story of America's Most Daring WWII Submarine, USS Wahoo

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What a delight to find this book finally back in print after over thirty years! It's an all-time favorite, a true classic of naval lore and one of two late-'50s/early-'60s seminal works on U.S. fleet submarines in World War II which, as a boy, helped create for me a lifelong interest in subs in general and American WWII boats in particular. The difference between this book and others like it is that, in general, those others have tended to either take a stuffier historical position, or be written from a colder, more distant command perspective: the Captain's privileged and/or technical remembrances.

Sterling's account, on the other hand, is completely his own: a totally down-to-earth first person retelling of all his adventures and experiences as an enlisted man aboard Wahoo, the pride of the fleet at the time. It's all in there: the boring monotony of days of fruitless patrolling on station and the long treks back and forth across the

Pacific; the infectious and overwhelming excitement of battle and the utter terror wrought by Japanese depth charge counterattacks; even the good-natured fun and camaraderie of between-patrols R&R at Brisbane, Midway and Pearl. And it's told from a definitely Everyman point of view, very approachable and easily satisfying in its day-to-day recounting.

And Wahoo herself? Her name, and that of her daring late skipper, Dudley W. "Mush" Morton, remain legendary among our submarine force. Under his command she became, arguably, America's most famous WWII sub: first to successfully penetrate an enemy harbor and torpedo a ship therein; first to successfully execute the "down the throat" torpedo shot; certainly first to wipe out an entire convoy one-by-one in a string of stirring attacks. It's a uniquely compelling story -- with Sterling on hand for all of it -- and it reads like a good novel. Indeed, many good books are currently available about life aboard U.S. subs in WWII. But if you're going to read only one on the subject, this is the book to dive into.

Forest Sterling's first person narrative of his experiences as a Yeoman for five of the seven war patrols, of the USS Wahoo is a classic that surpasses virtually every other book on WW II submarine warfare. Ranking right up there with Sam Watkins civil war classic, "Company Aytch", Sterling gives us an excellent insight into the life of an enlisted man aboard a submarine during war time. It's easy to read about the legendary Mush Morton and the tenacity of a Richard O'Kane in other books, but nowhere else does their personalties shine as they do in Sterling's book. Sterling effectively gives the reader an idea of the terror of repeated depth charge attacks and the fear of entering an uncharted harbor to sink an enemy destroyer. Despite the hardships, ringing clear throughout the book is the special camaraderie that the crew shared and indeed was a necessity to survive the rigors of confinement in a fleet boat of this era. Although not a long book, it will leave the reader in awe of what those aboard submarines lived through and possibly give some insight on what attracted them to this branch of service.

Wake of the Wahoo by Forest Sterling is a great read! Reading this engrossing book is actually more like sitting down with the author, and listening to him as he relates the five patrols he experienced on the Wahoo. We should be thankful that he received his orders for transfer before the 7th and fatal final patrol.

Forest Sterling was an enlisted sailor- the 'yeoman' aboard the Wahoo. His descriptions of long, sometimes very boring days on patrol, broken only by the tense, gut-wrenching episodes of discovering the target, tracking, stalking, and finally attacking, and evading, draws the reader into the clamy, sweaty, smelly, claustrophobic innards of a fleet submarine. No details are left to the imagination; Sterling recounts eating a particular sandwich at a moment in time; he describes his 'yeoman's' shack in minute detail. The yarns he spins on the personalities of his shipmates (including officers), is worth the read alone. His colorful insights of 'Mush' Morton, Dick O'Kane (also author of another Wahoo book, and Skipper of the Tang - the sub that sank the most tonnage in WWII), among others, is just plain fun to read about.

Footnote; Forrest Sterling also served on another sub after Wahoo, along with George Grider, who ALSO wrote a very good book on WWII subs; 'WAR FISH'. Sterling 'mentions' Grider in his book, but I don't recall if Grider ever re-called Sterling.

Anyway; Buy It, Read It, and Enjoy It!

This is a deckplate view of submariners at the height of war in the Pacific during WWII. As a Navy Sailor, I found myself drawn into the book simply because of its no frills language and realistic portrayal of heroes that don't know they are heroes, in action.

I reccommend this for anyone looking for an inside view of Navy life in general and submarine Sailors in particular.

Bravo Zulu Chief Sterling for a great story!

Forest Sterling's "Wake Of The Wahoo" gives the perspective of the Enlisted Man's take on Submarine Warfare in WWII. As I titled this review, it's a very hard book to put down once you start reading it. Like Cmdr. I.J. Galatin's "TAKE HER DEEP!", Sterling does not bore the reader with technical terms a non-Navy person would be confused with. He even went so far as to complain about "Fish Making Lots Of Noise" over the Sonar when Wahoo was in water replete with sediment and strong undercurrents---a problem with early Sonar you don't read much about.

"Wake Of The Wahoo" chronicals one of the most Daring Submarine Skippers from WWII and the crew the Author sailed with. "Wake Of The Wahoo" is a terrific story and worth reading over and over.

It is, perhaps, one of the classic images from World War Two. The sailor sits on his seabag, smoking a cigarette as he looks at the submarine that is about to take him into what will be the defining moment of his generation; World War Two. While he has served on submarines before, this will be the first time he has been on board a sub during a war. And wouldn't you know it, the sub he is assigned to will become a legend, not just for this war but forever.

There have been many books written by officers that served on U.S. submarines during World War Two but Forest Sterling gives us the unique perspective of going to war on a submarine, the perspective of that sailor sitting on the seabag on the pier. Sterling was Wahoo's Yeoman for five war patrols, four of them with the skipper that would become a legend right along with his boat, Mush Morton.

If what you're interested in is what it is like to carry the burden of command you may be a bit disappointed in this particular book. Sterling takes us to a different place. "Yeo" takes us to the crews messroom where we get to experience the obligtory "scuttlebut" that occurs on any navy ship. "So where we going this time Yeo?" "I don't know, Mush hasn't told me yet." "How many ship we gonna get this time?"

We also hear the crew's voice during an attack and a unique voice it is. "Is the old man crazy? Why ain't we runnin' from that destroyer?" Sterling takes us to most of the crew's activities and this is a unique perspective that is interesting. We go on liberty in Brisbane, Pearl Harbor and Midway (which apparently was a bit of a disappointment).

But there is something else here that is special. Sterling is a pretty good writer. Wake of the Wahoo is no dry recitation of procedures. Nope, you are there with the crew and you get to experience what they do and in a witty, well written style. Suffice it to say that from now on if anyone asks me about good submarine books, Wake of the Wahoo will be high on the list. Well done Yeo!

After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December, 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt issued the order of "unrestricted submarine warfare against Japan". No submarine carried this order out so effectively than the USS Wahoo. Commanded by Dudley "Mush" Morton and with Dick O'Kane as executive officer, Wahoo ran up a war record of tremendous proportions. Morton and his crew sank 21 Japanese vessels, totaling over 62,000 tons. Author Forest J. Sterling served as Yeoman aboard the Wahoo, and this fine book contains his recollections of his time aboard her.

Some submarine commanders were relieved of command due to fear of their ship being sunk; not Morton. He was not afraid to attack Japanese ships inside harbors, as he did with an enemy destroyer, and he was especially skilled at battling enemy ships while surfaced. Morton and his crew also managed to sink an entire Japanese convoy single-handedly. The only commander to surpass Morton's incredible totals was Dick O'Kane himself after he took command of the USS Tang.

This book offers a unique first-hand perspective of what it was really like aboard the Wahoo. Sterling tells an exciting story of Mush Morton and Dick O'Kane fearlessly leading Wahoo off against enemy ships. He also describes Morton as being a fearless leader as well as being well-liked and respected by his crew. Sterling tells about each of Wahoo's war patrols in great detail, and the reader gets a real sense of battle.

I highly recommend this fine book. I've read both of Dick O'Kane's books about the Tang and Wahoo, and I enjoyed this story as well. Sterling does a good job of describing what it was like to serve under the top two submarine commanders in the U.S. Navy, and his vivid narrative about Wahoo's patrols is first-rate. Sterling was transferred off Wahoo just 45 minutes before she sailed on her final voyage, and he has done Wahoo's memory justice with this book.

This is an awesome book! Reading about our WWII submarines really needs a special touch. Nothing captures the close confines and general feeling like writing in present tense first person. You feel as if you're perching on Sterling's shoulder the entire time you read the book. Fascinating information on a huge subject with a real personal touch. It's too easy to say "this sub did this and that sub did that," and end up with a boring, dry book. This is an in-depth (pun possibly intended?) up close and personal account of what it was like living and fighting aboard a WWII American submarine.

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