Combat Loaded: Across the Pacific on the USS Tate (Texas A&m University Military History) (Hardcover)

by Thomas E. Crew (Author)
Key Phrases: attack cargo ships, night retirement, landing division, World War, Ernie Pyle, Kerama Retto (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review
". . . an excellent example of recent scholarship to collect and preserve the deeds of the World War II generation." -- United States Naval Institute, September 2007

". . . an interesting and welcome addition to the literature of the United States Navy during World War II in the Pacific." -- Nautical Research Journal, December 2007

"The book is the first for Thomas E. Crew, longtime staff member of the Naval Oceanographic Office, but given his talent for weaving details of history with complexities of humanity, it should not be his last." -- East Texas Historical Journal, Fall 2007

"With superb maps and photographs throughout the text, COMBAT LOADED is a fascinating read. It is a rare combination of a ship's history, the recollections of her crew, and an analysis of the joint army-navy operations visible from her decks." -- The Journal of Military History

Product Description
The first authoritative history of any of the more than 350 attack transports or attack cargo ships of World War II, Combat Loaded: Across the Pacific on the USS Tate contains gripping combat narratives alongside the sometimes heartwarming, sometimes tragic details of daily life on board the ships of Transport Squadron 17 during the waning days of World War II.

Author Thomas E. Crew interviewed over fifty veterans of the Tate, including all her surviving officers. Crew weaves a rich tapestry of voices, combining it with extensive analysis of the Tate's daily action reports and ship's logs, accented by lively letters of the period from private collections--including previously unpublished accounts of the last days of famed war correspondent Ernie Pyle.

Crew also presents a rare unit-level perspective of joint operations involving the infantry fighting ashore and the navy transports that sustained them with their vital combat cargo. The resulting richly illustrated work presents perhaps the most comprehensive account to date of the experiences and courageous contributions of those who served on amphibious transports during World War II.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 232 pages
• Publisher: Texas A&M University Press (January 15, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1585445568
• ISBN-13: 978-1585445561
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #734,617 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Read, November 10, 2007

By	Randy Trahan (San Francisco Bay Area) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Last night I was reading this book well past midnight. I could not put it down until I saw how the Tate and her sister ships came through a series of unrelenting kamikaze attacks. The narrative in this book is riveting. I read it to gain insight into my father's WWII experience. He served aboard the USS Ormsby (APA-49). I was particularly interested in the many first-person stories that provide windows into the lives and experiences of sailors aboard these ships. I was surprised to find how well I was able to follow the combat sequences. I usually get lost in a jumble of unit designations, but the author took great care with charts, maps and verbal descriptions so I was able to understand what was going on and why. He explained the complex choreography of amphibious assault in a way that even I could understand. It is a great read.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptional Book, March 24, 2007

By	Louis Sander (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was an officer on one of the USS Tate's sister ships in the early 1960's, and I'm in contact with numerous shipmates from WWII. This book presents an accurate account of life aboard an attack cargo ship. Additionally, it gives interesting and informative accounts of the amphibious landing support mission in the Pacific. No other book has ever done either of these, though the famous "Away All Boats" dealt well with shipboard life in a fictional way. Combat Loaded is well-written from both the historic and human point of view. I read every word of it, and I found it hard to put down.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A work horse, not a show horse., March 10, 2007

By	James E. Tudor "Jim" (Georgia) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

First, in the interest of full disclosure, let me first say that my father served on this ship, so please excuse me for being being a "homer" on this one. Ships such as the Tate and sailors like Dad played an important role in keeping many ships (battleships, carriers, etc") supplied and attacking the enemy. The designation AKA was funny in that the A stood for "attack", which means they had at least one gun.

Tom has done a great job of shedding light on a group of WWII's unsung heros, who faced the same enemy attacks as some of the better known Navel elements. Enjoy the book.