Clear the Bridge! : The War Patrols of the U.S.S. Tang
by Richard O'Kane
List Price:
Our Price: $11.32
You Save: $6.63 (37%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.49 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Richard O'KaneEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 1996-12-17
ISBN: 0891415734
Number of pages: 480
Publisher: Presidio Press
Book Reviews of Clear the Bridge! : The War Patrols of the U.S.S. Tang
Book Review: One of the Best Submarine Books Ever Written!
Summary: 5 Stars
Clear the Bridge! The War Patrols of the USS Tang, is my opinion, one of the best submarine books ever written. What makes it special, this book was written by the only man who could tell this story very effectively, her commanding officer!
I'm a student of U.S. History and a student of World War II. Also, I'm a veteran of the U.S. Submarine Fleet. I'm well aware of the history of the USS Tang! During the early stages of World War II, the U.S. Pacific Fleet was crippled when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. During the attack, the Japanese made two critical errors. The first error, they did not bomb the oil storage tanks. The second error, they did not bomb the submarine pens! The Pacific Submarine Force constituted 2% of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. However, they carried the war to the Japanese while the United States Navy rebuilt the Pacific Fleet. Known as the "Silent Service", the Pacific Submarine Fleet inflicted major damage to the Japanese war effort. During the early stages of the war, the Pacific Submarine Forces had its share of problems. The most serious, was faulty torpedoes. At best, the torpedoes were 50-50. They were still unreliable. The other problem was tactics. They were too conservated to be effective. When Admiral Chester Nimitz became Commander in Chief of the Pacific Fleet, he looked for an effective commander for the submarine fleet. He found his man when Vice Admiral Charles Lockwood became the Commander of Submarines Forces Pacific. Known as "Uncle Charlie", Admiral Lockwood was very effective. If a submarine commander did not produce, he was replaced. One of Admiral Lockwood's most effective submarine commanders, was Lieutenant Commander Dudley "Mush" Morton of the USS Wahoo! Commander Morton's executive officer on the Wahoo, was a young lieutenant by the name of Richard "Dick" O'Kane. During their time on the Wahoo, Commander Morton and Lieutenant O'Kane were very effective. The Wahoo had a impressive record on the amount of tonnage of ships that was sent to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean. Admiral Lockwood knew, Lieutenant O'Kane would make an excellent submarine commander. In the beginning of the book, O'Kane stated he learned a great deal from Commander Morton. During 1943, the problems with the torpedoes were resolved. The installation of radar and better tactics made the U.S. Submarine Forces a deadly threat in the Pacific to the Japanese Merchant Fleet and to the Japanese Navy! In late 1943, O'Kane was promoted to lieutenant commander and given command of the USS Tang. He personally attended the Tang's launching ceremony at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard in California. The Tang was one of the brand new Balao class fleet submarines. This new class of submarine had a longer range and could dive deeper to evade attack. Commander O'Kane was the Tang's only skipper. During its five war patrols, the Tang was very effective and Commander O'Kane became one of the best submarine skippers in the fleet. One of the nightmares for a submarine crew, is a depth charge attack. During its war patrols, the Tang endured its fair share of these attacks. One of the other duties of a submarine during World War II, was lifeguard duty. A submarine would patrol a specific area to rescue downed flyers who were forced to crashland into the ocean because of battle damage or ran out of fuel after an attack. The USS Tang had an impressive record of rescuing downed pilots during World War II. The pilots were eternally grateful. During its fifth war patrol in October of 1944, the Tang was in the Formosa Straits. The Tang inflicted heavy damage to a coastal convoy operating in the area. A submariner's worst nightmare, was a runaway torpedo in enemy waters. During a surface attack, one of the last torpedoes fired from the Tang, went wild and struck the ship. The damage that was inflicted, was fatal. When the Tang sunk in the Formosa Straits, most of the crew went down with the ship. A handful of the crew survived, included Commander O'Kane. They were rescued by the Japanese and spent the remainder of the war in the prisoner of war camp. After the passage of thirty years after the sinking of the Tang and loss of its crew, Commander O'Kane was able to tell their story, objectively!
Commander Richard O'Kane was one of the most decorated submarine officers during World War II. His awards include the Legion of Merit, three Silver Stars, three Navy Crosses and in March of 1946, for his actions in the Formosa Straits, Commander Richard O'Kane was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor by President Harry Truman. During World War II, Commander O'Kane was one of five submarine officers to be awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. During its five war patrols, the USS Tang was awarded two Presidential Unit Citations. After the war, O'Kane was highly praised by Admiral Lockwood. Admiral Lockwood stated, Commander O'Kane and his mentor, Commander "Mush" Morton of the Wahoo, set the standard for future submarine commanders. When his career in the United States Navy came to a close, O'Kane retired as a Rear Admiral.
Clear the Bridge, The War Patrols of the USS Tang, is one of the Best Submarine Books ever written. It's accurate historical account of submarine warfare against the Japanese during World War II. When it was first published in August of 1977, the book received high praise. The best complement came from Captain Edward Beach, a veteran submarine commander of World War II. Captain Beach would later command the Around the World cruise of the USS Triton and he was the author of Run Silent, Run Deep. During his praise, Captain Beach stated, the USS Tang was one of the best and Commander Richard O'Kane was the most professional submarine skipper during World War II!
If you are a student of history and/or a student of World War II like I am, Clear the Bridge! The War Patrols of the USS Tang, is a must for anyones personal library. Admiral O'Kane did an outstanding job when he was able to tell the story of the USS Tang, the men who served under him and what the Tang accomplished during its brief service during World War II. It's very easy to get lost in the pages of this book. It's highly recommended and it's very good reading! It's one of the best submarine books ever written and it was written by the only man who could tell their story objectively, her Captain!
Summary of Clear the Bridge! : The War Patrols of the U.S.S. Tang
Tang carried the war to the enemy with unparalleled ferocity. This is her story as told by her skipper.Military Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Military Books
A Quiet American: The Secret War of Varian Fryby Andy Marino
St. Martin's Press; Published: 1999-10-29; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $11.75
Price in other shops:
Eva's Story: A Survivor's Tale by the Step-Sister of Anne Frankby Eva Schloss, Evelyn Julia Kent
St Martins Pr; Published: 1989-04; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $40.00
George Washington: A Biographyby Washington Irving
Da Capo Press; Published: 1994-08-22; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.99
Price in other shops:
Slavemaster President: The Double Career of James Polkby William Dusinberre
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2003-03-27; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $18.94
Price in other shops:
Hitler: Diagnosis of a Destructive Prophetby Fritz Redlich
Oxford University Press, USA; Published: 2000-05-18; Paperback; Book
Best price: $19.25
Alexander Hamiltonby Ron Chernow
Penguin Audio; Published: 2004-04-26; Audio Cassette; Book
Best price: $29.95
Price in other shops:
Alexander Hamiltonby Ron Chernow
Penguin Audio; Published: 2004-04-26; Audio CD; Book
Best price: $134.40
Faith of My Fathers: A Family Memoirby John McCain, Mark Salter
Harper; Published: 2008-09-30; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $0.01
Price in other shops:
Patton: A Genius for Warby Carlo D'Este, este, Carlo D'
Harpercollins; Published: 1995-11; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $49.95
Stonewall Jacksonby James Robertson
Macmillan Pub.; Published: 1997-02-18; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $48.00
Price in other shops:
Similar Books and other products
Silent Victory Submarine Warfare in WWII - Rare Archival Footage - 2 DVD Set!Timeless Media Group; Release date: 2010-03-30; DVD
Best price: $3.91
Price in other shops:
Undersea Warrior: The World War II Story of "Mush" Morton and the USS Wahooby Don Keith
NAL Hardcover; Published: 2011-11-01; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $13.90
Price in other shops:
Silent Victory: The U.S. Submarine War Against Japanby Clay Blair Jr.
Naval Inst Pr; Published: 2001-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $22.62
Price in other shops:
Iron Coffins: A Personal Account Of The German U-boat Battles Of World War IIby Herbert A. Werner
Da Capo Press; Published: 2002-06; Paperback; Book
Best price: $9.93
Price in other shops:
Final Patrol: True Stories of World War II Submarinesby Don Keith
NAL Trade; Published: 2006-10-03; Paperback; Book
Best price: $5.99
Price in other shops:
Silent Running: My Years on a World War II Attack Submarineby James F. Calvert
Wiley; Published: 1997-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.94
Price in other shops:
The Bravest Man: Richard O'Kane and the Amazing Submarine Adventures of the USS Tangby William Tuohy
Presidio Press; Published: 2006-06-27; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.44
Price in other shops:
Submarine!by Edward L. Beach
Pocket Star; Published: 2004-08-31; Mass Market Paperback; Book
Best price: $4.92
Price in other shops:
Wahoo: The Patrols of America's Most Famous World War II Submarineby Richard H. O'Kane
Presidio Press; Published: 1996-06-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $11.62
Price in other shops:
Thunder Below!: The USS *Barb* Revolutionizes Submarine Warfare in World War IIby Eugene B. Fluckey
University of Illinois Press; Published: 1997-07-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $14.20
Price in other shops: