theBaron
Major
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2008
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I finished reading "A Dawn Like Thunder (The True Story of Torpedo Squadron Eight)", over the New Year's holiday, and I recommend it highly.
The author, Robert J. Mrazek, has drawn from sources such as the squadron's war diary, and interviews and documents from members of the squadron, or from others who took part in the actions described in the book. It is an account of Torpedo Eight, from December 7, through the Battle of Midway, when 20 of 21 of the squadron's planes were destroyed (15 from the Hornet, 6 launched from Midway), to the squadron's deployment in the Guadalcanal campaign, and its subsequent decommissioning.
I found it a gripping account, written and reading much like a war diary or action report itself. There is information here, especially about Torpedo Eight's service at Midway, that has not been included by previous authors, that I found extremely interesting. For example, there is more detail about the controversy the morning of June 4 among Captain Mitscher and his commanders, about which course the air group should take to find Nagumo's force. Those details explain more about Lt. Cmdr. Waldron's decision to lead his squadron on his own course, deviating from the agree-upon plot.
There is another detail about a senior officer of the Hornet, that must have served as the model for Captain Queeg's strawberry incident in "The Caine Mutiny". But I won't give that away, you'll have to read the book.
I recommend this to any fans of naval aviation, and to history buffs in general. This is going on the shelf as part of my Midway references.
Prost!
Brad
(Hey, this is my 1700th post!)
The author, Robert J. Mrazek, has drawn from sources such as the squadron's war diary, and interviews and documents from members of the squadron, or from others who took part in the actions described in the book. It is an account of Torpedo Eight, from December 7, through the Battle of Midway, when 20 of 21 of the squadron's planes were destroyed (15 from the Hornet, 6 launched from Midway), to the squadron's deployment in the Guadalcanal campaign, and its subsequent decommissioning.
I found it a gripping account, written and reading much like a war diary or action report itself. There is information here, especially about Torpedo Eight's service at Midway, that has not been included by previous authors, that I found extremely interesting. For example, there is more detail about the controversy the morning of June 4 among Captain Mitscher and his commanders, about which course the air group should take to find Nagumo's force. Those details explain more about Lt. Cmdr. Waldron's decision to lead his squadron on his own course, deviating from the agree-upon plot.
There is another detail about a senior officer of the Hornet, that must have served as the model for Captain Queeg's strawberry incident in "The Caine Mutiny". But I won't give that away, you'll have to read the book.
I recommend this to any fans of naval aviation, and to history buffs in general. This is going on the shelf as part of my Midway references.
Prost!
Brad
(Hey, this is my 1700th post!)