Posted on 02/26/2008 11:32:52 PM PST by squidly
Perhaps I am late to the party. Just got done reading this book. It struck home with me, since I used to be a tin can sailor myself. Before reading it, I never knew that the Yamato and Musashi could toss a 3,200 lb. shell a distance of 26 miles. That was the sort of thing we drilled for all the time. I'm glad that we never had to face it in battle. I was lucky enough to be in Clinton's Navy.
My grandfather helped build the New Jersey in the Philly ship yard.
When the recommissioned it for the Vietnam War he was one of only a few who were still working there. He was asked to be on the crew.
He was so proud to be part of the crew that got it to sea, twice!
That book is a very good read. The greatest generation is truely that.
The History Channel last year did a show using advanced CGI to recreate the battle, giving a clear view of the ships on both sides, the tactics, and results. It is rerun from time to time. Also the DVD is available from the network.
http://store.aetv.com/html/product/index.jhtml?id=74646
Just amazing heroism on the part of all there. They saved the day, no doubt!
I am a member of the brown shoe Navy, but I take my hat off to the people who go to sea in the Tin Cans...
What those tin can sailors did going up against the biggest and best big guns of the IJN, the biggest battleships ever built, was equivalent to David going up against Goliath.
During the Battle of Guadalcanal the ship was sunk by the Japanese and it now sits at the bottom of Ironbottom Sound.
Unfortunatly the old mans brother lost his life during the battle.
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