Remembering the Battle of Samar | The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II...

An amazing book on naval warefare and true heroism | The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour | James D. Hornfischer

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	• The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors: The Extraordinary World War II Story of the U.S. Navy's Finest Hour James D. Hornfischer Bantam, 2005 - 512 pages average customer review:based on 165 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

"from the east and to the west the US Navy is the best"

for all the blue water saliors out there you will enjoy this hiroric tale of the best the world has to offer at sea. with no place to go but in the drink they fought until the bitter end .

Remembering the Battle of Samar

James Hornfischer's THE LAST STAND OF THE TIN CAN SAILORS is a meticulously researched and finely written account of the WWII naval battle of Samar. Widely regarded as the US navy's greatest surprise victory, the US Taffy 3 (northernmost escort carrier unit of the 7th Fleet) force found itself at daybreak on October 25, 1944 confronted with an overwhelming Japanese force. Faced with short odds, the Destroyers and Destroyer Escorts of Taffy 3 decided to charge and fight rather than turn and run. The book tells the story of the destruction, and yet ultimate triumph, of the "Tin Cans" which took on the enemy giants. More geared towards for military history buffs in the first part, the book gains speeds in the second part with riveting detail of the mind-numbing two hours of conflict followed by the gruesome survival in the water while waiting for rescue. A very nice tribute to some true American heroes.

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An amazing book on naval warefare and true heroism

In October 25, 1944 the Japanese navy launched its last great gamble to stop the American encroachment on their home islands, a detailed plan to lure the American battle fleet from its station protecting the American army just starting to retake the Philippines and allow the Japanese battle fleet to sweep in to destroy that Army with bombardment. Overly intricate the plan actually achieved its primary goal of luring away the main guardians of the army and as the last battle fleet of the once mighty Japanese Imperial Navy bore down on its target, the only thing in their way were 6 escort carriers providing close air support to the troops ashore and their7 destroyer and destroyer escort guards.

Call signed "Tappy 3" this force all together displaced less water than just the Japanese flag ship charging down on them and was so insignificant in power as to be rightly described as "having no business being in the same ocean as the Japanese fleet." It was not fast enough to outrun the Japanese battleships and cruisers bearing down on it so the Captains of Tappy 3 did the only thing they could, they attacked! What followed is called the Battle of Leyte Gulf. It was a fight where US Navy destroyers engaged Imperial Navy battleships in gun duels. This was not David Vs Goliath. This was David's baby sister taking on Goliath's big brother. What should have been a speed bump for the Japanese became a battle they couldn't win. In recounting that battle Hornfischer writes what is one of the best books on the war in the Pacific I have ever had the pleasure of opening.

Hornfischer has an open and conversational style of writing. His charm and ability is to so flesh out some of the men in Tappy 3 with small anecdotes of their lives, training and careers that you feel you know them and care about their fate. They are not faceless uniforms inside the great ships but individuals. They are fathers and brothers, sons and they have lives before and hopefully after this battle. The back of the book lists the casualties suffered and as Hornfischer's the characters, real people, unfold I found myself repeatedly looking there to see "did he make it?" This is something I've never done with a book like this before but thanks to Hornfischer's writing, you find you need to know.

Usually this hyper focused book is not for the new reader. Lynn Macdonald's similar books on WW1 give a great experience of the men but little in the way of the grand scheme. Hornfischer skillfully avoids this. Explaining in a few well chosen vignettes the roll of the different types of ships and how they were deployed he paints the broad canvas on which the war was fought and the men of Tappy 3 become more than the individuals in a desperate fight, they become iconic of all Navy men in the war. Because of Hornfischer's skill, should you later read a less well written book about what navy men did or didn't do, because of this book, you'll really understand what they did.

When looking at the pure numbers involved in Leyte Gulf there should never have been anything close to a `battle' there. By all the logic of war, common sense and self preservation Tappy 3 should have gotten out of the way, or been exterminated. Tappy 3 found a 3rd option and Hornfischer brilliantly tells their story in a way, that nearly 70 years after the fact the reader feels he knows the men who stood up to the Japanese battle fleet. Of Tappy 3 it truly could be said "They were in the wrong place, at the wrong time. Naturally, they became heroes."

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The Valor of Ordinary Men

Perhaps the finest story about U.S. Navy men in combat to come out of WWII.
The author has pulled together a riveting story from a wide variety of sources including personal accounts of the young men who fought so valiantly against such great odds. It was Admiral Halsey (I think) who said "there are no great men, there are only great events during which ordinary men are called upon to perform."
These were ordinary men in every sense of the word who when called upon did perform with overwhelming valor.

great story

The book arrived in great shape. The merchant delivered on time as promised. Will use this merchant again! Would recommend to friends also.

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?This will be a fight against overwhelming odds from which survival cannot be expected. We will do what damage we can.?

With these words, Lieutenant Commander Robert W. Copeland addressed the crew of the destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts on the morning of October 25, 1944, off the Philippine Island of Samar. On the horizon loomed the mightiest ships of the Japanese navy, a massive fleet that represented the last hope of a staggering empire. All that stood between it and Douglas MacArthur?s vulnerable invasion force were the Roberts and the other small ships of a tiny American flotilla poised to charge into history.

In the tradition of the #1 New York Times bestseller Flags of Our Fathers, James D. Hornfischer paints an unprecedented portrait of the Battle of Samar, a naval engagement unlike any other in U.S. history?and captures with unforgettable intensity the men, the strategies, and the sacrifices that turned certain defeat into a legendary victory.

From the Hardcover edition.

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