Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors by James D. Hornfischer -499 pages
This award-winning book is the definitive account of the October 1944 battle off the the island of Samar in the Philippines. The U.S. ships involved were small escort aircraft carriers, destroyers, and destroyer escorts that fought a desperate battle against some of Japan's most powerful battleships and cruisers. As part of the landing support force, they were supposed to be protected by U.S. battleships and large carrier forces. How the Navy failed to protect this vulnerable force is not dwelled on by the author, as the main focus is on the stellar performance and courage of these small vessels. Several ships were sunk, but their crews and pilots inflicted serious damage on the enemy's superior fleet and forced them to withdraw.
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