"The Conquering Tide

[quincannon]

"The Conquering Tide - War In The Pacific Islands 1942-1944 by Ian Toll

First off when I reported that this book was being released I gave a false report saying that it picked up at the end of the Guadalcanal Campaign. In doing that I confused Toll's previous book "Pacific Crucible" with another I was reading at the same time "Neptune's Inferno" by Hornfischer.

Conquering picks up after Midway and starts with Guadalcanal then carries on through 43 and 44 in the south and central Pacific.

I am about 200 pages into this latest and find that it will fit most readers needs. It fits mine for it gives me the broad strokes on all after Guadalcanal, a period I know Zipity Do Da about.

Good read, and I expect when the third volume of the trilogy is published in the not to far distant future, the three will be your first go to place on the naval war in the Pacific. 

 

[dave]

Chuck
Thank you for the heads up on Toll's works. I had read the Six Frigates and Hornfischer's works. I will order Toll's Pacific Crucible and The Conquering Tide.
My father served in the waters off of Guadalcanal on the USS Portland. The Portland escorted the USS Enterprise till being torpedoed in November 1942. So I am very interested in reading his books.
Regards
Dave

[quincannon]

Your father then was in the most intense naval battle of the Pacific War in my opinion, the Knife Fight in a Phone Booth that was Friday 13 November 1942.

After that fight, and the one the next night, the Japanese never came south again except to evacuate what was left of their forces on Guadalcanal.

People point to Midway, but again in my opinion, the 13-14 November fights were the high water mark of the IJN, and the first step of ascendancy of the U S Navy in WWII.

[quincannon]

Dave: The book you want to read is "Guadalcanal Decision at Sea - The Naval Battle of Guadalcanal November 13-14, 1942 by Eric Hammel.

It covers these two battles, one that flows into another extremely well. The book is very detailed as all of Hammel's are. May be a little hard to find, but well worth the search. Even has a picture of Portland.

[yanmacca]

There is a copy for around seven bucks on Amazon USA + postage of course;

link

Yan.

[dave]

QC
Thank you for the the suggestion and Yan is right about it being on Kindle and I will order it after reading Toll's works.
Guadalcanal was the training ground for the allied navies, especially the US Navy, and a bloody trial it was. The 4 to 5 months of naval action during the Operation Hightower enabled the US to hold the IJN at bay and eventually overwhelm them by 1945 through better training and superior construction numbers and quality.
Regards
Dave

[quincannon]

Operation Watchtower.

I am no fan of John S. McCain, but he wired King and Nimitz early on that Guadalcanal would break the back of the IJN and he was correct.

In many respects the IJN was still well ahead of us in mid to late 1942, but the one thing they could never get right is how to fully coordinate the efforts of simultaneous usage of land, air, and sea power.

That is what not having a balanced navy gets you, an offensive fist that cannot sustain itself.

[dave]

QC
You are correct, Operation Watchtower was code name and I agree that Guadalcanal was the turning point instead of Midway.
Japan lost the initiative after Guadalcanal and never regained it.
Regards
Dave

[quincannon]

Another new book I can highly recommend " The Fleet At Flood Tide" by James D. Hornfischer.

The book covers the period from February 1944 the carrier raid on Truk and follows the campaign in the Central Pacific to the end in Tokyo Bay. There is very good coverage of the Battle of the Philippine Sea, which I think you will enjoy.

Hornfischer's other books "Ship of Ghosts", "Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" and 'Neptune's Inferno" have all been first rate, with the last listed being my favorite, but that is my primary area of interest, the first year of the Pacific War.

Well written - The Fleet - will both hold your attention and spark your interests perhaps into a deeper dive. Keep in mind though it is Central Pacific, so if you are looking for Leyte Gulf or any of the return to the Philippines stuff you won't find it here.

[dgfred]

I liked 'Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors'.