Down To The Sea

In this book we gain an insight into the epic story of the history of the 1944 Typhoon, later known as Typhoon Cobra, that the Third Fleet Sailed into. The first half of the book introduces us to the destroyers and their crew that will suffer the tragedy that could have easily been avoided.

In `Down to the Sea' the author does a wonderful job of detailing the strengths and failings of each ship as we follow its career from construction to its ultimate end. Using a vast number of references Henderson is able to recreate life aboard these destroyers and share with a look at what it was like to be there. We learned just enough to know the skill level of the officers and crew by the time of the storm, and all that these brave ships had show more accomplished while under competent command. As far as the actual details of the battles they were in, there are many books written on that subject.

As you read this account of what transpired it becomes apparent that Admiral Halsey, a Naval Combat Hero, was not competent at commanding a large fleet. It was his bad judgment, tied in with his concern of appearing to not support MacArthur, that lead the fleet to sail directly into the typhoon. Though the navy made other mistakes, such as ignoring the very accurate weather reports from the Army, not recalculating the stability of the modified destroyers and the fear instilled in their crews to question their Captains so called "final decisions" lead to all these deaths and the loss of the three destroyers. It also had me questioning the motives of the board of inquiry, was it all just for show? According to this account there is no question that the surviving destroyer Captain should have been court-martialed and Admiral Halsey retired.

This book is a very compelling read that was well written and researched. It flowed as if it was a novel and I wanted to continue turning each page to see what was going to transpire next. The accounts of the survivors on the last moments onboard and their many hours in the sea are harrowing. This book does not hide anything; it shows the good and the bad. I would highly recommend this book. It must be read by anyone interested in naval history. show less

Good reading. Seemingly more thoroughly researched than Halseys Typhoon. At its core, it is still a terrible tragedy and none of the various responsible parties were held responsible, other than in the most superficial manner. Given the draconian discipline meted out to fleet sailors, it is a shame that their superiors were given such latitude.
This book is a good read.

4410. Down To the Sea An Epic Story of Naval Disaster and Heroism in World War II, by Bruce Henderson (read 2 Feb 2008) While this book starts sort of wobbilily, it turned out to be a great and emotionally-wrenching account of the loss of the destroyers Hull, Spence, and Monaghan in the typhoon of Dec 18, 1944, in the Pacific. The book is condemnatory of the abilities of Marks, captain of the Hull, and of Bull Halsey. One is awed by the perils the men of these ships encountered--756 died, only 92 survived. Except for its slow start, this would be a five-star book.

A well written and researched account of how and why Halsey sailed into a typhoon and how and why three destroyers were lost.