The thunderous roar of exploding depth charges was a familiar and
comforting sound to the crew members of the USS Barb, who frequently
found themselves somewhere between enemy fire and Davy Jones's locker.
Under the leadership of her fearless skipper, Captain Gene Fluckey, the
Barb sank the greatest tonnage of any American sub in World War II. At
the same time, the Barb did far more than merely sink ships-she changed
forever the way submarines stalk and kill their prey.
This is a gripping adventure chock-full of "you-are-there" moments.
Fluckey has drawn on logs, reports, letters, interviews, and a recently
discovered illegal diary kept by one of his torpedomen. And in a
fascinating twist, he uses archival documents from the Japanese Navy to
give its version of events.
The unique story of the Barb begins with its men, who had the confidence
to become unbeatable. Each team helped develop innovative ideas, new
tactics, and new strategies. All strove for personal excellence, and
success became contagious. Instead of lying in wait under the waves, the
USS Barb pursued enemy ships on the surface, attacking in the swift and
precise style of torpedo boats. She was the first sub to use rocket
missiles and to creep up on enemy convoys at night, joining the flank
escort line from astern, darting in and out as she sank ships up the
column.
Surface-cruising, diving only to escape, "Luckey Fluckey" relentlessly
patrolled the Pacific, driving his boat and crew to their limits. There
can be no greater contrast to modern warfare's long-distance, videogame
style of battle than the exploits of the captain and crew of the USS
Barb, where they sub, out of ammunition, actually rammed an enemy ship
until it sank.
Thunder Below! is a first-rate, true-life, inspirational story of the
courage and heroism of ordinary men under fire.
A Main Selection of the Military Book Club. Winner of the Rear Admiral
Samuel Eliot Morison Award for Naval Literature given by the Naval Order
of the United States, New York Commandery.
