Halsey's Typhoon: The True Story of a Fighting Admiral, an Epic Storm, and an Untold Rescue, Robert Drury and Tom Clavin

The dis-oriented author has been through a Pacific Typhoon. Of course I weathered the typhoon in a building made of concrete block with metal shutters. So I was naturally curious when I saw Bob Drury and Tom Clavin's  Halsey's Typhoon, in the bookstore.

The story takes place after the Battle of Leyte Gulf. I had recently read James D Hornfischer's Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors. In which Halsey is notable for abandoning Task Force 3 made up of smaller escort ships while he chased after the Japanese carriers to the north.  In the end it was a Japanese ruse and the men of Task Force  3 faced the battlewagons and heavy cruisers of the  Japanese fleet. They acquitted themselves well that day in what has become known as the Navy's Alamo.

After that humiliation Halsey was not about to let a typhoon prevent him from being on station to cover MacArthur.

Halsey's Typhoon is about a Typhoon Cobra, the first named storm in the Pacific. Cobra hit Halsey's fleet as they were getting ready to meet with their oilers and refuel. At the time there was very little weather information available to the fleet or headquarters back in Pearl harbor. The science of meteorology  was in its infancy and to further complicate things most ship and shore stations maintained strict radio silence.

When the storm cleared almost 800 lives were lost. Three destroyers, USS Hull, USS Spence, and USS Monaghan, capsized and sank outright. Several other ships were severely damaged and aircraft blew off carier decks or skidded across hangers starting fires and explosions.

The book looks at the events of those days as well as the inquiry into Halsey's actions as commander  regarding the safety of his fleet. The book also has stories of heroism including that of the USS Tabberer whose captain and crew picked up most of the survivors.

We were at war with Japan but for a short time we were also at war with the sea.

Halsey's Typhoon gets 4 of 5 dis-oriented smileys

Purchase Halsey's Typhoon  from Amazon.com.