Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)As one interested in submarine warfare, particularly during WWII, I was eager to see this new account, one of the first in book form in over a decade. My father was involved in the development of improved torpedoes for the U.S. Navy. It is well known that Germany had many "duds" but not as well known that throughout the war, our Mark 14, the standard, was virtually as bad as theirs. Anyone wishing to gain perspective on how close we came to defeat in this area will be fascinated by this book. Well researched, and readable.
Unfortunately, there is much "received wisdom" attached to the book. There is no discussion of work done at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory in Maryland, in cooperation with the the University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory. Two recent articles on this work, which resulted in a new magnetic-influence torpedo prior to the end of the war, are available in The Submarine Review [...].
Because the National Archives records pertaining to this work was declassified in 1996 (based on examination the RG 74 (Bureau of Ordnance) box at the Archives, this and most recent reviews of USN torpedoes during the war are incomplete. Most end with the order to "turn off" the magnetic-influence portion of the Mark 14's torpedo exploder mechanism in late 1943, and a drubbing of Admiral Lockwood. Articles in The Submarine Review (October 2009 and April 2010) lead to a necessary revision of the history, BuOrd's role in responding to the crisis of 1941-43 with the Mark 14, and leave a very positive impression of Admiral Hussy's role in responding to the crisis.
Because of the reference material cited here, I give the book a cautionary 4 stars. However, it is not the complete history (there may never be one), but it is missing more than a year of advances in torpedo exploder developments.
The only warning I'd make is that much of the developments of that period are, as yet, classified. Therefore, don't consider any such book a final authority.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Iron Men and Tin Fish: The Race to Build a Better Torpedo during World War II (War, Technology, and History)
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