Hellcats of the Sea

Author Charles Lockwood (Sink 'Em All) brings his same flair for submarine warfare story-telling to his account of Operation Barney the secret mission during World War 2 to extend the conflict in the Pacific beyond the Sea of Japan and closer to the enemy's coastline. On June 9 1945 torpedoes from nine American submarines - 'The Hellcats' - were launched at dozens of Japanese freighters paralyzing maritime operations between Japan and Korea. Each U.S. sub was equipped with newly designed mine-detectors and Mark-18s -- electronic torpedoes that left no traceable wakes or fume exhausts. Operation Barney continued for 15 days and proved a crucial breakthrough in the war with U.S. submarines sinking 28 Japanese ships totaling some 70000 tons. Hellcats of the Sea is a riveting account of the planning and events of those 15 days.