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Fleet Gods Forgot: The U.S. Asiatic Fleet in World War II (Bluejacket Books) Paperback – August 15, 2014

4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 68 ratings

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The dramatic tale of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet in World War II received little attention prior to the publication of this book in 1982, when Winslow chronicled their short and tragic story of heroism and defeat.Greatly outnumbered by vastly superior forces, and saddled with defective equipment; a lack of supplies, reinforcements, and air cover; and, towards the end, an incompetent and bungled Allied combined command, the Asiatic fleet met the Japanese head-on. Within a matter of three months, however, the beleaguered ships were totally wiped out.

Captain Walter Winslow, a naval aviator on board the USS
Houston, flagship of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet, was in a unique position to tell the riveting story. As an active participant in all the major battles the fleet engaged in, he had an intimate understanding of the calamities that befell it. In addition, he drew upon the his own extensive notes he kept from a POW camp while interviewing other American, British, Dutch, and Australian prisoners from the Allied fleet. Winslow also painstakingly tracked down war documents and battle reports from all the ships assigned to the fleet to paint a complete picture filled with graphic details of the fleet's only victory at Balikpapan; the disastrous Battle of the Java Sea that broke the back of the combined Asiatic fleet; the ghastly spectacle at Sunda Strait where the Houston struggled to survive; the suspenseful episode in the submarine Perch trapped in the mud at the bottom of the sea; and the daring escape from Corregidor of eighteen crewmembers from the USS Quail who refused to surrender to the Japanese forces.
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Naval Institute Press (August 15, 2014)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 344 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 155750928X
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1557509284
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.7 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.25 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 68 ratings

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Walter G. Winslow
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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
68 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2014
This far-flung theater of early days and the desperate struggles of Allied forces is accurately told by a participant in several of its momentous battles. A survivor of the USS Houston shows how in spite of isolation, shortages, and overwhelming odds, great courage was the norm among American and other forces fighting the Japanese takeover of Southeast Asia. These brave men deserve a shining place in the pantheon of military histories of the Pacific war. One sometimes reads of those who served in these campaigns and have passed away without ever saying a word about their horrific experiences and selfless bravery. After reading this book, it's understandable. In spite of often incompetent and confused leadership, obsolete and defective weapons,being hugely outnumbered, and a 100% chance of death at their heels they fought and died to gain time and bleed the enemy, just to allow the home fronts to gain the time needed to prepare and help their Allies escape the barbarity of the Japanese. Mr. Winslow's account, like his other two books, is well worth the price.
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Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2015
Most histories of the naval war in the pacific give a short summary chapter about the US Asiatic Fleet and its fate at the hands of the Japanese navy in 1941 and 1942. This book focuses on that Fleet and the battles that it fought with a superior opponent and the fate of the ships involved. Also included were the ships of the Dutch fleet in the East Indies and the few British ships assigned to the area. Ships like the cruisers USS Houston, HMS Exeter, HMAS Perth, USS Marblehead, HNMS De Ruyter, HNMS Java, and their supporting destroyers, submarines, and support ships that were sunk or seriously damaged in combat with forces from Imperial Japan are detailed in this battle and administrative history. There are few books that deal with this area of World War II in any depth so this book is useful for the student of naval history. It gives a serious look at what happens to a fleet when it's support system is seriously damaged or destroyed. The command and control system was chaotic also with British, Dutch, and US ships cooperating directly without a working control system. The book is not an exhaustive, academic study of the period but rather a very easily read narrative history. An interesting read about a little known and understood period in World War II
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Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2022
A great source of information about the U.S.N. Asiatic Fleet - full of actual accounts and details.
Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2018
I really enjoyed this book. Especially the second half in which each chapter was devoted to a particular ship, plane or group of sailors fighting, trying to survive or flee to safe haven. I can't imagine many of these stories being well known. Most of these sailors were no less brave or able than the sailors in later, victorious engagements. They simply had the misfortune of being placed in the wrong ships in the wrong time.
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Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2019
This book was an excellent tale about the pacific fleet at the onset of World War II, and the beatings they took to try and stave off the advances of the Japanese navy. It got a little bogged down in the details of ship movements, but overall and excellent read.
Reviewed in the United States on September 28, 2020
Great book if you interested in the beginning of WW2 & how the US Navy/Allies tried to stem the tide of the Japanese
Reviewed in the United States on March 26, 2019
Very interesting book- the men on these ships should be hailed as heroes- fighting with outdated equipment and coming up against the mightiest Navy of that time is so remarkable it makes one cry- such heroism
Reviewed in the United States on December 13, 2016
A fine companion volume to Edwin Hoyt's "The Lonely Ships". Walter Winslow, a survivor of those desperate battles in the early days of the US involvement in World War II, highlights the ships and their crews involved with the struggle to thwart the Japanese onslaught against the Philippines and SE Asia.
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Top reviews from other countries

Amazon Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars Good read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 16, 2020
It is really all about the US warships. The Australian, British and Dutch warships are only mentioned if they were in the same area. However it is a good read with alot of detail for the fates of all the US ships right down to gunboats, tugs, pt boats etc. There are many individual accounts of how they survived and got to safety in Australia. It is an interesting read and shows the grit and determination to survive the disaster that was unfolding at the time
Guy M. Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars A story of defeat, but great bavery.
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 14, 2013
This book throws light on a campaign that has had little written work on it . Though one of defeat, the stories tell of great courage and sacrifice and filled my knowledge in a lot of areas I didn't know about. It is sad to read about sailors given poor weapons and little support, yet they fought very hard. Excellent read.