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War in the Boats : My World War II Submarine Battles Paperback – July 31, 1996

by William J. Ruhe (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 331 ratings
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includes a Foreword by Tom Clancy.

"Reality and intensity are the chief watchwords of this unique and highly personal memoir of World War II submarine combat in the Southwest Pacific."--Seapower

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  1. Part of series
    Memories of War
  2. Print length
    302 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    University of Nebraska Press
  5. Publication date
    July 31, 1996
  6. Dimensions
    0.75 x 6.5 x 9.25 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    1574880284
  8. ISBN-13
    978-1574880281
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Action packed....A fitting and worthy tribute to the U.S. Navy....Extremely well written." -- The Naval Review

"The human side of submarine warfare....Exciting reading..." -- Washington Times

In 1942, fresh from the U. S. Naval Academy, young ensign Bill Ruhe went to war in the Pacific in submarines, or "boats" as they were called by the men who sailed them. War In The Boats: My WWII Submarine Battles grew out of a journal he surreptitiously kept, recording eight tense, action-filled patrols against the Japanese in the South Pacific. With the variety of his missions and types of boats he served on, Ruhe's experiences encompass those of almost every U. S. submariner in the Pacific theater. War In The Boats chronicles not only the progress of the war, but also the effect submarine warfare had on a tightly knit group of men. While War In The Boats is one of the most detailed descriptions of factual naval warfare, the combat actions never overshadow the impact they had on the combatants themselves. War In The Boats is a unique "window in time" into one of the fiercely fought, critically important, yet largely unknown, aspects of war in the Pacific. -- Midwest Book Review

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of Nebraska Press; Reprint edition (July 31, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 302 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1574880284
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1574880281
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.11 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 0.75 x 6.5 x 9.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 331 ratings

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William J. Ruhe

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Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
4.4 out of 5
331 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars An absolutely fascinating book.
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2014
Verified Purchase
This book is hard to stop reading. It tells of the day to day environment aboard a submarine in a wartime environment when being the hunted and the hunter is happening at the same time. The author gives a perspective that very few people have ever encountered. There are harrowing experiences, human screw-ups, and poignant moments, such as when the crew evacuates a group of Philippine refugees to Australia.

What helps to make this book exceptional is the self effacing style of the author. The war efforts are not glorified, nor demeaned. He kept a detailed journal of his experiences over many combat missions involving a few different submarines and different skippers, and drew from these notes without a lot of exaggeration.

What also makes this book so fascinating in the way it reveals both the durability and the frailty of the boat and the crew. Attacks on ships rarely went as planned. Equipment is constantly breaking, and often being repaired in a “make-do” fashion. An abscessed tooth is removed from a crew member with pliers disinfected with torpedo alcohol. The skippers often become exhausted while managing the attack operations.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the history of the war in the Pacific, or in what submarine warfare was truly like in that era.
6 people found this helpful
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Houston Gray
4.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great.
Reviewed in the United States on May 13, 2014
Verified Purchase
This certainly is a complete account of a sailor who was aboard three different classes of submarine during WWII. In fact, the first 50-75 pages is so detailed that it is hard to get through, even for someone who loves reading about subs. But I'm glad I pushed through because I found the book, as a whole, well worth the read.

Here are a few things that should be added if they write a new edition...or if you are thinking of writing a book about the military.
1) More maps. ...lots more maps. This book has one map, which is quite lacking considering how widespread the various submarine patrols chronicled in this book reached.
2) More pictures. There are tons of descriptions but with a chart/drawing/picture they mean little to someone who has never served aboard a submarine.
3) A list of ranks. For those of us that haven't served it would help to have a reference guide to ranks.
4) A better glossary. Don't use terms in the definitions that aren't defined elsewhere in the glossary. Although I know that the "bow" is the front of the boat, they use "bow" in several of the definitions but don't include "bow" in the glossary.
5) A basic explanation of how a submarine works. For those who don't know, it isn't as simple as just diving and surfacing and knowing in detail how it is done (or better yet, through a couple of diagrams) the rest of the book wouldn't seem overly detailed. If you understand how a submarine works, the details are appreciated but if not, than they become a bit too much.

But again, these are just general complaints I have about most military history books. I found this one facinating and one of the better submarine memoirs I have read.
6 people found this helpful
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Retired Navy Chief
5.0 out of 5 stars Anguish, Tension and Suspense
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2014
Verified Purchase
An well written book giving a taste of the travails of old boats and poorly functioning torpedoes that required men of steel inside boats poorly equipped for tropical warfare. The analysis of operations by the author as he prepared himself for moving up the chain of command was an excellent wrap up to each of his patrols. He was not ashamed nor afraid to detail his doubts or mention his shortcomings. I thoroughly enjoyed his descriptions of the challenge of approaching convoyed ships and the tension caused by seemingly unexplainable tactical moves by individual ASW vessels. His descriptions of the anxiety engendered by close approaches to enemy vessels showed clearly that we were blessed by having Americans serving those boats. The mechanical ingenuity and the ability to improvise, both attributes held in high regard in the services were often present in exceptional quantity on the boats. This is a great book for men who have served in submarines and also for those who are curious about the men who enclose themselves in a "sewerpipe" in the service of their country.
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Rocket
5.0 out of 5 stars Brave Sailors
Reviewed in the United States on September 5, 2023
Verified Purchase
A good historical account of the patrols in enemy waters for 20+ days at a time.
Humbling to know over 20% of America’s subs were lost.
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Carol Gleason
5.0 out of 5 stars Submarine boats at the time of Pearl Harbor.
Reviewed in the United States on October 1, 2015
Verified Purchase
This was about my 12th book on submarines and it covered the "S" boats, in particular the S37. I was surprised by the errors made by untrained crew members. It was amazing that the boat survived the errors and the faulty equipment. Showed how ill prepared our Navy was after Pearl Harbor. The author was a good writer and an interesting story teller. Never heard of the Banda Sea before let alone the deadly poisoness snakes that float on the water's surface there. The latter part of the book is about the Crevelle and its patrols. This book covered new territory for me and I would certainly recommend it as a good book to add to anyone's submarine library.
One person found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
4.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Personal History
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2012
Verified Purchase
William J. Ruhe has written a fascinating personal history of his experiences as a submarine officer during World War II. For those who enjoy history from an individual perspective you will find this a wonderful book. It is not a discussion of grand strategy of US Naval submarine warfare in the Pacific during the war. However, if you want to know what it was like to serve aboard the submarines that executed that strategy this is the book for you.
I rated this book with four stars because I have read better written personal history accounts. However, I thoughly enjoyed it and would highly recommend it.
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Jones5
5.0 out of 5 stars OUTSTANDING ACCOUNT OF SUMBARINE WWII WARFARE
Reviewed in the United States on June 21, 2013
Verified Purchase
This is by far the best book I have read in a LONG time! If you have an interest in war history and the Navy, you cannot pass up this read. I am young but have always had an interest in WWII and war history in general, so this was very enjoyable to me. When I was younger I played the dos game "Silent Hunter"; this book parallels the virtual patrol experiences of that game. Eight detailed patrols are recounted by William Ruhe in a very engaging way. Many times I was up late at night reading (well past my bed time) just because I had to find out "what happens to Ruhe and the Crevalle?!" Great read. -don't hesitate to buy and have yourself an adventure!
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Top reviews from other countries

JM
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended
Reviewed in Germany on April 30, 2020
Verified Purchase
Good writing style but more important excellent description of the technical details of the sub and its tactical employment in the war as well as the life on board. A must-read for anyone interested in submarine warfare.
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JeanH
5.0 out of 5 stars Written with honesty
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 2, 2007
Verified Purchase
Submariners are usually good writers; some, and Ruhe is one of them, are very good. His experience of the Pacific war is illuminating, but what makes this book really stand out is his honesty. Ruhe was scared, and was not afraid to admit it , nor to talk frankly but with respect and understanding, about the effect of patrols on his commander, Munson. he has an eye for the tiny details: the cockroaches on the old S-boat; the scrawny chicken given by local Philippinos, which was nurtured - so it would lay eggs - instead of being eaten. At the other end of the scale is the almost fatal depth-charging by Japanese escorts while the Crevalle was taking home civilians, including 17 children.
No photograps, but the writing is so vivid that no picture would be worth a thousand words. A great read, whatever side of the pond you are on.
i
9 people found this helpful
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Clipper 314
5.0 out of 5 stars What an experience
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 30, 2013
Verified Purchase
Excellent book, well written, engrossing, and one of those personal accounts that really takes you into the experience of submarine warfare. Certainly a 'couldn't put down' book and now its finished I'm struggling to find anything to take its place. Unmissable for anyone interested in the life and experiences of submariners in WW2. No photos (I don't think it needs any), but some informative maps and diagrams of the patrol areas and attack positions; plus a diagram of a Fleet Boat.. Balao class if I'm not mistaken. Great reading experience, highly recommended.
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Ford Semfld
4.0 out of 5 stars Inside or insight a submarine
Reviewed in Germany on April 9, 2009
Verified Purchase
This book takes the reader into the depths of submarine warfare during
WWII. The writer takes us the reader on a voyage thru his tour of duty
and offers an insight into daily submarine routine, while on war patrol.
Since the author served on both pre-warboats as well as the wartime
fleetboats, from S-boats to Gato, one lerns how these subs changed. I can
recommend this book for those interested in WWII and the submarine war
in the Pacific.
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Aileen
5.0 out of 5 stars 1940's naval history
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 23, 2013
Verified Purchase
Having read various E-books on submarine warfare 1939/45 period, whilst all obviously having a common theme, I have found them to each offer a different point of view, in this case from the American angle... although most of the action takes place around the shores of Australia during their conflict with the Japanese navy. I found it to be an un-biased portrayal of events, and at times quite gripping, giving a well written, in-depth account of the stressful nature of submarine warfare .
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