The Unknown Battle of Midway by Alvin B Kernan

The Unknown Battle of Midway by Alvin B Kernan

The Battle of Midway is considered the greatest U.S. naval victory, but behind the lustre is the devastation of the American torpedo squadrons. Of the 51 planes sent to attack Japanese carriers only 7 returned, and of the 127 aircrew only 29 survived. Not a single torpedo hit its target. A story of avoidable mistakes and flawed planning, The Unknown Battle of Midway reveals the enormous failures that led to the destruction of four torpedo squadrons but were omitted from official naval reports: the planes that ran out of gas, the torpedoes that didn't work, the pilots who had never dropped torpedoes and the breakdown of the attack plan. Alvin Kernan, who was present at the battle, has written a troubling but persuasive analysis of these and other little-publicised aspects of this great battle. The standard navy tactics for carrier warfare are revealed in tragic contrast to the actual conduct of the battle and the after-action reports of the ships and squadrons involved.

I read The Unknown Battle of Midway in one sittingIt is a momentous piece of work, reeking of the authenticity of carrier warfare as experienced by the flight crews. Sir John Keegan

Alvin Kernan is Avalon University Professor of Humanities, Emeritus, Princeton University. He served in the U.S. Navy, 1941 - 45. Among his previous books are The Fruited Plain: Fables for a Postmodern Democracy and In Plato's Cave, both published by Yale University Press.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780300109894
ISBN 10	030010989X
Title	The Unknown Battle of Midway
Author	Alvin B Kernan
Series	Yale Library Of Military History Ser
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Yale University Press
Year published	2005-11-01
Number of pages	192
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.