Description

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A gripping true-life thriller about the first US submarine to sink a Japanese aircraft carrier—and the sub’s tragic twist of fate

In 1939 off the New England coast, the submarine USS Squalus accidentally sinks to the bottom of the sea during a training exercise, killing half her crew. Coming to the rescue is the USS Sculpin, in many ways the Squalus’s twin. As their oxygen supply dwindles, the remaining crew aboard the Squalus are saved in a time-consuming, white-knuckle operation. Eventually the sunken submarine is raised, repaired, and returned to duty, with a new name: the Sailfish.

Four years later, on patrol during the darkest days of the Pacific War, the Sailfish’s radarman picks up the tell-tale signs of a Japanese convoy, known by U.S. intelligence to include aircraft carriers, the most formidable of all enemy ships. Never before has an American submarine taken down a carrier—much less in the middle of a typhoon. Immediately, the crewmen swing into action, embarking on a deadly game of cat-and-mouse as this once-dead boat evades enemy cruisers to stalk closer and closer to their prized target. Little do they know that aboard the Japanese carrier are survivors of an attack on the USS Sculpin, the very boat that saved the Squalis-turned-Sailfish back in ’39.

Author Stephen L. Moore takes readers inside the nine-hour duel, narrating the action aboard both the Sailfish and the doomed carrier, where the American POWs fight against all odds to save their own lives before the ship goes down. Employing a wealth of new information, including long-lost survivors' accounts, fresh interviews with the last of the sub's crew, and official patrol reports, Strike of the Sailfish is the thrilling story of this strange chapter of naval history.

About the Author

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Stephen L. Moore, a sixth-generation Texan, graduated from Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, where he studied advertising, marketing, and journalism. He is the author of two dozen books on World War II, Vietnam, and Texas history, including Patton’s Payback and Blood and Fury. Parents of three children, Steve and his wife, Cindy, live north of Dallas in Lantana, Texas.

Praise For…

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"Mr. Moore recounts the engagement in engrossing detail."
—The Wall Street Journal

"Even non-military buffs will enjoy spending time with two U.S. Navy crews during World War II.... [Moore] creates a gripping, extremely detailed account of submarines’ operation, personalities, and attacks.... Moore’s capable history is fast-paced and gripping. Entertaining World War II naval history by an old hand."
—Kirkus

"Moore’s narrative aptly weaves together the stories of the two fatefully connected vessels and their crews, highlighting the bond between wartime comrades and the details of daily life in the submarines’ cramped quarters. This is a treat for WWII history buffs."
—Publishers Weekly

“In Strike of the Sailfish, historian Stephen L. Moore has resurrected one of the most dramatic stories of World War II—the loss of the submarine Squalus and its recovery and rebirth as the Sailfish. He then interweaves the incredible wartime account of the Sailfish with the Sculpin, the latter of which played a pivotal role in the original rescue of the stricken vessel. The end result is a masterful tale, a nail-biter of a narrative that will leave readers turning pages long after they should have turned out the light!"
—James M. Scott, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of Black Snow and Rampage

“Reading the Strike of the Sailfish transported me back to my days onboard submarines and opened my eyes to the struggles the heroes of WWII endured. Once I got started, I could not put it down. The personal stories woven into one of the most important parts of our nation’s history are beautifully told. A must read for every Submariner.”
—Jon Smedley, CMDCM(SS/AW/SW/DV) (Ret), Chief of the Boat USS Annapolis (SSN 760)
 
“One hell of a story! Stephen L. Moore not only recounts the tragically ironic tale of sister World War II submarines Squalus/Sailfish and Sculpin but, in the process, provides a powerful and personal picture of what life and war were really like for the men of the Silent Service, who contributed so mightily to victory. It needs to be told and Moore does a fine job doing so.”  
—Don Keith, author of Torpedo Run and co-author of The Hunter Killer Series
 
“Strike of the Sailfish is an engrossing tale of American submarine combat. Moore captures the interwoven stories of two submarines through incredible first-hand accounts. He superbly presents the sacrifice, terror, and survival of the men who fought in these ships and the part they played in the American war effort.”
—Nick Flacco, Commander USN (Ret) and former nuclear submarine commander
 
“Strike of the Sailfish is a riveting and inspiring account of the triumphs and the tragedies encountered by U.S. submariners in the WWII War with Japan. Bolstered by historical archives and first-hand accounts of survivors, it reveals the extraordinary courage of these men in the face of near insurmountable odds. With great reverence to those submariners who answered the call, Strike of the Sailfish reminds us all why we should be proud to be an American!”
—W. Phil Petty, former Chief of the Boat, Nuclear Attack Submarine USS Groton (SSN 694)
 
“I served aboard the Sailfish during World War II. As part of the radar, sonar, and communication team, I was intimately involved in every attack, recovery, communications, and other meaningful event in each war patrol that is well documented in Stephen Moore’s book. This is the real story from the last survivor of these events.”
—William J. Dillon