SUPREMACY AT SEA

SUPREMACY AT SEA

by Evan Mawdsley.

Having a growing need to spread my reading wings, on this occasion I have moved away from the second world war in Europe & across to the Pacific.

Whilst the book's main focus is set from 1944, the author provides both an interesting & helpful overview of the US Navy's commanders & fleet following Pearl Harbor & the Battle of Midway.

Task Force 58 was also known as the Fast Carrier Force. This immense armada comprised of more than 100 ships including destroyers, cruisers, battleships & aircraft carriers which carried over one thousand aircraft. 

Known as TF58 it was made up of a collection of individual Task Groups that would change from 3,4 or 5 in number & periodically would also be referred to as TF38.

Both the name & task group number changes were designed to confuse the enemy regarding the strength of the US forces.

The book's narrative provides the story of the operations through the rest of the war as the task force carried out operations on islands under Japanese control in the Central Pacific.

We learn how they used the carrier based aircraft to attack the Japanese defences, prior to US forces landing, targeting those Japanese aircraft on the ground as much as possible. 

The more desperate the Japanese grew, so did the number of 'Kamikaze' pilot attacks. These increased the nearer the US forces got to Japan as the Japanese could launch more aircraft from the mainland. They caused heavy damage to ships as well as killing many US personnel onboard, but the author states, "they did not sink any conventional armoured Warships."

Following the atomic bombs, Japan signed the surrender document in September 1945. By then the US had achieved naval supremacy within two years. Here then is that story & it has been told superbly. 

A very readable account that kept my attention throughout & proved invaluable on a long day of traveling back from a holiday.

The hardback version of the book is available now. 

I thank Yale University Press for this review copy.