For more than half a century, an air of innuendo, accusation and mystery has surrounded the Battle of Savo Island, fought off the southern Solomon Islands during the early morning hours of 9 August 1942. How was it that a powerful group of Allied cruisers had been surprised and almost annihilated by a Japanese striking force obliged to travel hundreds of miles through waters patrolled by Allied reconnaissance aircraft? And why - given the overwhelming air strength available to the Allies due to the presence of their ...
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For more than half a century, an air of innuendo, accusation and mystery has surrounded the Battle of Savo Island, fought off the southern Solomon Islands during the early morning hours of 9 August 1942. How was it that a powerful group of Allied cruisers had been surprised and almost annihilated by a Japanese striking force obliged to travel hundreds of miles through waters patrolled by Allied reconnaissance aircraft? And why - given the overwhelming air strength available to the Allies due to the presence of their aircraft carriers - were the Japanese able to escape afterwards practically unscathed, leaving more than a thousand Allied seamen dead in their wake? Who was to blame - if anyone was to blame - for such a monumental disaster? In this brilliant study, written by a retired senior Ausutralian naval officer, many of the myths and misunderstandings concerning this important naval action have been exposed and corrected. Bruce Loxton, then a midshipman, was seriously wounded on the bridge of HMAS Canberra when that heavy cruiser was disabled during the opening stages of the battle. For him, reaching the truth of this affair became the passionate culmination of a lo
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Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used textbooks may not include companion materials such as access codes, etc. May have some wear or writing/highlighting. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
The Shame of Savo comes at the battle from a different viewpoint than many of the available books. It provides excellent information on the Australian participation and their interpretation of events. The author also provides details on the amount of advanced notice provided by allied aerial reconnaissance combined with communication delays and the normal fog of war. It also gives insights into the experience level of commanders, their handling of the relatively new technology of radar, crew experience and ship readiness. The book is well written and the pacing and flow easily hold the readers attention. I consider it an excellent addition to my collection of books on the Naval Campaign for Guadalcanal