Battle of North Cape, the Death Ride of the Scharnhorst, 1943
By Angust Konstam, Pen and Sword, Barnsley, South Yorkshire, England (2008)
Reviewed by Alberto R Savoretti MD
Angus Konstam's Battle of North Cape brings to light this forgotten engagement with balance and flair. The lack of primary sources of the German side of which there were only a few dozen survivors has made it difficult for historians to create a fair assessment, and the Barents' Sea Murmansk convoy campaign has always been overshadowed by the Battle of the Atlantic. Comparatively speaking, the Bismarck saga spawned many fine volumes of naval literature, from Baron von Mullenheim Rechberg's A Survivor's Story to Ludovic Kennedy's Pursuit to Konstam's own installment, Hunt the Bismarck. Sadly, the Scharnhorst's story has remained largely overlooked and misunderstood.
Konstam's well researched prose grants the reader an appreciation early on in the story for the motivations behind the combatants. The equitable and balanced storytelling offers detailed explanations and reasons for the decisions taken by the combatants, steering clear of judgments based on 20/20 hindsight with all its attendant and unfair criticisms. The subtle respect that is weaved into the story makes the reader aware of what the protagonists may have had going through their own minds, assisting the reader to effectively decide for themselves what happened while trying to explain the uncertainties that to this day remain. Also helpful to the storyline is the author's constantly changing point of view that tells the story as the Allies would have seen it for a few pages, then back to a German headquarters, bridge or plotting room, mentioning appropriate sources along the way that help illuminate the story.
Few, if any accounts can bring the reader to understand just what happened during this confused engagement which was a prolonged chase of the Scharnhorst groping in the Arctic darkness on the part of superior Allied forces. Other works might have been largely based on survivor's interviews in the immediate postwar, such as Fritz-Otto Busch's account, and while meritorious in their own right, are nowhere near as enlightening. For example, history has been harsh on Admiral Bey, with many well-known accounts of this battle often criticizing him for ordering his destroyers to fan out or steering the Scharnhorst in a given direction when in reality it was the weather creating confusion and causing the German formation to scatter for no good apparent reason. Of particular importance is the attention the author dedicates to explaining the effects of Ultra and codebreaking, whose role in the Second World War was little publicized and therefore not well understood by historians until recently.
You might try to compare Angus Konstam to Jim Hornfischer's highly cerebral, extremely engaging prose. Sadly Mr Konstam had to make do without the use of veterans' input, but it is no less effective. The style and particularly the rhythm of the sentences is both synesthetic and onomatopoeic. Passages detailing sighting reports read stilted, blaring in the way you'd feel if you were the admiral or coder receiving the report with Morse code chirps arriving in the background. Gradually the tension builds with a rumbling crescendo. The sequence built around a climax and his treatment of mostly rising and subsequent relief in the internal tension of the audience is too skillfully crafted to be a coincidence with the feel of a classic, epic tragedy. Telling is the use of this admirable but flawed protagonist acting out of pride who teases, tries to evade but is inevitably brutally slaughtered by fates that are far more powerful than he. While as in Greece or Shakespearean England, the audience knows the protagonist is doomed, the author still maintains a visceral tension with a series of twists that leaves the reader guessing until the Scharnhorst and her crew finally met their frigid, oily grave. Let us not forget the catharsis that the audience will experience when met with this definitive account of a misunderstood battle.
I whole heartedly recommend Battle of North Cape. It's a treat for history buffs that offers technical, intellectual, and spiritual satisfactions while using never before published information to bring new insights to light. Admiral Fraser who commanded the Royal Navy against Scharnhorst summed it up well: "I hope that if any of you are ever called upon to lead a ship into action against an opponent many times superior, you will command your ship as gallantly as Scharnhorst was commanded today." Angus Konstam has written the definitive masterpiece of the Battle of North Cape that describes exactly why.
Dr. Savoretti works with the United States Naval Shipbuilding Museum (USS Salem CA 139) in Quincy, MA
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Among Heroes - A Marine Corps Rifle Company on Peleliu
By First Sergeant Jack R. Ainsworth, USMC, Edited by Ambassador Laurence Pope (Retired), U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Quantico, VA (2011)
Reviewed by Colonel Curt Marsh, USMCR Retired
This small book Among Heroes, published by the U.S. Marine Corps History Division, is a fairly quick read and well worth the effort. The book is actually a compilation of notes taken by First Sergeant Jack Ainsworth of Company C, 1st Battalion, 1st Marines during the battle on Peleliu. It covers the period from their landing on D-Day September 15, 1944 until they were pulled from the front lines on September 20th. 1stSgt Ainsworth apparently went over his written notes and typed them up shortly after the battle probably during R&R at Pavuvu. Ambassador Pope's father, then Captain Everett P. Pope, was the Company Commander of Company C and received the Medal of Honor for his actions during this period. The interesting twist is that these typewritten notes were found by Pope when he was going through his father's papers only a few months before his death in 2009.
General Anthony Zinni's Foreword provides some context to the battle for the island of Peleliu. It was a very brutal fight with the Japanese marked by close combat over very difficult and well-fortified terrain. It was also notable for somewhat questionable leadership by the senior Marines in charge. This included 1st Marine Division Commanding General, MajGen William H. Rupertus and the Commanding Officer of the 1st Marines, Colonel Lewis "Chesty" Puller. There was intense pressure to defeat the Japanese as quickly as possible, but that resulted in unsupported infantry assaults over difficult terrain against integrated Japanese fortifications. Company C was a lead element in one such assault that demonstrated their immense courage and determination both as individuals and as a fighting unit.
Pope worked with the USMC Historical Branch to obtain the official history of these events. He also provides some background information on 1stSgt Ainsworth who was only 26 in September 1944, but had served with the Marines in Shanghai before the war. Footnotes are provided along with a Postscript that provide some comparative information between the notes and the official Marine Corps history of the battle.
1stSgt Ainsworth's narrative is clearly of his view of events. He primarily held down the Company Command Post so he was typically in the middle of the action and privy to a lot of information to include radio communications with higher command and adjacent units, as well as the combat actions of Co C and its casualties. He also provides a perspective as a loyal member of his Company, so he was proud of his men and sometimes critical of other units support even though the facts may have not fully supported his criticism. He would apparently write down some notes on what was happening whenever he had an opportunity during the battle. So we see the progression of events as they were happening.
To quote from the book's Preface written by Pope:
Reflecting on awards after the battle, Ainsworth writes that "to name one for outstanding performance would be showing marked partiality." My father felt the same way, and he always said that he wore the Medal of Honor for the men of Co C, 1st Bn, 1st Mar.
A visitor to the National Museum of the Marine Corps outside Quantico today can hear his recorded voice say that he was not a hero, but that on Peleliu he had been among heroes. Sergeant Ainsworth's narrative is proof that he was right, at least about the second part of that statement.
This very personal narrative of the battle for Peleliu provides an outstanding perspective of a difficult fight that is often lost in the overarching "official" history describing the entire battle. Pope notes that there are several firsthand accounts of Peleliu but they were written well after the events. These include Robert Leckie's Helmet for my Pillow and Eugene B. Sledge's With the Old Breed at Peleliu and Okinawa, both used for HBO's mini-series The Pacific. 1stSgt Ainsworth's narrative stands out among these other notable books for its raw account of the battle and is well worth reading.
Curt Marsh is a retired Marine Corps officer and Naval Aviator who flew the A-4M Skyhawk. He is now a contractor supporting the FAA.
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Six Essential Elements of Leadership, Marine Corps Wisdom of a Medal of Honor Recipient
By Colonel Wesley L. Fox, USMC (Ret.), Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD (2011)
Reviewed by Jan Churchill
Medal of Honor Recipient Col. Wesley L. Fox dedicated this book "To the Marines of yesterday whose personal sacrifices demonstrated the leadership traits addressed in this work." He discusses how his superiors and fellow Marines impressed him with their leadership style as they guided, directed, and led others, their followers.
Drawing on forty-three years of leading Marines in two wars and in peacetime, Fox defines the six elements of leadership essential to building a successful organization.
The first section, titled "Leadership," has five chapters explaining Leadership Defined, Leadership versus Management, Sources of Leaders, Principles of Leadership, and Historical Traits of a Leader. His six essential elements of leadership: Care, Personality, Knowledge, Motivation, Commitment, and Communication is covered with a chapter on each element, with explanations on how his views of leadership were forged.
The author examines the difference between leading and managing. He stresses that leadership is people oriented, and that leaders must do more than managers who direct. Fox explains how leaders can create and influence followers, stressing that leadership goes deeper than authority. Fox insists that a good leader must focus on building an organization based on the bonds of comradeship. These leaders will be better prepared to cope with any challenge because they are part of a group built on loyalty and trust.
Fox also discusses problems in society today that interfere with leadership. He is negative about modern society, citing a lack of parental interest, as well as other deficiencies.
Fox points out good leaders will evaluate themselves. Commenting on leadership in the U.S. military chain of command, the author outlines commonsense thoughts on the traits a person desiring to be a leader should possess and exercise. Many examples of leadership are quoted from the sixteen authors of books on leadership that are listed in this book's "Sources" in the Appendix. Fox also suggests, many times, that readers of this book also read his Memoirs for a complete understanding of the points he is making.
Section II of this book discusses "The Essential Elements of Leadership" which are: Care, Personality, Knowledge, Motivation, Commitment, and Communication. He presents a chapter on each element and explains how his views of leadership were forged and offers examples of leadership displayed by fellow Marines. Commitment is the essential element in the decision making process.
Fox explains that leadership must be above reproach. The author emphasizes points for a young leader as he details the knowledge required for attaining a leadership position. Fox also mentions his loss of motivation for a negative time he experienced while serving in the Korean War due to shortcomings of poor leadership in the Army. While the author criticizes others for deficiencies in leadership, he also points to deficiencies in himself. He gives examples of good and bad leadership in himself and others which serve to make the term "leadership" come alive.
The final section covers "Marines Corps Combat Leadership,Personal Experiences and Viewpoints." Fox skillfully relates his experiences and the examples of fellow Marine leaders to build the roadmap to leadership success. The author says that the key point of leading others in any situation is the ability to handle stress. Also, setting a good example is a big part of leadership in the Marine Corps. Fox contends that his six essential elements of leadership apply equally to the military and civilian communities at all levels. There are excellent suggestions for civilian business and nonprofit groups, as well as military leaders.
Fox has spent a lifetime studying leadership. While Fox draws directly from his military experience, his comments apply to all who want to pursue effective leadership. This book will inspire and motivate both civilians and members of the military. Six Essential Elements of Leadership" is must reading for those aspiring to become effective leaders, be they military or civilian.
Jan Churchill is an author and pilot. She is the Director for the Delaware Military Heritage and Education Foundation and Curator of the Delaware Military Museum
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The Navy at Point Mugu
By Gina Nichols, Arcadia Publishing, Mount Pleasant, SC, (2011)
Reviewed by Charles H. Bogart
Written by Gina Nichols, archivist of the U.S. Navy Seabee Museum at Port Hueneme, California, this is another publication in Arcadia Publishing Images of America series. Point Mugu had developed as an upscale fishing camp during the years before World War II. In 1943, needing land on which to conduct amphibious training operations, the U.S. Navy acquired the fishing camp. During World War II, it was used by the Seabees for training in landing upon a hostile beach and in building a base upon capture of the hostile shore.
In 1945, the future of Point Mugu changed with the development of Naval Air Facility (NAF) Point Mugu. It was here that the U S Navy in 1946 tested the Loon surface-to-surface missile. This led to Point Mugu being designated on 1 October 1946 as Naval Air Missile Test Center Point Mugu. The next two decades would see Point Mugu testing and evaluating a number of missile systems: Oriole, Lark, Gorgon, Regulus I, Regulus II, Harpoon, and other missiles.
In 1952, NAS Point Mugu got a new tenant, Air Development Squadron Four (VX-4), which perfected the techniques for launching air-to-air and air-to-surface missiles. In 1974, another squadron arrived at NAS Point Mugu, Antarctic Development Squadron Six (VXE-6).
In 1998, the Navy moved Commander Airborne Early Warning Wing U.S. Pacific Fleet to NAS Point Mugu. It then began to consolidate its Hawkeye Squadrons at Point Mugu.
The year 1956 saw Point Mugu gain another new tenant, Pacific Missile Range. The Pacific Missile Range, along with the Atlantic Missile Range and the White Sands Missile Range, served as one of the United States missile research and development centers. The Pacific Missile Range provided direct support to the Mercury and Gemini space programs, the surface to surface missiles Thor and Atlas, and the air defense missile Nike-Zeus. The Pacific Missile Range would merge in 1975 with the Naval Missile Center to become Pacific Missile Test Center.
In 1962, Navy Astronautics Group was organized at Point Mugu. In 1990, this unit became Naval Satellite Operations Center. Then on 11 October 2000, NAS Point Mugu and Construction Battalion Center Port Hueneme were merged to become the present day Naval Base Ventura County.
The author, using over 200 pictures spread over 138 pages, tells the above story in great visual detail. Each photo is accompanied by a concise description of what one is seeing but also its place within the history of Point Mugu. Photo coverage includes not only events taking place at Point Mugu between 1930 and 2000, but also reaches out to include facilities on the Channel Islands and support ships and craft. The photos within the book include aerial coverage of Point Mugu during different time periods so one can see its development plus shots of buildings, events, personalities, and equipment. The author has provided an excellent and concise history of the U S Navy at Point Mugu from World War II through the Cold War and on to today's War on Terror.
Charles H. Bogart is a frequent contributor to Naval History Book Reviews.
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Normandy Crucible: The Decisive Battle that Shaped World War II in Europe
By John Prados, NAK Caliber Division of New American Library, New York, NY (2011)
Reviewed by Captain Roger F. Jones, USN (Ret.)
One of the meanings of the word "crucible" is "severe test," and the Allied invasion of France in WW II was certainly every bit of that for each side. Prados draws on both Allied and German sources to resolve some seeming discrepancies in earlier recounts of the Normandy campaign, as he walks us through the major battles, from D-Day on the beaches on June 6, 1944 to the "Corridor of Death," outside the city of Falaise, nearly three months later. The D-Day landings are relatively glossed over in favor of concentrating on the later battles, particularly those in Operation Cobra. One of the more unusual aspects of this operation was the repeated use of close-in bombing to soften up the enemy elements. However, due to last-minute cloud cover and other causes of bad visibility, this tactic also resulted in Allied "friendly fire losses" of thousands of lives. Prados analyzes the military planning and decision making and, of particular interest to those in military intelligence and cryptology, works in the details of how the Allies knew Nazi military orders almost as soon as they were issued, a tremendous advantage on the battlefield.
Prados went so far as to run extensive war game simulations of the events, to see if any of the contemplated, but discarded, strategies would have produced significantly different results for either the Allies or the Germans. He found no such outcomes on any meaningful level of statistical confidence.
The end-notes are extensive and the bibliography is outstanding. There are 34 photographs, but two are duplicates with differing titles. Unfortunately, there are two significant weaknesses in this book: first, it lacks military tables of organization that show who reports to whom, on both sides. Although this is explained in the text to some extent, one almost feels compelled to make a table of one's own, in order to better follow the flow of orders and how they impacted the battlefield. Second, the discussions of battles and strategies are difficult to follow without seeing an appropriate number of suitably detailed and labeled maps. The maps provided are far too few (just six), hard to read (only two are of a sufficiently small scale to be clearly understandable), and are not located adjacent to the pertinent text - defects that detract significantly from an otherwise clearly written and interesting book.
Captain Jones is a frequent contributor to Naval History Book Reviews.
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Books Currently Available for Review
We have a number of books here in our offices that are available to be reviewed. If you are interested, please contact Dr. Dave Winkler at dwinkler@navyhistory.org .
My Heroes. Jack Ferrell (edited by Megan Burns), Waldenhouse Publishers, 2010, 432 pages.
Fighting for MacArthur: The Navy and Marine Corps' Desperate Defense of the Philippines. John Gordon, Naval Institute Press, 2011, 370 pages.
The Elusive Enemy: U.S. Naval Intelligence and the Imperial Japanese Fleet. Douglas Ford, Naval Institute Press, 2011, 297 pages.
Leave No Man Behind: The Saga of Combat Search and Rescue. George Galdorisi and Tom Phillips Zenith Press, 2008, 642 pages.
Arctic Mission: 90 North by Airship and Submarine. William F. Althoff, Naval Institute Press, 2011, 264 pages.
CSS Alabama vs. USS Kearsarge. Mark Lardas, Osprey Publishing, 2011, 80 pages.
El Capitan:The Making of an American Naval Officer. Captain John Frank Gamboa, Fortis Publishing, 2011, 439 pages.
Utmost Gallantry: The U.S. and Royal Navies at Sea in the War of 1812. Kevin D. McCranie, Naval Institute Press, 2011, 365 pages.
McNamara, Clifford, and the Burdens of Vietnam 1965-1969 (Secretaries of Defense Historical Series). Edward J. Drea, Historical Office, Office of the Secretary of Defense, 2011, 694 pages.
American Women Artists in Wartime, 1776-2010. Paula E. Calvin and Deborah A. Deacon, McFarland and Company, Inc., Publishers, 2011, 214 pages.
Historical Fiction
The Perfect Wreck: Old Ironsides and HMS Java, A Story of 1812. Steven E. Maffeo, Fireship Press, LLC, 2011, 361 pages.
John Paul Jones: Father of the United States Navy. Wallace Bruce, Writers Club Press, 2002, 287 pages. (historical fiction)
No Ordinary Summer (German Espionage in America During World War II). David T. Lindgren, AuthorHouse, 2010, 275 pages.
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The Foundation Needs Your Used Books!
One of our more popular programs is our ongoing used book sale. In the past, customers had to wait for our quarterly book sale to buy used books. Now, we are pleased to announce that affordably priced used books on naval and military history are available every day at the
Museum Store at the National Museum of the United States Navy. In addition to enriching your home or work library, the money raised supports the Foundation's mission for the preservation, education, and commemoration of naval history through our continuing support of the National Museum of the United States Navy. As always, a portion of the proceeds will go to support Navy-Marines Corps Relief Society programs.
These used books sell out quickly, and we're always looking for new titles to add to our bookshelves. If you have books you would like to donate, please consider the Naval Historical Foundation. We prefer donated books to focus specifically on subjects in naval and military history. If you are interested in donating books, please e-mail nhfwny@navyhistory.org, or call store manager Frank Arre at 202-889-2212. In some circumstances, we may be able to arrange to have large donations of books picked up, if you reside in the Washington, DC metro area.
Please check back frequently at the Museum Store to see what new titles we have for sale!
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