TYPHOON : The Other Enemy - The US Third Fleet and the Pacific Storm of December 1944 by Calhoun, Captain C. Raymond, USN ( ret)

Annapolis, 1981, Naval Institute Press, FIRST US EDITION W/DJ, FINE/FINE CONDITION, 6 1/2 X 9 1/2, x, 247 PAGES, ILLUS, MAPS, NOTES, BIBLIOG & INDEX. ------------------------------- As commanding officer of a ship that came close to destruction in the typhoon of December 1944, Captain Calhoun was in an unparalleled position to document a tragic ordeal that claimed 778 men, three destroyers, and more than 100 aircraft. This penetrating account details for the first time the events surrounding the storm, its chilling onset and ferocity, as well as its controversial aftermath.The deteriorating weather conditions at Ulithi that almost prevented the fleet from obtaining badly needed fuel dramatically foreshadowed what was to follow. Here is Calhoun's eyewitness account of the chaotic and perilous events as the storm approaches and unleashes its fury. Calhoun relates his experiences on board his own ship, the Dewey, as it repeatedly rolled to its maximum limit and threatened to overturn. At one point he estimates the ship's roll to be about 80 degrees, as he hung by his hands from a normally vertical pole in the pilot house and gazed down, past his feet, directly into the water.-------------------------------------Rescue operations following the storm were undertaken in a still-raging sea. The destroyer escort Tabberer, badly crippled during the typhoon, devoted two full days to search-and-rescue, deftly maneuvering around the survivors. With the help of her tireless crew, many of whom repeatedly entered the water to assist the victims, she eventually rescued 55 officers and men during the exhausting search.Calhoun examines the court of inquiry's findings following the investigation of the events leading up to the storm. He provides documentation to support his belief that the Bureau of Ships was negligent in not following through on the reported instability of the Farragut-class destroyers, two of which were lost in the storm. And he presents evidence that this insufficiency was known long before these ships ever put to sea.-----------------------------------------------Making use of previously unpublished material, Calhoun pursues the reasons behind the failures in command at the fleet and task-force levels that contributed to the disaster. He concludes that while Admiral Halsey had to bear most of the responsibility for the fleet's losses and damages, there were many others in authority who shared this responsibility.Perhaps the most surprising revelation in the book is that, through their knowledge of the laws of storms, several of the skippers were aware of an approaching typhoon long before the aerology staff issued the warning. Had the staff taken more notice of local weather indicators instead of depending upon reports from Fleet Weather Central in Pearl Harbor, there would have been sufficient time for the ships to take avoiding action and escape the worst of the storm's fury.Captain Calhoun presents for the first time all of the facts surrounding this tragedy with admirable precision. His story provides valuable lessons to be learned for present and future naval officers. At the same time, this thrilling adventure will be enjoyed by anyone intrigued with this devastating encounter.