US Destroyers 1942–45: Wartime Classes Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | June 2012 | Title | US Destroyers 1942–45: Wartime Classes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Dave McComb | Publisher | Osprey Publishing |
| Published | 2010 | ISBN | 9781846034442 |
| Format | 48 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $17.95 |
Review
This pithy précis picks-up where its superb sister summary ends.
US Destroyers 1942–45: Wartime classes describes the classic US Navy destroyers of World War II – the Fletcher, Allen M. Sumner, and Gearing classes.
And what an absorbing account it is. Contents follow McComb’s proven prescription. Text traverses design, development, construction, and introduction of each class – then segues to combat operations for the bulk of the book. The author’s account of kamikaze carnage at Okinawa underscored the amazing pluck and guts of US destroyermen aboard these valiant vessels.
Subsections detail armament, modifications, wartime service, and – selectively – individual fates. And a closing retrospective discusses the legacy of these classic combatants. Photos, illustrations, bibliography, and index augment Osprey’s terrific tome.
Of the 287 ships commissioned, 173 Fletchers, 59 Sumners, and five Gearings “earned campaign medals and more than 1,500 collective service stars”. Make this brilliant little book your guide to the “destroyers that won the war”.
Robustly recommended.
My sincere thanks to Osprey Publishing for this review sample!