Find 'Em, Chase 'Em, Sink 'Em

by Mike Ostlund

Now in paperback, revised and updated, the stirring and authoritative account of one of World War II's most highly decorated submarines Find 'Em, Chase 'Em, Sink 'Em is the first book to recount the tragic and mysterious loss of the World War II submarine USS Gudgeon. In April 1944, the highly decorated submarine USS Gudgeon slipped beneath the waves in one of the most treacherous patrol areas in the most dangerous military service during World War II. Neither the Gudgeon nor the crew was ever seen again.
Author Mike Ostlund's “Uncle Bill,” the operator of a farm implements business, was aboard that ship as a lieutenant junior grade. Through extensive research of patrol reports in U.S. and Japanese naval archives, interviews with veterans who had served aboard the Gudgeon before its final patrol, and the personal effects of the lost men's relatives, Ostlund has assembled the most accurate account yet of this remarkably successful submarine's exploits, of the men aboard from steward to captain, and of what we now know about her demise. Find 'Em, Chase 'Em, Sink 'Em details the memories and life lessons of the young men who went to sea aboard Gudgeon before its last patrol knowing hardly anything, and came home having seen too much.

Genres: History, World War II, Military Fiction, Naval History

560 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2006

Reviews

[Kirk Metzger · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Great Uncle Lester Lavern Metzger gave his life on this sub in WWII. The author did a great job in writing this book about the 12 sorties that the SS-567 Gudgeon went on.
I couldn't put the book down.
If you have interest in WWII, or had any family members that served on a submarine during WWII, then you really need to read this book.

[Sarah Suzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I surprisingly became so attached to the brave men who served on the Gudgeon while reading this incredible book. I initially wanted to read it because the author is my cousin and the book was about the sub that my grandpa's beloved older brother Bill served on and ultimately lost his life on when it mysteriously sank. I definitely gained insight on our family's legendary Uncle Bill but more than that I learned so much about such an incredible time in our country's history and the amazing courage, unbelievable sacrifices, and unforgettable skills that these Americans displayed for our country, for us. I recommend this book to EVERYONE. It reads like a novel and will forever have a place in your heart. Thank you Cousin Mike for giving us this treasure.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enthralling narrative; but I'm a Navy vet.

Ostlund is more forthcoming with details about enlisted/officer strife and racial issues than many contemporary authors. I also enjoyed his final chapter, which was something like a 'what happened to them' debrief on various people who played a prominent part in the narrative.

I found the review of the after action reports that closed out each chapter of the submarine patrol exploits tedious at times, mostly because it is a lot of the same trite stuff repeated. This is through no fault of the author, that is the manner of Navy writing which he simply reported.

He did a thorough job piecing together what likely happened to this long lost submarine.

[Danny McGinnis · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a great book with a lot of well-researched details, but it probably needs another round of copy editing to really deserve 5 stars. There are a decent number of typos and the structures of some paragraphs are confusing and must be re-read in order to make sense of them. I'm giving it 5 because I think it does a great job of adding the human touch to WWII submariner's lives.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent! Highly recommend