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Find 'em, Chase 'em, Sink 'em: The Mysterious Loss of the WWII Submarine USS Gudgeon
In April 1944, the highly decorated submarine USS Gudgeon slipped beneath the waves somewhere in the South China Sea, one of the most dangerous patrol areas in the most dangerous military service during World War II. Neither the Gudgeon nor the crew were ever seen again.
Author Mike Ostlund's "Uncle Bill" was aboard the 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 know about her demise.
Through these stories we experience the excitement of first sighting, then closing in on an enemy ship, and the seconds ticking away as the crew awaits the detonation of torpedoes. We hear the groans of collapsing bulkheads through the hull of the submarine, then the eerie cry of inch-thick steel as it is rent apart. The swish-swish-swish of a Japanese destroyer's attack approach. The thundercrack of exploding depth charges between muttered prayers and anguished, flinching anticipation where the crew, all equally in peril now, must sit absolutely still and take the punishment as they suppress the urge to do something, anything.
We also share the concern of the girls they left behind, and experience how they learned the ship was lost and of the memories and life lessons of these young men, who went to sea knowing hardly anything, and came home having seen too much.
Author Mike Ostlund's "Uncle Bill" was aboard the 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 know about her demise.
Through these stories we experience the excitement of first sighting, then closing in on an enemy ship, and the seconds ticking away as the crew awaits the detonation of torpedoes. We hear the groans of collapsing bulkheads through the hull of the submarine, then the eerie cry of inch-thick steel as it is rent apart. The swish-swish-swish of a Japanese destroyer's attack approach. The thundercrack of exploding depth charges between muttered prayers and anguished, flinching anticipation where the crew, all equally in peril now, must sit absolutely still and take the punishment as they suppress the urge to do something, anything.
We also share the concern of the girls they left behind, and experience how they learned the ship was lost and of the memories and life lessons of these young men, who went to sea knowing hardly anything, and came home having seen too much.
512 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
June 21, 2023
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.
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.
June 20, 2010
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.
June 11, 2021
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.
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.
April 26, 2019
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.
December 9, 2011
Excellent! Highly recommend
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews