Sentinels of Fire

World War II Navy #3

by P.T. Deutermann

P.T. Deutermann's World War II navy series began with the award-winning Pacific Glory, followed by the brilliantly reviewed Ghosts of Bungo Suido. His new novel Sentinels of Fire tells the tale of a lone destroyer, the USS Malloy, part of the Allied invasion forces attacking the island of Okinawa and the Japanese home islands.

By the spring of 1945, the once mighty Japanese fleet has been virtually destroyed, leaving Japan open to invasion. The Japanese react by dispatching hundreds of suicide bombers against the Allied fleet surrounding Okinawa. By mid-May, the Allied fleet is losing a major ship a day to murderous swarms of kamikazes streaming out of Formosa and southern Japan. The radar picket line is the first defense and early warning against these hellish formations, but the Japanese direct special attention to these lone destroyers stationed north and west of Okinawa.

One destroyer, the USS Malloy, faces an even more pressing issue when her Executive Officer Connie Miles begins to realize that the ship's much-admired Captain Pudge Tallmadge is losing his mind under the relentless pressure of the attacks. Set against the blazing gun battles created by the last desperate offensive of the Japanese, Executive Officer Miles and the ship's officers grapple with the consequences of losing their skipper's guidance—and perhaps the ship itself and everyone on board.

Vividly authentic, historically accurate, and emotionally compelling, Sentinels of Fire is military adventure at its best, by an author whose career as a Navy captain informs every page.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Military Fiction, World War II, War, Historical, Wwii Fiction

278 pages, Hardcover

First published July 15, 2014

About the author

P. T. Deutermann is a retired Navy captain and has served in the joint Chiefs of Staff as an arms control specialist. He is the author of eighteen novels, and lives in North Carolina. His World War II adventure novel Pacific Glory won the W. Y. Boyd Literary Award for Excellence in Military Fiction, administered by the American Library Association; his other World War II novels are Ghosts of Bungo Suido and Sentinels of Fire. His most recent novel is Cold Frame, a contemporary thriller set in Washington, D.C.

Reviews

[happy · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the author’s note for this book Capt Deutermann writes “My father was a division commander … of destroyers at Okinawa in 1945. I wish I could say he told me all about it. He did not. He wouldn’t speak of it. It was simply that bad." With this novel it seems that Capt. Deutermann is attempting to tell what his father and the men he commanded went through.

This well researched novel is the story of the fictional USS Malloy and is told through the eyes of her Executive Officer (XO), a newly promoted Lt Cdr - Connie Miles. Fast paced and action packed this novel brings to life the terrific chaos and horrible danger those who crewed the ships on the radar picket line experienced. The story opens with Connie Miles joining the Malloy while she is on Radar Picket Duty off Okinawa. Coming from the relative safety of an aircraft carrier, he has never served on a destroyer and must learn the culture and ways they do their job as they are dodging Japanese Kamikaze planes as well as conventional bombing attacks.

The Malloy’s Capt, Cdr Pudge Tallmedge, is another memorable character. Tallmadge is an experienced destroyerman, having survived the naval battles off Guadalcanal 3 yrs earlier. His experiences come into play as he teaches Connie what is expected of him both as the XO of the Malloy and as a future commander in the Navy. All the while he is slowly succumbing to what is now called PTSD. I thought these scenes were esp well done. As the story progresses, Capt Tallmedge’s problems become more and more acute he literally disappears during attacks on the Malloy and noone can find him. The struggle Connie has in deciding what to do also is well told. Connie struggles on whether or not to relieve him of command, eventually coming to conclusion that it has to be done. This struggle reminded me of Woak's Caine Mutiny

Capt Deutermann, a retired naval officer, served on destroyers during his career and it shows in the way he portrays the routines of shipboard life and the technical aspects of destroyer duty. His telling of the changing tactics of both the destroyers and their enemy, the Japanese Kamikazes, brought home to me what they must have been feeling.

The final scene where Connie is visited in the hospital by Adm Halsey is also very well done. Connie having been injured in the final Kamikaze attack on the Malloy, is recuperating and Halsey visits him to award him a Navy Cross. In this scene the author has Halsey explain why they didn’t have more destroyers on the picket line

I feel the author has vividly recreated the sights, sounds and feeling desperation that must have existed on those small ships for those few months in the spring of 1945. I give this 4.5 stars rounded up to 5 for good reads and this is the best of his three novels on the War in the Pacific. I highly recommend this to anyone interested in the Navy or World War II

[Jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story takes place in the spring of 1945 aboard the destroyer USS Malloy. The destroyer is on radar picket duty off the coast of Okinawa. The Malloy is fitted with the brand new long range radar system and is to serve as an early warning for the fleet. Our protagonist is the executive officer, Connie Miles. The ship’s Captain is losing his mind under the pressure of constant attacks plus he has been in the war since the beginning. Miles is new to destroyer duties as he is a transfer from the Aircraft Carrier. Miles and fellow officers need to cover for the Captain and Miles needs to take over his duties. Miles being new to the destroyer tries out new techniques some successful others not.

The book is well written and meticulously researched. The description of the Kamikaze attacks is dramatic. The author is a master in writing battle scenes. Deutermann vividly portrays the battle off Okinawa in all its horror. This is a great historical fiction story of life on a destroyer during WWII.

Dick Hill does an excellent job narrating the book. His voice is perfect for this type of book. Hill is a multi-award winning audiobook narrator.

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a WWII historical novel and not a fun read. A good read but not fun. It takes place about 50 miles northwest of Okinawa during the early summer of 1945. (We dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima on August 6, 1945) The U.S. assault on Okinawa was the last and one of the bloodiest of the Pacific Island campaign as the Japanese considered the island to be one of the Japanese home islands and would not surrender it, PERIOD. An adjacent island became the home base for Admiral Bull Halsey's Pacific fleet. He ordered an early warning picket line of six destroyers to deploy northwest of Okinawa to let the fleet know when the feared Japanese kamikaze squadrons were on their way. This story is about the destroyer Malloy and it's crew who served on that picket
line. The kamikaze attacks were deadly and very difficult to defend.
Deutermann makes the reader feel the fear.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Battle of Okinawa was the costliest battle of World War II. Okinawa was only 200 miles from Japan and was considered a home island, so as bad as Iwo Jima was, Okinawa was far worse. For the Navy it was particularly costly because Okinawa was in easy range of the Kamikaze aircraft based in Japan and Formosa. By 1945 the mighty Imperial Japanese Navy was at the bottom of the ocean and most of their veteran pilots were dead. But surrender was out of the question and the suicide attacks their only option. The land battle resulted in heavy losses for the American Army and Marines, but at Okinawa the Navy lost more men than the Army. That was purely the result of the daily Kamikaze raids on the huge fleet anchored off Okinawa. To combat these raids the navy posted a screen of destroyers with advanced radar between the fleet and the Japanese mainland to provide advance warning of incoming raids. This extra 15 to 20 minutes warning gave the anchored aircraft carriers time to get their planes in the air to combat the Kamikazes before they could reach the ships. As a result the Japanese targeted these lone destroyers in the screen. The main character in this book is a new executive officer on one of these destroyers and it vividly describes the toll these attacks took on the ships and crews and how they combated the ever changing tactics of the Kamikazes. In the afterward, the author said that his father was a commodore leading a section of destroyers at Okinawa. He said that his father would never discuss it, it was that bad a memory. This is the author's way of honoring his father and the men of the tin can Navy and their sacrifice. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the World War II pacific theater and the naval side of the Battle of Okinawa in particular. After reading it I have a far greater understanding of the incredible horror that dealing with these daily raids must have been for the sailors on these small ships.

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another excellent story by this author.

[John Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

Way too much jargon and technical talk; it really slowed down the narrative and became a serious distraction.

[Frank · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another solid military action book from this author.
Gives you a great feel for the Navy during WII.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible story! The story set in WWII, on a destroyer stationed on a picket line for advanced fleet warning of kamikaze assaults. An accurate depiction of the horror of war, and the heroism of the men who fought it!

[David D'Arcy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tin Can Navy at Okinawa

The Battle of Okinawa was the costliest battle of World War II. Okinawa was only 200 miles from Japan and was considered a home island, so as bad as Iwo Jima was, Okinawa was far worse. For the Navy it was particularly costly because Okinawa was in easy range of the Kamikaze aircraft based in Japan and Formosa. By 1945 the mighty Imperial Japanese Navy was at the bottom of the ocean and most of their veteran pilots were dead. But surrender was out of the question and the suicide attacks their only option. The land battle resulted in heavy losses for the American Army and Marines, but at Okinawa the Navy lost more men than the Army. That was purely the result of the daily Kamikaze raids on the huge fleet anchored off Okinawa. To combat these raids the navy posted a screen of destroyers with advanced radar between the fleet and the Japanese mainland to provide advance warning of incoming raids. This extra 15 to 20 minutes warning gave the anchored aircraft carriers time to get their planes in the air to combat the Kamikazes before they could reach the ships. As a result the Japanese targeted these lone destroyers in the screen. The main character in this book is a new executive officer on one of these destroyers and it vividly describes the toll these attacks took on the ships and crews and how they combated the ever changing tactics of the Kamikazes. In the afterward, the author said that his father was a commodore leading a section of destroyers at Okinawa. He said that his father would never discuss it, it was that bad a memory. This is the author's way of honoring his father and the men of the tin can Navy and their sacrifice. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in the World War II pacific theater and the naval side of the Battle of Okinawa in particular. After reading it I have a far greater understanding of the incredible horror that dealing with these daily raids must have been for the sailors on these small ships.

[Sam Reaves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strictly for military history buffs, this novel depicts the brutal ordeal suffered by the U.S. navy during the battle for Okinawa in the closing months of the Second World War. The campaign was horrendous for the navy due to the kamikaze attacks coming from Japan and Formosa, Japan's last hopeless effort to stave off defeat. Astonishingly, at Okinawa naval casualties exceeded those of the ground troops.
P.T. Deutermann's WWII novels are excellent; as a retired naval officer (whose father served at Okinawa), he has personal experience to draw on along with evidently extensive research. The books vividly convey the experience of naval combat with all its horrors and the ways men function (or don't) under extreme stress.
The book focuses on the "picket line" of destroyers deployed to the north of Okinawa to give early warning of approaching kamikazes. The destroyers' radar gave a precious fifteen minutes of early warning to the carriers, battleships and cruisers supporting the invasion of the island; once the Japanese realized this, the destroyers themselves became prime targets for the fanatical suicide bombers who came screaming in at 350 knots with bombs attached, almost impossible to shoot down. Isolated and with patchy air support from the main fleet, the destroyers were hung out to dry and suffered accordingly. The protagonist of the novel is a career carrier man who is transferred to a destroyer as executive officer just in time to go out to the picket line; things go much as you would expect. It's not pretty.
There's lots of detail on naval warfare and enough character development to convey the tremendous personal cost to the men who fought the war. A very good book in the military adventure/history genre but probably not for the general reader.

[Viva · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm more than halfway through this series, they do not need to be read in any order. This book deals with US navy destroyers which were posted as pickets during the battle for Okinawa in WW2. These destroyers formed an outward warning line to alert the main body of ships of Japanese planes coming in, either to attack the ships with bombs or as kamikazes.

When the book opens, the protagonist Connie Miles is the XO of a Gearing class destroyer. As the fighting continues, it takes its toll on the captain which loses his nerve and hides in his cabin during attacks. Miles then becomes the captain of the ship.

The main body of the book deals with the destroyer defending against all types of attacks the Japanese throws at the main body and the picket line. According to my light research, some of the events were fictionalized, such as the launching of baka bombs from submarines or the attack of the Liz bomber. Those these weapons did exist, they apparently were not used as depicted in the book. I believe the other types of attacks and the events were realistically described though I'm not sure about the kamikazes attacking in line. The depictions were very realistic and gave me the feeling of actually being there. And most of all, it provided to me an understanding of why the atom bombs were dropped.

The book ends with a slight romantic episode. Because this is a stand alone book, I don't really feel any embellishment of the personal lives of the characters are needed but the romantic ending at least made it a happy one.

[Doug Sundseth · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fictionalized account of life aboard the early-warning picket ships during the invasion of Okinawa in 1945. The ships' job was to give enough warning to the main fleet to allow them to prepare their defenses against kamikaze attacks. Since that warning was a significant tactical advantage to the USN, the Japanese determined to destroy the picket ships.

The story is faithful to the history of the period, and thus the story is a grim one. Over 400 ships were sunk or damaged during the campaign.

The author, a retired naval officer, knows naval service in a way that shows on every page. The details of day-to-day life aboard a naval ship are accurate and presented in a way that provides a compelling atmosphere throughout the book.

The characters of the protagonist and his commanders are memorable and well-realized. The subordinate officers and men aboard the ship get less attention, though they do show enough individuality to be memorable.

The plot of the story demands the readers attention and makes the book very difficult to put down, building suspense with every page. And the denouement is both believable and satisfying.

The narrator of the audiobook, Dick Hill, is one of my favorite readers of military fiction. And this book is an excellent showcase for his skill.

Highly recommended.

[H.W. Bernard · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE SENTINELS OF FIRE is another outstanding WWII novel by P. T. Deutermann. The drama is centered on the bloody Okinawa campaign and the U. S. Navy destroyer “picket line” established to provide early warning of Japanese kamikaze attacks aimed at the navy’s big aircraft carriers.

It’s also the story of a young lieutenant commander becoming an XO (executive officer) aboard one of the “tin cans” on the picket line, and then getting thrust suddenly into the position of the ship’s captain. It’s a position for which he feels completely unprepared. Deutermann’s writing captures beautifully the young officer’s struggles and doubts as he takes on a command role during the brutal kamikaze onslaught.

The novel also eloquently depicts the fear, terror, and savageness of the sea-air battle along the Okinawa picket line. While the action in the book is largely nonstop (and describes in detail the tactics developed to blunt the kamikaze strikes), it doesn’t neglect the human element nor the tremendous loss of life involved in this bloody campaign.

I also found the ending of THE SENTINELS OF FIRE quite touching, too. All-in-all, the novel is another great five-star tale by P. T. Deutermann.

[Dan Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

The once mighty Japanese fleet has been virtually destroyed, leaving Japan open to invasion. The Japanese react by dispatching hundreds of suicide bombers against the Allied fleet surrounding Okinawa. By mid-May, the Allied fleet is losing a major ship a day to murderous swarms of kamikazes streaming out of Formosa and southern Japan. The radar picket line is the first defense and early warning against these hellish formations, but the Japanese direct special attention to these lone destroyers stationed north and west of Okinawa.
One destroyer, the USS Malloy, faces an even more pressing issue when her Executive Officer Connie Miles begins to realize that the ship's much-admired Captain Pudge Tallmadge is losing his mind under the relentless pressure of the attacks. Set against the blazing gun battles created by the last desperate offensive of the Japanese, Executive Officer Miles and the ship's officers grapple with the consequences of losing their skipper's guidance—and perhaps the ship itself and everyone on board.

[Ed · Rating 4 out of 5]

#3 in the World War II Navy series. This 2014 series entry by author P.T. Deutermann is a stand-alone historical fiction in the saga of the WWII Pacific theatre. It's 1945 and the war is drawing to a close. The Navy's island hopping campaign has reached Okinawa, the last obstacle before the Japanese home islands. The Japanese regard Okinawa as part of Japan and are fanatically defending it. With their navy all but gone, the Japanese are pinning their last ditch defense on Kamikaze suicide bombers. At this junction in the war, Lieutenant Commander Connie Miles is assigned as executive officer of the USS Malloy, a destroyer on picket duty. Connie has no destroyer experience, having been a gunnery officer on a carrier. Picket duty is the point of the spear, an expendable asset placed where it's radar will provide a few minutes early warning of attack to the carrier fleet. He must learn quickly to survive.

[Tony Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've long had an interest in WWII, but oddly enough I hadn't read any fiction books that take place during the war. Getting the itch to finally read some, I sought out the literary scratch and found this series by author P.T. Deutermann.

As far as I can tell, the books aren't connected by story and character, only by taking place during WWII and being set at sea. W/that in mind, I dove in (see what I did there) w/the series' 3rd novel. Deutermann does an outstanding job of keeping the pace fast and the tension high. The details are authentic, but never excessive. I often felt like I was right there on the ship w/those men as they fought to survive against relentless Kamikaze attacks. That might be the highest compliment I can pay a novel of this type.

[George Tonzetich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deutermann has become my favorite WWII fiction author! Like all his books, he takes real events that happened in WWII and added his fictional story / characters in it. The only names that are real are the top military people - Halsey, Nimitz, etc. I had NO IDEA how bad the destroyers on the Okinawa picket line had it re: the kamakazis! The writing was terrific and the story compelling. What struck me most about this book was how the author was able to express the fear that these poor guys had in such vivid detail. I felt like I was there shaking in my boots and ready to lose bodily fluids every time an attack was imminent! Few books ever give you the sensation of such stark fear as this writing has. What a movie this would make!

[David Sherman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I continue to work through this series of WW II naval books, I am amazed at the interesting and engaging characters and plot lines that P.T. Deutermann has developed in each book. Sentinels of Fire is no exception. I liked that it was narrated in the first person, unlike the first two books in the series. Connies Miles is another complicated and interesting character caught in the middle of the deadly sea battles in the pacific theater. This time the fighting takes place around Okinawa. I learned so much about these sea battles and about the Japanese kamikaze pilots' attempts to stop the Okinawa invasion. Deutermann's writing is fact-filled and exciting. This was another highly enjoyable book in the series.

[Benedict J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The “ Sentinels of Fire” of the title refers to the US Navy destroyers deployed in a picket line early warning and interception of Japanese kamikaze airplanes. They were the first targets for the suicide pilots with the simple mission of ramming the destroyers and sinking or damaging them left holes in the defensive lines around the big ships suppo4int the invasion of Okinawa.

Mr Deuterman’s story kept me riveted to the pages as the story unfolded of an officer, newly transferred to the destroyer Malloy, of his baptism of fire and his facing mounting odds of survival. He goes very quickly from the new guy to the commanding officer of a battered ship under great odds.
The book is very well written and will satisfy those who love novels of WW2

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

WW2 in the Pacific...Okinawa...destroyer radar picket lines....of all my reading the radar picket lines around Okinawa have been glossed over. You knew they were out there but the main focus of the kamikaze war was the big boys, carriers, battleships and transports. The author has written a historical novel that takes the reader right to the picket lines on a US destroyer. Gut wrenching, bloody, nerve wracking work. These little ships and men were the first lines of defence for the main force. Many, many of them paid the ultimate price. Well written and action packed is what you get. Highly recommended.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Series is a Filled With Historical Detail

A page turner that was hard to put down. Real WWII war in the Pacific action and characters without ego or pretensions. I served as a deck ape and fire control striker in a Gearing Class destroyer home ported in You sums in the early 60's. The best duty in the ten years I served. I didn't have to imagine what the gunners firecontrolmen and bridge personnel were doing, I could live it and remembered my days aboard a fine ship.
P.T. Deutermann really knows how to spin a believable yarn.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okinawa and the fast moving horrors of picket duty and kamikaze warfare.

The last island battle before attacking Japan was fought to the last of Japanese defenders as Okinawa was considered part of the homeland and the Japanese military wanted to inflict maximum damage to American forces. The US Navy suffered as many killed as the US Army and Marines, most through suicide attacks. This is a fascinating tale of a hard fought struggle, an excellent addition to the series, and well worth the time.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping Naval drama in WWII on a picket Destroyer off the coast of Okinawa. Kamikazi raids multiple times a day a Japanese try various tactics to sink the ships who are alerting the main force of incoming air raids. Vivid description of the toll the 'kami' raids had on the sailors and Officers of the Destroyer "Malloy" along with personal looks at key members of the crew and a glimce of the strategic issues Adm Halsey was facing!

Excellent!

[Jim A · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another well written Deutermann tale. This one covers the destroyer radar picket line protecting the big ships during the Okinawa invasion during WWII. How the ships were basically sacrificed to keep the kamikazes from attacking the carriers. The author's note at the end of the story indicates the total naval KIA exceeded the KIA of the land forces during the battle for that island.

Highly recommend for anyone who enjoys fictionalized WWII naval history.

[Jim Carroll · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've given this book 5 stars not because its a super well written book but because it does an awesome job of describing the impact that kamikaze attacks had on the US Forces during the Okinawa campaign. This book also helps understand the mentality of military leaders prior to what would have been the invasion of the Japanese home island. If you need to understand why we dropped the bomb, twice, read this book.

[Kent Leary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tales never told

My father never ever talk about the war or what he did or how it effected him. Its was after he died my mother gave up letters written by him that we learned he had been wounded in action against the Japanese.
She said he was a different person than the one she married when he returned

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having served on Okinawa in the early 1970s (as a school nurse for the DOD school system) and an uncle who served on a destroyer during WWII and was at the Battle of Okinawa I felt drawn to this book. It did not disappoint. Full of action and ended with a love story. Highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WWII history.

[Richard Balassaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoy P.T.Deutermann's novels but did not enjoy "The Last Paladin", so I went back to reread "Sentinels of Fire" to put a good taste back in my mouth.
This book is outstanding!
You are hooked in the first few pages and it just continues to get better and better.
Now I just need to let the adrenalin drain and return back to normal. :-)

[Kelly Schittenhelm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this author, it makes you feel part of the action and they're not one-dimensional I don't know how to write a review that doesn't give anything away but I love his writing and the book was good really good

[james holt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book, third one I read and found them all easy to read and entertaining. I am not a Navy guy but I still enjoyed them all. I particularly liked the ending of this book. If you like a happy ending you will too.