Submarine!

by Edward L. Beach

The classic nonfiction World War II submarine combat thriller, written by a man who actually fought the battles.

The war beneath the waves.

For the World War II submariner, every day was a life-or-death trial: going to sea for months at a time; existing in dank, claustrophobic conditions; enduring long stretches of monotonous silence punctuated by adrenaline-spiked episodes of paralyzing fear and victorious elation. It was a duty few men could handle—and even fewer would survive.

This is the true story of those brave men who served and too often died under the ocean surface, written by a man who was there. Edward L. Beach masterfully weaves his gripping experiences aboard the USS Trigger with those of other boats fighting the war in the Pacific. Part action-packed combat chronicle, part testament to the courageous sacrifices made by those who never came back, this is a compelling eyewitness account of the war as few have seen it.

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

368 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Edward Latimer Beach, Jr. was a highly-decorated United States Navy submarine officer and best-selling author.

During World War II, he participated in the Battle of Midway and 12 combat patrols, earning 10 decorations for gallantry, including the Navy Cross. After the war, he served as the naval aide to the President of the United States and commanded the first submerged circumnavigation.

After World War II, Beach wrote extensively in his spare time following in the footsteps of his father, who was also a career naval officer and author. His first book Submarine! (1952) was a compilation of accounts of several wartime patrols made by his own as well as other submarines.

In all, Beach published thirteen books, but is best known for his first novel, Run Silent, Run Deep (1955), which appeared on The New York Times Book Review bestseller list for several months. A movie of the same name, based loosely on the novel and starring Clark Gable and Burt Lancaster, was released by United Artists in 1958. Beach penned two sequels to Run Silent, Run Deep: Dust on the Sea (1972), relating in detail a war patrol by Eel leading a wolfpack, and Cold is the Sea (1978), set in 1961 aboard a nuclear submarine.

In addition to Submarine!, Beach wrote several more books on naval history, including The Wreck of the Memphis (1966); United States Navy: 200 Years (1986), a general history of the Navy; Scapegoats: A Defense of Kimmel and Short at Pearl Harbor (1995); and Salt and Steel: Reflections of a Submariner (1999).

Keepers of the Sea (1983) is a pictorial record of the modern navy with photography by Fred J. Maroon. For a number of years Beach was co-editor of Naval Terms Dictionary as that standard reference work passed through several editions. His last work, completed shortly before his death, was to prepare for publication his father's manuscript of his own distinguished service in the navy. That book, From Annapolis to Scapa Flow: The Autobiography of Edward L. Beach, Sr (2003), is Captain Beach, Sr.'s personal account of the navy from the age of sail to the age of steam.

In addition to his books, Beach was a prolific author of articles and book reviews for periodicals ranging from Blue Book Magazine to National Geographic, and Naval History to American Heritage.

Reviews

[Willis R. Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Action different than lessons in leadership.

Not that Ned Beach ignored leadership,but it was not his primary thrust. I enjoyed all the first hand stories, but the tale of Abacore and Cavalla sinking Taiho and Shokaku, both 50,000 ton aircraft carriers at Battle of Philippine Sea is near to my heart after spending much time aboard Cavalla on Pelican Island in her Museum berth and meeting Ensign (now Captain, USN, Ret.) Who was aboard as a Jr. Officer for the battle. (I was 4 years old at the time)

[Martin Koenigsberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book as part of my #DeepDive2021, my effort to read a lot about Submarine Warfare and better understand its entire history in the 20th and 21st Centuries- and I am So glad I did. Commander Edward L Beach, the author, is a Veteran of WWII having undertaken over nine patrols in the Pacific. It's a taut action thriller/memoir-something that could be cheesy if handled poorly (and often is) but an effort that come off really well. Beach was climbing the ladder of Submarine Officers- a Lt in charge of a station first- then an Exec- and finally Skipper of his own ship. Along the way he tells the stories of other patrols, not his, that were key part of the submarine war that humbled Japan quite as much as the crescendoing air war was doing so many feet above them. My father, a member of the Occupation forces in Japan ('45-47) had often told me how the Submariners had statistically done as much or more than the flyboys to strangle Japan- and as he was a NATO Logistician at the time- and seemed very au fait with Anti Submarine Warfare(ASW) technology in the 1960/70s -(it littered our living room and his study- made for interesting reading)-I felt he meant it. Beach takes us along for the whole war- and given how many officers seemed to have been classmates of his at various Navy Schools- we can see these details coming out over the whole war of "shop talk" and perhaps a few tipples with his old buddies. I really enjoyed it as a book- besides being a sponge for all the jargon and techniques you read about as the intrepid Americans do battle with the Japanese shipping- tearing the guts - and most of the oil out of the Empire.

Beach really does take us through the whole war- from the first Submarines having to hide and run from the Imperial Navy in the outer Pacific- to the end of the war- which came a little quixotically for our boy. The torpedo Crisis- and its remedies- take up a lot of the early patrols. But then the American boys get their technology straight- and their new fish (Submarines in WWII were named after types of fish)rolling out of the east coast Navy Yards at regular intervals- and they begin to down tonnage on a grand scale- and learn to counter the Imperial Navy's ASW capabilities. Each chapter is a Patrol or two - and all the best stories are told in a compelling way. I have to say I have read two entire books on the story of the USS Batfish and her destruction of three Japanese Submarines in less than three days- and this telling might be the best of the lot. This is a really fun read.

With a little bit of adult themes and a few graphic passages this book is best for the Junior reader over about 12/13 with a nautical bent. For the Gamer/Modeler/Military Enthusiast, this book is a really treasure trove. I think any Victory at Sea/Cruel Seas/WWII Naval Wargamer will find a lot of cool scenarios in the book as I think he gives enough mathematical information about targeting to make for strong reality checks. The Modeler will have a ton of diorama ideas to mull over , both above and below the waterline. For the Military History Enthusiast- this is like sitting in a bar with a Submariner vet and getting story after story- without the cost of his beers and the deleterious effect on your liver. It's also a good read for the more casual Military History buff- an really interesting inside view into a underappreciated part of the WWII Naval effort. Part of the WWII Submarine/Naval History Canon for me.

[Chuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was originally written right after World War II where Commander Beach had been the skipper of a Pacific Fleet submarine. The review said that it was originally published in 1990 in error. I read the book ten years after being published and it left a mark on me at that time. I reread the book in the seventies and it was as good then as my first visit. People's tastes change as they mature and I don't know how I would feel fifty years later, but my evaluation is derived from the values and opinions that I had as a teenager in the fifties. Commander Beach went on to write good fiction with novels like "Run Silent, Run Deep", which became a popular Movie.

[Tomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Made me feel as if I were there! Tells the story of 9 subs and their final patrols. What a massive debt we owe our service members who served under the sea.

[Jess · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a mediocre read in terms of understanding what was going on. The author often used abbreviations and terminology that wasn't explained and made it difficult to understand what he was talking about specifically; at times it made it difficult to know what was happening. However, this book had several breathtaking moments in it. I enjoyed how the author retold stories from multiple submarines and the submariners in them as well as his own experiences; it gave a greater look at how each submarine operated under different commands in each location during patrols. Out of everything, I feel like the author really immersed himself in this piece of work and deeply cared about it. He used descriptive words that made me as the reader feel as if I was in the submarine right alongside of the men serving.

[Michel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book on the US submarine service against the Japanese during WW2, by an experienced submariner who served through the war.

The bulk of the book chapters focus on the story of the Trigger and the Tirante, the two submarines where Beach spent most of his time. Several chapters each focus on the story of one singular submarine, such as the famous Wahoo, the Albacore or the Tang. These crew were true heroes.

In most cases, we get mostly the plot, with few very precise details of maneuver. In some moments, however, such as when Beach almost drowned in an almost catastrophic dive, we get a very detailed description of every critical moment.

Few books on WW2's US submarine war give the view that Beach gives, from someone who was there and who understands the why and the how. Definitely worth it: a unique testimony.

[Ron Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting overview of the action of the submarine service of the US in World War 2. The details give a great inside view of what submarine warfare was really like. The sadness of losing boats to enemy action and friendly fire are brought home. From movies you get a view of submarines but the details provided here really bring it home. I can't imagine working in an environment of 120+F at 100% humidity, running low on oxygen and getting depth charged. The men of that service never received the recognition that they truly deserved.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sequence of short moments in the life of WW2 subs in the Pacific. This is very well written. There are tales of courage and humor. Technical details, while present, are abstracted in a way that doesn't keep the uninformed (like me) from following the stories. I enjoyed it a great deal, and was glad to find it in a used bookshop.

[John Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible read.
The boat I am on returns (or not) and goes into the Navy for repairs and refit. I would start the next chapter and be off on another mind-bending, life-or-death adventure on another boat with another crew of invincible warriors.
Wow!!
Each adventure is true and is told in detail!

[Jack Oughton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever been stuck in a tube under the ocean whilst people try to drop explosives onto your head? Neither have I, but it sounds intense. Like this book...intense. And from the horse's mouth too. Probably the best book about submarine warfare I have read.

[Joseph Garza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great history of our silent service heroes

Great to revisit this history of our unsung heroes and their exploits to save our nation! You can’t go wrong reading these stories of their sacrifices and victories!

[Pete · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed with this effort. It seemed that the author was treating each sub as a scorecard. There was a high degree of repetition with all the attack sequences described. The ice cream machine anecdote was terrific and the book would have benefitted from more of that sort of thing.

[Blake Hiatt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I remember reading this as a teenager and found it thoroughly enjoyable. May need to read again.

[Bruce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. I read this after reading his Run Silent, Run Deep.

[Arthur Berkell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not literature but a good view of what "it" was like.

[Robert Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything written by Edward Beach is worth a read. This one is excellent!!

[Larry Weldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great sub battle summary

Several submarines are highlighted in this gripping book of many of the greatest ww 2 submarine battles against japanese shipping

[Mark Braun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great accounts of some very brave men.

[Bob Garrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I felt a little of the the war patrol

Very well written. Probably best for those who have served sub duty without actual war patrol experience. I felt like I could understand.

[Kent A. Bahr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Submarine warfare in WWII

Commander Beach has the ability to put the reader alongside the men inside the US submarines as they risked their lives closing Japan’s ocean line of communication. And, as he shows. At great loss of life of over 10,000 submariners. You get to know the men and the boats!

[Commander Law · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have vague memories of reading this decades ago and that it should have been way more interesting than it was, given the subject matter.
No different this time around. It runs through various submarines torpedoing various enemy shipping. But it does so with out human emotion, drama or suspense. You're not emotionally connected to the stories cause the characters are barely drawn.

I'll have to try his novel.

I've now finished and the final chapter was the best. The author had been given his own command, but it was late in the war and he was racing to sink some enemy shipping before the end. It was more immediate, the human element, what drive him came through.

[Rafeeq O. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Edward L. Beach's 1952 Submarine! is a firsthand account of the author's service in attack submarines in the Pacific during the Second World War. Gripping and informative and yet not devoid of occasional humor either, the chapters cover Beach's action across almost four years, mainly aboard U.S.S. Trigger, though also aboard U.S.S. Tirante and U.S.S. Piper, in which he finally finished out the war. In addition, while 10 of the 18 chapters deal with Beach's personal experiences, even-numbered chapters from 2 through 16 bring in the experiences of other American subs.

Beach thus writes both in first person of his own accounts and, in all even-numbered chapters except the final one, in third person as well as he recounts the exploits of others. An interesting stylistic choice, by the way, is the manner in which, just as the action of a particular engagement truly starts heating up, he shifts from the normal past tense to a more immediate present tense.

The book is wide-ranging both in both subject and mood. We will learn both submarine strategy and submarine tactics. We will live through the hunting of prey from beneath the waves, as crisp command after command ring out in call and response from highly trained officers. We will experience the tension of being bombarded while hiding at test depth and sometimes even deeper--the strained nerves and the overpowering sounds of the explosions, the carbon dioxide in the rebreathed air at 2.5% when 3% "can knock you out" and 4% "will kill you" (Henry Holt 1952 hardcover, page 71), the temperature climbing "to a fantastic 135 degrees" (page 222), with first "the decks running with human perspiration" and vomit (page 16), and eventually those "green linoleum decks...a quarter of an inch deep in water..., and the constant moving about by men in greasy, soggy shoes...churn[ing] it up into a disgusting, slimy, muddy ooze" (page 222).

There is the exultation, of course, of sinking great tankers and freighters that support the Japanese war effort, along with the occasional very dangerous depth-charge-armed destroyer. Yet there is the sadness, too, of comrades now on eternal patrol, those lost in some unknown grave of the deep, "alone and friendless" when enemy action--or, perhaps worse, mistaken-identity friendly fire--"start[ed] the hydrant flow of black sea water, and end[ed] forever all hopes of seeing sunlight again" (pages 87-88). And early on, too, there is the "sordid" tale (page 21) of often-faulty torpedoes that not only failed to sink their targets but also brought the attackers' doom.

Even "when a rather peculiar message [comes] in describing some kind of bomb which had been dropped on Hiroshima and done a lot of damage," Beach's "overwhelming impatience" is to get their engine repairs completed so they can "get back in it before it end[s]." "Now that the enemy was down," he tells us, "I wanted to stomp on him, kick him in the groin, destroy him completely if I could, just as he had the Trigger, Wahoo, Harder, Gudgeon, and so many others" (pages 294-95).

On the one hand, earlier in the book, the author considers the surviving crew members of a sunken merchanter now in lifeboats "ludicrous and pathetic," but he explains that the submariners have "no pity," for "well [they] kn[o]w what had happened to certain of [their] people who had fallen into the clutches of the Jap. Why shouldn't we sink the two boats and make sure there was no one to tell the tale?" he wonders. And yet on the other hand, he shrugs, "But of course we didn't" (page 12). Indeed, at other times toward the end of the war, as circumstances allow, these purportedly pitiless ship-sinkers also rescue enemy military personnel and civilians in the water, sometimes even jumping in themselves in the attempt (pages 287-88, 298-99).

And finally, a few days following the "rather peculiar message" about Hiroshima, after the "wild cheer rang through the boat" at the news of the Japanese surrender, Beach, now skipper of his own boat, comes topside by himself on a "night...clear and cloudless, with just a hint of the moon soon to rise." On this strange "night of peace" he mulls over the past arduous years, and he finds that trying to understand why this man or that man had been killed, and yet not himself, gives no answers, and he must "shr[i]nk from the abyss of lunacy yawning in front of [him]" (pages 300-301).

In short, Edward L. Beach's Submarine!, action-filled and exciting and yet at times thoughtful as well, is sure to be a 5-star read for anyone with an interest in submarines, naval warfare, or the Second World War in general.

[Josh Clubley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book perfectly captures the tension of submarine warfare. Fantastic

[Jack Hwang · Rating 4 out of 5]

Real classics of submarine warfare. Beach was very good at bring the readers with him into the thrilling and at the same time scaring battle scenes in a closed-in iron coffin....

[Kevin · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy to read overview of the author's real life submarine experience in the Pacific during WWII. It's not a linear narrative of just one ship, but rather a loosely chronological collection of stories -- not all of them about subs that the author served on, but rather those most interesting. Edward Beach went on to a long and influential career in Navy submarines, so the fact he presents such a high-level perspective sheds light on why.

I would choose this book as one of the best WWII memoirs for getting started in this area, as it's easy to read, and full of stories.

It's true the author's cavelier attitude towards the war is a little tiring -- he makes only the most rudimentary observations about the awfulness of what is happening ... this gives some insight into mindset & attitudes that enabled the war to take place. However it seems the height of arrogance to judge someone from the past who went through such trials.

[7$MartyQ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hall of Heroes

Each of the stories of specific boats brings to life the stories about the patrols of these boats, as well as the men who manned them.
I find it a pity that their history, as well as their sacrifices in the name of their countrymen both past and present are becoming less and less known by Americans today. I would highly recommend this book to learn what sacrifices The Greatest Generation did in our name.

[Harriet Berg · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story about our WWII Submariner warriors tells the great story of their character, bravery and importance. The author, Captain Beach, gives a general sweep of how the boats in the Pacific helped defeat the Japanese. The importance of their missions and their sacrifice cannot be overstated. Captain Beach has written this in a very interesting manner. He discusses several of the boats, their Commanders and crews. It’s an enjoyable read. I recommend it to all.

[Mwtyrrell · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing tells a story better than words from the men who where there.

History is so !such more than just dates and places. The story of the men who served, their emotions and thoughts, that is what makes a complete history.

Kudos to the brave men who lived and died in the silent service. The book is a great retelling of their deeds

[Scott Sigler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book that gives you a first-hand account of what it was like to be part of submarine warfare in World War II. Brave men enduring horrible circumstances, where even basic mistakes could take out a sub and the entire crew.

[Fredrick Danysh · Rating 4 out of 5]

A former submarine officer, Beach tells about life aboard American submarines during war and the dangers faced by the "silent service". With the adventure protrayed, the book almost appears fictional.