Sink 'Em All: Submarine Warfare in the Pacific

by Charles A. Lockwood

Sink ’Em All, was originally published in 1951 by Vice Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, the U.S. Navy commander of the Pacific submarine fleet during World War II. Lockwood, in his leadership role, knew the skippers and crews of the submarines, and retells their wartime successes and tragedies with an intimacy and realism often missing in second-hand accounts. Lockwood also recounts his efforts to improve the provisions and after-patrol accomodations of the submariners, and of his on-going struggle to improve the effectiveness of torpedoes and other tools vital to the war effort.Sink ’Em All remains today one of the most comprehensive and lively accounts of the war in the Pacific and of the exploits of the “Silent Service.” This new edition includes photographs and a new Preface by Steve W. Chadde.

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

351 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1951

About the author

Lockwood was an officer in the United States Navy. His tenure as commander of the US submarine force in the Pacific theater of operations greatly increased that force's effectiveness in the Second World War.

Lockwood retired from the Navy in 1947 after a Stint as Naval Inspector General. In his retirement, he wrote several books about submarines, including his own experiences.

Reviews

[Jeannie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best book about World War II that I have ever read.
We are fortunate to have the opportunity to read Admiral Lockwood’s experiences. According to my pop, who was a sailor and also fought in World War II, Admiral Lockwood was a true hero. He saved a lot of lives when he fought for his men and others on his ship and other vessels to get faulty torpedoes fixed and working properly. He had the knowledge and know how to shorten the war. He also had an uncanny ability to write a narrative of how it was fighting on a submarine. This was a man who was good at everything. He worked tirelessly for his men and his country and accurately predicted the future.
This is a book that a reader cannot put down. You won’t want any coffee brakes while reading this extraordinary and wonderful narrative.
Jeannie Walker (Award-Winning Author)

[Charles T Elston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told as only a "submarine" could

Absolutely riveting, first hand stories of actual submarine patrols taken from official records. Adm Lockwood told the stories, injecting his views and personal experiences, which lend authenticity and authority to this history. I couldn't put it down.

[Michael E. Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great World War II story of submarines in the Pacific

After reading the story you must have great admiration and respect for all those young men that went down under the sea and are very dangerous position with many giving their lives so that we can live as we do today

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you can handle the racism (which is challenging) it’s a must read for any serious WWII historian.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

A highly detailed account of submarine activities in the Pacific. The regular full review of monthly cruises bogged the book down especially as it goes into the captains home state in listing details about the vessel. All in all highly informative. My biggest issue was by 1945 there were still about 100 pages or more. The book could certainly have been more concise and still carried the same informative content related to sub activities.

[7$MartyQ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Into the Breach

My father never spoke about his time in the Marines fighting for our way of life half a world away, but as I have become a student of WW II, I now truly understand why his generation is called "The Greatest Generation." It was because of the self sacrifice of all the men of the armed forces, and the ones who truly were the only things between us and the Japanese. It was the men and the boats that gave America the time it so badly net to gear up to fight the war after the devastation of Pearl Harbor. There cannot be enough said for their heroism and devotion to duty and their willingness to bring the fight to the enemy,

[BJ Haun · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this book to be pretty dry and a real slog as it took me over a month to read through what my Kindle claims is only 350 pages. If you want dates and reports about what happened this is the book for you, but for me personally there were only so many times I could read Lockwood's retelling about how one of the submarines under his command sunk a Japanese ship before it all started to blur together. I found the author's retelling about what he did "behind the scenes" more interesting, and wish he would have written more about what he had a direct hand in, rather than retelling yet another report, or list off another monthly scorecard.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great synopsis of submarine warfare in the pacific theater. Written like a good sea story should be.

[Rodney Moorhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a excellent inside view of submarine operations in the Pacific Theater.

[Steven Hull · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sink ‘Em All, a narrative of the U.S. submarine war in the Pacific during World War II, is part of the “Uncommon Valor” series, a re-release of out of print books that have largely been forgotten, but are important sources of historical information written by those who lived through and made the history. The author, Vice-Admiral Charles A. Lockwood, U.S. Navy (Retired), was the Commander Submarines, Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC), during the war. As such he was intimately familiar with the strategy and tactics of the submarine force, the commanders and crews of those who fought, and the failures and successes the force experienced during the war. Sink ‘Em All is a chronological, month-by-month account of the war beginning with the demoralizing period following the attack on Pearl Harbor, and ending with the waning days of the war and eventual victory.

Lockwood covers the topic well. He describes the magnitude of the task facing the small Pacific submarine force of just fifty-one boats in early 1942. The loss of Wake Island, Guam, Singapore, and the Philippines, and the demise of allied surface naval forces in the Far East brought forth the rapid expansion of the Japanese Empire, an expansion that threatened Alaska, Hawaii, the U.S. west coast, Australia, and New Zealand. Into the breach sailed the U.S. submarine force, initially operating from Pearl Harbor and Australia. The force’s early victories were small—the USS Trout’s successful transport, for example, of twenty tons of Philippine gold, silver, and securities out of the country before the Philippines fell to the Japanese in May, 1942. There were significant failures as well. At the head of the list were malfunctioning torpedo exploders. Lockwood chronicles the eighteen-month effort to correct the dud torpedo problem, which had reduced enemy ship sinkings and needlessly endangered submarines and their crews. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to overcome was bureaucratic. The Navy’s Bureau of Ordnance claimed the malfunctions were due to the poor tactics of the submarine skippers, despite the Bureau never having tested warshot torpedoes against dummy targets prior to the war’s outbreak. The sub skippers were adamant, however—the torpedoes didn’t work. Lockwood sided with his skippers and persisted in finally solving the problem.

The strength of Lockwood’s narrative is his description of his sailors and submarines. The reader is treated to the dangers of numerous war patrols, which from the very beginning were conducted close to the Japanese home islands. He removes the veil of secrecy that necessarily surrounded these operations while the war was going on. We are taken aboard the USS Wahoo, with her innovative and aggressive skipper, Lieutenant Commander Dudley Morton. On patrol Morton attacks a Japanese destroyer that carefully avoids Wahoo’s torpedo spread. We are there as the destroyer charges Wahoo’s periscope and Morton fires a final torpedo towards the bow-on destroyer at the point blank range of 800 yards. Success meant the Wahoo survived to fight another day. Lockwood takes us through the rest of Wahoo’s war patrol, as again and again the calculatingly aggressive Morton deftly maneuvers the Wahoo into successful attack positions, followed by rapid retreats. Numerous such descriptions about individual sub attacks populate the book, repeatedly demonstrating how difficult is was to sink ships, while simultaneously avoiding detection, keeping batteries charged, and maintaining vital equipment while operating in waters 2-4,000 miles inside the Japanese Empire.

There were the losses too. The Japanese were a skilled, tenacious, and brave enemy, even though they often lacked sophisticated technology. Increasingly the submarine war was fought in the heart of the Japanese Empire—their home waters. On July 20, 1943 the USS Runner was reported “overdue and presumed lost”. Other losses followed, the USS Pompano, USS Grayling, USS Cisco, and USS Dorado. In October the fabled USS Wahoo and her indomitable skipper, Dudley Morton were reluctantly “presumed lost and overdue”. Lockwood followed each loss with what post-war American and Japanese records tentatively concluded may have happened. Frequently, these submarines fell victim to air and surface launched depth charges, as did the Wahoo. Mines took a large toll and some subs unfortunately fell victim to their own malfunctioning torpedoes, which returned to their point of launch with deadly effect. USS Tang, commanded by the extraordinarily skilled Richard O’Kane met her fate in this manner. Others simply disappeared, with their fate unknown to this day.

By the end of the war the Silent Service, with little more than 24,000 support personnel and 16,000 volunteers manning the boats, lost 52 submarines and 3,500 men. In return, of the 9.7 million tons of Japanese naval and merchant shipping sunk during the war, 5.3 million tons were at the hands of the U.S. submarine force. 3.5 million sailors served in the U.S. Navy in World War II. Submariners accounted for slightly more than 1% of the force, yet they mortally wounded a sea-dependent Japan, choking off her supply lines and starving her people and war machine. Lockwood pays tribute to the courage of those who made this possible, personalizing their stories and showing how difficult the fighting was and how deadly it became. Lockwood concludes with a chapter about the signing of the peace followed by a discussion of the major role submarines would play in any future conflict.

Sink ‘Em All is a major contribution to the history of World War II submarine warfare. Released in 1951, it provided a narrative of the U.S. Navy’s submarine war against Japan by one of its major architects. Lockwood’s treatment of the Japanese was sometimes harsh. We should not judge him on this topic from the safe perch of today. He personally knew many of the submariners who were lost or were mistreated as POWs by the Japanese. He understood the unforgiving undersea battleground and the no-quarter dimensions of this war, which allowed little room for mistakes. Lockwood’s narrative describes the defeat of an enemy he probably hated, but this hate stemmed from personal experience and loss, not ideology or unfounded bias. I would encourage anyone interested in a primary source about the World War II submarine war in the Pacific to read this book.

[Alex Tyree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Overview of submarine war in the Pacific

Since my father was the last wartime commander of the Bowfin, I have become a reader of submarine conflict in WWII. His boss was Vice Admiral Lockwood, in charge of most U.S. submarines. Thus he was well informed about most aspects of submarine operation, strategy, tactics, and politics.

In my opinion, this account is candid and inspired, giving one the facts, perspective and also feel for the aspirations, fears and pride that is part of this unique naval service. There are realistic and dramatic portraits of officers and enlisted men and the sacrifices they made for their country and each other.

In Admiral Lockwood's attempt to credit every boat, commander and mission, the average reader may tire of still another mission .Likewise, that type of reader may not value the praise-laden passages that mark him as a leader truly thankful for the professionalism and devotion of his men.I

Kill Em All is well worth the read. It is a great tribute to a little known Navy Service, The Silent Service. Thanks to Admiral Lockwood, the Service is better remembered for its contribution to a very important task of destroying Japan's merchant marine.

[Crotusman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a landlubber through and through. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, I have always had a fascination with naval history. Over the summer I read the “Crash Dive” series by Craig Dilouie and while there were more than a few eye rolling moments in that series, I ate them up and really loved them. That got me thinking about the real thing, so I followed that up with “War Beneath the Sea: Submarine conflict during World War II” by Peter Padfield, but I did not enjoy that book. It got way too far down in the weeds to the point that it started to feel very repetitive. It also could have used some help with developing an overarching narrative.

At its lowest points, “Sink’Em All” suffers from some of the same issues as “War Beneath the Sea”, however it makes up for those low points with Admiral Lockwood’s first hand knowledge of many of the events as they unfolded. Sure, this can call into question the impartiality of the author, but Lockwood never pretends to be an impartial observer. In fact, his love for his submariners and admiration for their bravery and sacrifices comes through on nearly every page and are ultimately what make this so much more compelling than “War Beneath the Sea”. Glad I read it.

[D.A. Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent work marred by a poor e-book translation

I have read a great many books about World War Two in my life, and Admiral Lockwood’s work describing his tenure as one of the principal figures in the Pacific War ranks among the best of them.

This book has both the virtues and the drawbacks of having been written so close to the end of the war. In several instances, the author makes reference to Japanese ship names that make no sense to those who have read more recent works. I can only attribute this to incomplete and / or inaccurate records that were the only ones available, even to high-ranking officers, at the time the book was written.

The reason I only gave ‘Sink ‘Em All’ four stars is the large number of strange typographical and formatting errors in this e-book edition. I suspect that this is the result of a poorly executed and proofread e-book translation, possibly one that originated from an OCR scan of a printed volume. I hope that the publisher will someday do a proper translation from a known good source

[Jeff Dawson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the bible for the submarine warfare in the Pacific during World War Two. Had no idea our sub sand and damaged over 10 million tons of Japanese shipping and men of war.

The final chapters, 21 and 22 were much too long. They came across as an after-thought. Before these chapters, the story is well told with an excellent chronological order. The last two, especially, 21, are more of a shotgun approach. He goes into the current Cold War situation with Russia and the development of the first nuclear sub and then keeps repeating and repeating and repeating these facts. Not sure if it was him or the original publisher trying to fill up pages. It could have been cut down in half and still be insightful.

Four and-a-half Stars to Admiral Lockwood The new publisher gets three stars for not proofreading their product.

If you’re a fan of World Wat Two and want to know the great contribution of the “Silent Service,” this is must read.

Four Stars

[John Graybill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book revirwed

This is an easily followed history of us submarine warfare. It included clearly broke repetition, but that was fair my well controlled. It was a. Documentary of many us operations, with successes and losses posted. Reading this book 70 years later gave me a bit of a different take vs reviews long ago. First, the seamen of the us side were described in positive and often heroic terms. Second, Japanese treatment if prisoners was contrasted for its brutality. Certainly true, because the Japanese lived and diet by the bushido code, which was death before dishonor and surrendering was dishonor.

My take was more on all the Japanese troops in the transports who were dispatched as if they were just pieces of cargo. I thought those soldiers had mothers and wives too. True that eliminating them meant less trauma for our troops, and true that their cause was unjust. I guess "War is he'll." Sums it up.

[Logan Stark · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up. Ooph the casual and overt racism really knocks this book down in the rating. If you’re looking for a great reference text on where subs were and when along with battle narratives and tactics by the sub fleet commander in the Pacific, this is the book. Unfortunately, if you’re looking for a book that refers to the Japanese by the shortened slur that was prevalent in the 1940s, this is also the book. Great for an overview of all sub warfare in the Pacific. Terrible for the unbridled “we’re better than them and they’re clearly heathens” attitude throughout. The inclusion of the verbatim POW statements near the end was solely to make the author’s point that the Japanese were monsters and the Americans would never *dare* do anything half so awful to their POWs. (You should have read the last half of that sentence with heavy sarcasm, clearly.)

[Luke · Rating 5 out of 5]

The US lost 52 subs in WW2, many of which were “overdue and presumed lost.” Lockwood tells tale after remarkable tale about submarine activity in the Pacific. The stories of the USS Sculpin and USS Darter particularly stood out. Lockwood also manages to describe wartime sub developments in an engaging manner.

Along with Sherry Sontag and Christopher Drew’s Blind Man’s Bluff about Cold War sub activity, Sink ‘em All is among the best naval wartime books I've read.

[Jim D · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best WWII submarine book i have ever read. Written in 1951 by the commander of submarines Pacific, it is a detailed year by year history of the submarine war against the Japanese. Even though it is very detailed, it reads like a novel and fills the reader in on tactics, strategies, successes, failures and equipment used by these courageous warriors on the front lines and behind the front lines of the Japanese empire. There are triumphs and tragedies told from the perspective of someone who was in charge shortly after the war ended. Cannot recommend this book highly enough to history buffs and those interested in submarines.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very comprehensive book covering the entire WW II pacific submarine story. This is from the man who lead them so it should all be the straight scoop on everything. Does not go into small details about every action but does cover in fair depth the action, equipment, people and challenges that a small group of submariners faced and the major impact they had in the battle in the Pacific. I have read many other books following various subs or captains and wish I read this one first. Does cover every mission and the monthly totals but the other subjects and issues they faced are worth the somewhat repetitive nature of the mission and monthly totals.

[Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good first-hand account of submariners in World War Two. It is told by a commander of submarines so it is lacking in the common seaman's perspective. It is interesting to note that considering how we went after passenger-cargo ships that the German U-boats were justified in the depredations of merchant marine shipping as expedient to war. The account is fast-moving and as detailed as Lockwood can be with the information he had available. It is a very good primary source for the study of World War II in the Pacific.

[Jeffery B. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting Material but Stodgy Style

Lockwood’s book is full of interesting facts and hearing of the history of the US submarine war in WWII from one of the men that was instrumental in it’s execution and planning gives it a unique perspective. Be prepared for somewhat stiff prose and early 20th Century language and style. A good read for someone with an interest in submarines and the war that they fought against the Japanese in WWII. It’s not what I’d call great story telling, but he makes a serious attempt at keeping it factual.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read for anyone who is interested in WWII history or submarines. Written by the Admiral who was COMSUBPAC it tells not only of the actions of the various boats throughout the war but of the problems faced with procurement of everything from ammunition to finding places to berth the boats as advanced bases were opened. A good read that has enough action sequences interspersed to hold the interest of even those (like me) who are most interested in the battles waged by the subs

[Dan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure why I decided to read this book. The book provided me with a first-hand look at the life of a submariner. I remember watching a TV program called "Silent Service" many years ago.

There is quite a bit of repetition, and the recounting of enemy tonnage sunk becomes numbing after a while.

Life, and especially death, at sea can be frightening. I am glad I did not have to serve in the submarine service.

[Raymond · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you want a good overview and detail of what each boat was doing in the timeframe of the war, this is it. I am glad I read this one before I read USS Seawolf: Raider of the Pacific. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

It is as complete and as dry as a "Reporting, Admiral!" yet glad I read it. I never knew about the total intertwining of the boats, the torpedo problems, and the tactics development.

Required reading for any WWII Submarine buff.

[Steven C Runo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed and Definitive, and a Great Read

Sink ‘Em All provides details of the men, the submarines, the equipment, and the missions of US submarines in the Pacific Ocean during World War II. While all of the detail and statistics are there, it is an easy read because of the human stories, including both the tragedies and the humor. There is probably no better book to really understand how and what these courageous few did to so much to win the war.

[Adam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but repetivie

This book provides a little bit of insight into the scale of American submarine operations in the Pacific during the Second World War, and certainly was written by someone in a position to know. However, it bogs down and becomes an almost endless series of summaries of wartime patrols, without spending much time on the wider picture or deeper implications of it all.

[Gregory C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding book about WWII Submarine Warfare in the Pacific theater

This author has been their and done that, with being in charge during the War in the Pacific Theater of Submarine Operations.
He delivers the story well and talks about each Boat under his command.
His summary is superb and focused on improving the quality of the Submarine Service by using Atomic energy on the Boats.
5 stars, great book.

[Christian D. D. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fitting tribute to “The Silent Service!”

A fitting tribute to the brave men (officers and enlisted sailors alike) of “The Silent Service), written by the very man who commanded them, the late great Vice Admiral Charles A. “Uncle Charlie” Lockwood, Commander, Submarine Force Pacific Fleet (COMSUBPAC) during WWII.

Speaking myself as someone whose paternal cousin (Clinton Orr, R.I.P.) served as a WWII submariner, I especially appreciate a book such as this one.

[Linda Long · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent History of U. S. WWII Submarines in the Pacific

Unparalleled accuracy of reporting by a master story teller. Even though the author is relating second or third hand information about the adventures of submarine crews, his excellent subject matter knowledge enables him to describe events in such a manner that the reader feels as though he is observing the action directly. This book is a valuable no nonsense contribution to the history of submarine warfare.

[Ty And · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic Submarine History!

Written in the mid-1950s by a high level commander of the Pacific Submarine Fleet during WWII, “Sink ‘Em All” does not disappoint.

Mostly a high level overview of submarine operations during the war, “Sink ‘Em All” seamlessly blends the strategic picture with patrol reports from submarines during the war.

Highly recommend if looking for the strategic picture of submarine operations in the Pacific during World War II.