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Wahoo: The Patrols of America's Most Famous World War II Submarine
The career of the USS Wahoo in sinking Japanese ships in the farthest reaches of the Empire is legendary in submarine circles. Christened three months after Pearl Harbor, Wahoo was commanded by the astonishing Dudley W. “Mush” Morton, whose originality and daring new techniques led to results unprecedented in naval history; among them, successful “down the throat” barrage against an attacking Japanese destroyer, voracious surface-running gun attacks, and the sinking of a four-ship convoy in one day. Wahoo took the war to Japan’s front porch, and Morton became known as the Navy’s most aggressive and successful sea raider. Now, in a new quality paperback edition, her full story is told by the person most qualified to tell it—her executive officer Richard O’Kane, who went on to become the leading submarine captain of the Second World War.Praise for Wahoo“The accounts of the patrols are spine-tingling, both in triumph and tragedy. It is a tale of great courage, brilliant leadership, and daring innovation in a new type of submarine warfare fought largely on the surface in waters closely controlled by the enemy. Well-written, a gripping story for anybody with a love of the sea or adventure in submarine combat.”—Naval War College Review “This is an exceptional story of American men who rose to the occasion time and again under dangerous circumstance.” —Abilene Reporter News “A first-hand—and first-rate—narrative, told by the former executive officer of this legendary WWII submarine, which gives readers an intimate feel for life aboard the ‘boats’ that helped beat the odds in the battles of the Pacific and put Japan on the defensive.”—Sea Power “Like Clear the Bridge!, [Richard] O’Kane’s bestselling account of the Tang’s 33 confirmed sinkings, [Wahoo] is a rousing, authentic war adventure that could well become a classic of its type, crack[ling] with the tensions, boredom, and occasional exhilaration of submarine life under the Pacific, O’Kane is a superb storyteller, and his credentials are impeccable.”—Springfield Sunday Republic
385 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1987
105 people are currently reading
449 people want to read
About the author
Richard H. O'Kane
5 books7 followersRear Admiral Richard Hetherington “Dick” O'Kane was a United States Navy submarine commander in World War II, who received a Medal of Honor for his service on the Tang.
He also served on the Wahoo, as executive officer and approach officer. He participated in more successful attacks on Japanese shipping than any other submarine officer during the war.
He also served on the Wahoo, as executive officer and approach officer. He participated in more successful attacks on Japanese shipping than any other submarine officer during the war.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
July 15, 2016
I'd love to give this a higher rating, but can't.
Author Dick O'Kane, who went on from being the XO of the Wahoo to being the number one American sub captain of WWII, simply didn't consider his audience. Even with the (limited) glossary O'Kane provides, this account is full of cumbersome jargon and military acronyms. He assumes the reader knows what he's talking about. It's as if he wasn't writing it for a general audience, but for all those retired submariners from his era who were still alive. As a youngster I'd read popular accounts of WWII sub warfare that made sense of the tactics and methods of maneuver. This left me confused.
O'Kane also constructs an account (as he sees it) of Wahoo's final patrol, creating a completely speculative and fictional account of what happened on the boat. At one point he even has the crew cheering, though there were no survivors from this patrol to witness any of the events on board.
In this imagined re-enactment he has the Wahoo hit by one of its own rogue torpedoes and then finished off by aerial bombs. He projects his own identical experience on the USS Tang onto this boat for with no compelling reason. It's as if he can't accept that Morton and the Wahoo were vulnerable to the Japanese, and wanted to further blame fix the torpedo design defect that spelled doom for the Tang and most of her crew.
Since O'Kane's death the wreck of the Wahoo has been found, and with no evidence of a rogue torpedo hit. She'd suffered massive damaged aft of her conning tower from a direct hit from a bomb, and sunk in just over two hundred feet of water.
There are better accounts of the Wahoo's exploits.
Author Dick O'Kane, who went on from being the XO of the Wahoo to being the number one American sub captain of WWII, simply didn't consider his audience. Even with the (limited) glossary O'Kane provides, this account is full of cumbersome jargon and military acronyms. He assumes the reader knows what he's talking about. It's as if he wasn't writing it for a general audience, but for all those retired submariners from his era who were still alive. As a youngster I'd read popular accounts of WWII sub warfare that made sense of the tactics and methods of maneuver. This left me confused.
O'Kane also constructs an account (as he sees it) of Wahoo's final patrol, creating a completely speculative and fictional account of what happened on the boat. At one point he even has the crew cheering, though there were no survivors from this patrol to witness any of the events on board.
In this imagined re-enactment he has the Wahoo hit by one of its own rogue torpedoes and then finished off by aerial bombs. He projects his own identical experience on the USS Tang onto this boat for with no compelling reason. It's as if he can't accept that Morton and the Wahoo were vulnerable to the Japanese, and wanted to further blame fix the torpedo design defect that spelled doom for the Tang and most of her crew.
Since O'Kane's death the wreck of the Wahoo has been found, and with no evidence of a rogue torpedo hit. She'd suffered massive damaged aft of her conning tower from a direct hit from a bomb, and sunk in just over two hundred feet of water.
There are better accounts of the Wahoo's exploits.
November 21, 2020
Generally, I am not a big fan of first person narratives.
But Richard O'Kane did an excellent job with telling his story and that of the Wahoo, that in this case it was a definite advantage.
I do not know if you could have told the story of the Wahoo from the third person without it becoming somewhat dry and mundane, but O'Kane's insight and exploration of the characters and events made this a must read for anybody interested in WWII Pacific Theater history.
But Richard O'Kane did an excellent job with telling his story and that of the Wahoo, that in this case it was a definite advantage.
I do not know if you could have told the story of the Wahoo from the third person without it becoming somewhat dry and mundane, but O'Kane's insight and exploration of the characters and events made this a must read for anybody interested in WWII Pacific Theater history.
October 2, 2017
Anyone that served on the boats will find this a very good read, those that didn't, it could be a good read for them once they understand the jargon of submarine operations. The only fault I find with this book is the author's rendition on how the WAHOO was lost, but then he did write this book prior to the discovery of wreck of the USS Wahoo a couple of years ago.
February 16, 2018
The author was the Executive Officer on the Wahoo during its first 5 patrols prior to receiving his own submarine command. The book includes the Wahoo's sixth and seventh patrols. The Wahoo was sunk by Japanese aircraft during its seventh patrol, so the descriptions of the seventh patrol are based on the records of the ships sunk by the Wahoo, Japanese records of their attacks on the Wahoo, and the author's well educated guesses about what likely happened based on his knowledge of the captain and crew and his own experience.
Dudley Morton was a remarkable submarine captain. His, and the crew of the Wahoo's, exploits included sinking an attacking Japanese destroyer with a down the throat (head on) torpedo shot, sinking all 4 ships in a Japanese convoy, and infiltrating into the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea.
The author is candid about the problems that were experienced with different models of torpedos that often failed to explode or went off course. In fact one errant torpedo circled back and struck the Wahoo, damaging it, prior to its being sunk while trying to make it home through the strait between Hokkaido and Honshu.
You'll enjoy this book. If you google the Wahoo, you'll find out that a joint international expedition located the wreckage of the Wahoo and determined that one of the Japanese bombs hit near the conning tower.
Dudley Morton was a remarkable submarine captain. His, and the crew of the Wahoo's, exploits included sinking an attacking Japanese destroyer with a down the throat (head on) torpedo shot, sinking all 4 ships in a Japanese convoy, and infiltrating into the Sea of Japan and the Yellow Sea.
The author is candid about the problems that were experienced with different models of torpedos that often failed to explode or went off course. In fact one errant torpedo circled back and struck the Wahoo, damaging it, prior to its being sunk while trying to make it home through the strait between Hokkaido and Honshu.
You'll enjoy this book. If you google the Wahoo, you'll find out that a joint international expedition located the wreckage of the Wahoo and determined that one of the Japanese bombs hit near the conning tower.
December 9, 2024
After O'Kane's success with the book about the submarine he captained during WW2, USS Tang, he also wrote this book, about the submarine where he was executive officer before he was sent to captain USS Tang. That submarine was the USS Wahoo, named from a fish as all the boats. Wahoo is also just a very good name.
The books is organized as the previous book, one war patrol at a time. Each war patrol assigns the submarine to an area with orders to do as much mischief as possible. The first few war patrols were under a captain that O’Keane clearly despised. Normally in the books he’s generous with flatter all around, having the policy to praise in public and critic in private. The first captain though is basically called a coward, without using that word.
Eventually USS Wahoo gets a new captain, Morton, and everything changes. It is clear that this is where O'Kane learns how to be aggressive safely. As safe as it possible to be while also risking everything.
The story of USS Wahoo also coincides with the torpedo disaster. The US has developed a torpedo between the wars, but due to lack of funds and general incompetence it was never properly tested. The US submarines leave harbor but instead of sinking ships, they nearly sink themselves. The torpedoes run under ships without exploding, or they explode why too early, doing no damage, or they hit the ship with a massive clang, but without exploding. And worst of all, they sometimes run in a circle and sink the firing submarine.
Since the exact details are not laid out in the book, I can give a few of its flaws here.
1. It ran at an unpredictable depth, typically way too deep, because it had never been really tested in a realistic scenario with a full weight torpedo at full speed and several flaws accumulated the error to become up to 3-5 meters.
2. The top secret magnetic detonator was untested and turned out to be very hit or miss. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it triggered early, sometimes not at all. Partly this was because of a failure to take differences in the Earth’s magnetic fields into account and the Earth’s magnetic field varies a lot. Looking at a 2015 map, it varies from 22 microtesla outside Brazil to 66 microtesla south of Australia.
3. The contact detonator barely worked at all. The firing pin did not react as it had to before the whole unit was crushed. This was a consequence of not having been tested at all.
4. Torpedoes randomly failed to go in a straight line. This was most often a consequence of rushed production and parts that did not quite fit together since the producers didn’t really know what they were producing. Because of secrecy.
Back to the book, it is not quite as interesting as the USS Tang book partly because O'Kane was "only" executive officer, and we do not get to learn everything about USS Wang since after O'Kane has left her, she disappeared. She was found again in 2007, long after this book was published. It seems she was sunk by coastal artillery and when she dived, planes still saw her through the water and bombed her.
Apart from that final run, the book is organized by patrol, just like Thunder Below and the USS Tang book. I like that way of telling a story.
The books is organized as the previous book, one war patrol at a time. Each war patrol assigns the submarine to an area with orders to do as much mischief as possible. The first few war patrols were under a captain that O’Keane clearly despised. Normally in the books he’s generous with flatter all around, having the policy to praise in public and critic in private. The first captain though is basically called a coward, without using that word.
Eventually USS Wahoo gets a new captain, Morton, and everything changes. It is clear that this is where O'Kane learns how to be aggressive safely. As safe as it possible to be while also risking everything.
The story of USS Wahoo also coincides with the torpedo disaster. The US has developed a torpedo between the wars, but due to lack of funds and general incompetence it was never properly tested. The US submarines leave harbor but instead of sinking ships, they nearly sink themselves. The torpedoes run under ships without exploding, or they explode why too early, doing no damage, or they hit the ship with a massive clang, but without exploding. And worst of all, they sometimes run in a circle and sink the firing submarine.
Since the exact details are not laid out in the book, I can give a few of its flaws here.
1. It ran at an unpredictable depth, typically way too deep, because it had never been really tested in a realistic scenario with a full weight torpedo at full speed and several flaws accumulated the error to become up to 3-5 meters.
2. The top secret magnetic detonator was untested and turned out to be very hit or miss. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it triggered early, sometimes not at all. Partly this was because of a failure to take differences in the Earth’s magnetic fields into account and the Earth’s magnetic field varies a lot. Looking at a 2015 map, it varies from 22 microtesla outside Brazil to 66 microtesla south of Australia.
3. The contact detonator barely worked at all. The firing pin did not react as it had to before the whole unit was crushed. This was a consequence of not having been tested at all.
4. Torpedoes randomly failed to go in a straight line. This was most often a consequence of rushed production and parts that did not quite fit together since the producers didn’t really know what they were producing. Because of secrecy.
Back to the book, it is not quite as interesting as the USS Tang book partly because O'Kane was "only" executive officer, and we do not get to learn everything about USS Wang since after O'Kane has left her, she disappeared. She was found again in 2007, long after this book was published. It seems she was sunk by coastal artillery and when she dived, planes still saw her through the water and bombed her.
Apart from that final run, the book is organized by patrol, just like Thunder Below and the USS Tang book. I like that way of telling a story.
January 22, 2025
A first hand history of the war patrols of one of the most courageous sea captains in US history. Mush Morton figured out how to sink enemy shipping and went about it with a killer's ferocity. Further, this book chronicles the severe hardship faced by American submariners in WW II because of faulty torpedoes. Not only did they not explode but occasionally would turn back on the submarine that fired them towards the enemy.
The writer, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner and former executive officer of the Wahoo brings us right into the boat during the frightful experiences faced by the courageous crew and its captain. Absolutely required reading for anyone interested in WW II history.
The writer, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner and former executive officer of the Wahoo brings us right into the boat during the frightful experiences faced by the courageous crew and its captain. Absolutely required reading for anyone interested in WW II history.
August 21, 2021
Not just a seminal work on submarine warfare, but of the US Navy in WWII. Usually infantry perspectives are the ones peppered with vivid up close and personal fighting, so it was really unique to have that with the Navy. For me, it painted submarine warfare in a much more dramatic, exciting, and volatile light. O'Kane is a great writer and even better Officer and this is a must read for anyone with an interest in WWII. I look forward to reading his novel about the Tang as well.
May 1, 2024
Wow! Reading this book was an honor as well as a very humbling experience. I’ve always been amazed by the remarkable levels of patriotism and bravery exhibited by this greatest generation who so impressively bore the burden of fighting in WWII. This story of The Wahoo adds to that legacy in the most impressive way. This is so well written, the author makes it feel as if you were in the sub itself.
August 22, 2018
The best submarine narrative I have ever read.
With all due respect to Tom Clancy, this book is the best page turner and more so for it's history and accuracy. The story of Wahoo has been forgotten by boomers, through gen x and (alpha?) But this is a story that needs remembering.
Read this book, tell this story.
With all due respect to Tom Clancy, this book is the best page turner and more so for it's history and accuracy. The story of Wahoo has been forgotten by boomers, through gen x and (alpha?) But this is a story that needs remembering.
Read this book, tell this story.
October 8, 2020
O’Kane’s book is essential reading if you are a WW2 Submarine enthusiast (the Gato class boats 1941-45.) The read flows nicely and is extremely informative. o’Kane is a surprisingly accomplished author (and was an exceptional Submarine Commander during the Great War.) Wahoo was prime choice research material for my 4th book (Invisible.). Must read for all WW2 buffs.
October 24, 2019
Excellent bud sad account
Wahoo was lost on patrol after several patrols with excellent results. Today's generation would do well to note it is better to be brave and courageous than self centered.
Wahoo was lost on patrol after several patrols with excellent results. Today's generation would do well to note it is better to be brave and courageous than self centered.
December 29, 2022
I read this in 1987 in my senior year of College.
Been in love with studying submarines ever since.
The Wahoo was found off of the coast of Japan a few years back so her wreck has been discovered.
Strongly reccomended.
Been in love with studying submarines ever since.
The Wahoo was found off of the coast of Japan a few years back so her wreck has been discovered.
Strongly reccomended.
December 8, 2025
I found the book's content a bit dry, but the real kicker for this book was the narrator of the audiobook. With better narration, this could have been an entertaining and informative read, but the narrator really killed it for me. I admit I didn't finish.
October 15, 2017
Outstanding book. Being a former submariner I really related to the narrative and events described!
April 20, 2020
loved it, action and explanations of how it was done, uncanny how much success they had I guess just don to superior technology (welding being one), would love more books like it
August 11, 2020
A rel insite into "what it's like" on a submarine. Lots of arcane jargon made it difficult to understand at times. Otherwise, an interesting and revealing read.
May 11, 2023
This was a good story about the submarine.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 6, 2024
A depiction of American courage, boldness, and ethical shortcomings.
December 27, 2016
The US WWII Submarine Force became the greatest threat to the Japanese Empire. Likewise, the IJN inflicted severe casualties on our submariners since they operated singly and in dangerous waters. The WAHOO became an ace at putting Japanese merchant vessels on the bottom. Even with the dud torpedoes, the crew managed multiple sinkings in a single attack. Sadly it was one of her own torpedoes that caused her downfall when it circled and struck its own ship. The ship was lost with all hands.
Today at Pearl Harbor, you can walk around base or at the entry to the USS ARIZONA memorial and see the plaques on the walls of the submarine memorials. Each plaque has the names of the fallen on them. There are too many plaques. There are too many names. The WWII submarine force suffered the highest casualty rates any service in the war. The destruction they wrought was also the highest of any service in the war.
Today the Japanese Prime Minister is visiting Hawaii. I wonder what he thinks about seeing so much of our WWII history. I also find it amazing that such deadly enemies of WWII are now allies. Will we be fighting alongside German and Japanese servicemen during our next war?
I recommend you pick up a book on the WWII submariners and learn how they helped win WWII.
Today at Pearl Harbor, you can walk around base or at the entry to the USS ARIZONA memorial and see the plaques on the walls of the submarine memorials. Each plaque has the names of the fallen on them. There are too many plaques. There are too many names. The WWII submarine force suffered the highest casualty rates any service in the war. The destruction they wrought was also the highest of any service in the war.
Today the Japanese Prime Minister is visiting Hawaii. I wonder what he thinks about seeing so much of our WWII history. I also find it amazing that such deadly enemies of WWII are now allies. Will we be fighting alongside German and Japanese servicemen during our next war?
I recommend you pick up a book on the WWII submariners and learn how they helped win WWII.
January 18, 2015
O'Kane manages something quite remarkable in this book. He manages to present the mundane details of submarine life in an interesting way. Engine operation, navigation by the stars, vacuum tube repair, even games of cribbage. On the flip side, he presents those bursts of intense activity, the torpedo attacks, the anti-sub warfare battles in an equally calm yet engaging way.
SPOILER ALERT
As a result the final chapters, when the Wahoo is lost with all hands after O'Kane is transferred, has a real emotional impact on the reader. That having been said the final chapters are a bit awkwardly written. Maybe it's because they're based on speculation, or in the third person, or simply that we know how the story ends and have grown less patient for the minutia so late in the story.
But such details can't scuttle fantastic O'Kane's work.
SPOILER ALERT
As a result the final chapters, when the Wahoo is lost with all hands after O'Kane is transferred, has a real emotional impact on the reader. That having been said the final chapters are a bit awkwardly written. Maybe it's because they're based on speculation, or in the third person, or simply that we know how the story ends and have grown less patient for the minutia so late in the story.
But such details can't scuttle fantastic O'Kane's work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
September 6, 2013Excellent story of the Wahoo successful patrol activity, initially under a skipper reluctant to attack. Replaced by Cdr. Morton who employed very aggressive tactics the Wahoo set an enviable record sinking Japanese shipping. O'Kane, Executive Officer for most of the patrols, provides intriguing details of the patrols and the tactics used to sink 24 Japanese ships. He describes the difficulties with the initially unreliable torpedoes and the successes made possible by improved weapons. I had the pleasure of meeting Adm. Richard O'Kane at a Medal of Honor Convention and learned first hand about this remarkable man.
January 1, 2022
Richard OKane was not only a brave, dedicated and top rated submarine officer but also a talented writer as well. His wry, witty story telling is the perfect counterpoint for the technical data he provides. Those details come together to create a coherent ‘snapshot’ of life aboard a submarine during WW2.
O’Kanes enthusiasm for his chosen life’s work is apparent and infectious. I imagine (nearly) all who served with him were fans, as are all of us who are fortunate enough to have read this book!
I dare you to read this and his other book, “Clear the Bridge!” about his time as the captain of USS Tang, and not fall at least a little bit in love with both O’Kane and Morton (wahoos skipper).
O’Kanes enthusiasm for his chosen life’s work is apparent and infectious. I imagine (nearly) all who served with him were fans, as are all of us who are fortunate enough to have read this book!
I dare you to read this and his other book, “Clear the Bridge!” about his time as the captain of USS Tang, and not fall at least a little bit in love with both O’Kane and Morton (wahoos skipper).
March 1, 2016
Dudley "Mush" Morton, American Hero
With a quiet, calm determination, Dudley "Mush" Morton took the fight to the enemy. His motto was "stay we them until they're on the bottom". Where would America be today without men like Morton yesterday? Unfortunately stories of these brave men are not taught in history classes today; they were part of what history calls "The Greatest Generation," and again, unfortunately are more and more being relegated to pages in books like "Wahoo: The Patrol s of America's Most Famous World War II Submarine".
With a quiet, calm determination, Dudley "Mush" Morton took the fight to the enemy. His motto was "stay we them until they're on the bottom". Where would America be today without men like Morton yesterday? Unfortunately stories of these brave men are not taught in history classes today; they were part of what history calls "The Greatest Generation," and again, unfortunately are more and more being relegated to pages in books like "Wahoo: The Patrol s of America's Most Famous World War II Submarine".
October 3, 2007
this book was the one that made me learn about Dick O'Kane. Mush Morton had stones. In incredible book about one of the early successful sub capts. when there wasn't too many success stories.
January 25, 2009
The story of man who found his calling in life, sinking enemy ships. I suspect he would have been succseeful leading anyone but this was the task at hand. Excellent technical details but the human element interjected into the book is what I like best. These were the men we needed at the begining of the war to prosecute it to the end.
August 13, 2009
They must have played a LOT of cribbage during their off-duty watches aboard the Wahoo, if Dick O'Kane was able to come up with both a 28-point hand and a 29-point hand during his time aboard her (against his captain, Mush Morton on both occassions).
December 2, 2014
If you are a WWII history buff, as I am, you need to read this book. For me, it was fast-moving and contained lots of drama, along with the needed technical details to keep the reader engaged and satisfied but not bored.
April 7, 2013
Every chapter is the same over and over. Boring.
January 6, 2015
Amazing book, written by Executive Officer O'Kane, providing excellent detail without being too technical and thus boring. Remarkable story.
October 7, 2010
Excellent read and insight into the operations of one of WWII's best submarines
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews