SHINANO : THE SINKING OF JAPAN'S SECRET SUPERSHIP

Enright, Joseph F. Captain. & Ryan, James W.

ISBN 10: 037031106X / ISBN 13: 9780370311067

Published by The Bodley Head, 1987

Hardback; very good in lightly creased dustjacket. ; The story of the sinking of the Japanese aircraft carrier by the man who sunk her. Illustrated. ; 232 pages. Seller Inventory # 81583

Synopsis:

Built during World War II, the Shinano was, and remains to this day, one of the most remarkable war vessels ever constructed. At a displacement weight of over 75,000 tons, she was the biggest ship ever built to that time, with 18" guns that could hurl 4,000 pound projectiles over 25 miles. A battleship-converted-to-carrier, the Shinano was a military marvel that the Japanese hoped would reverse the war fortunes of an entire nation. On her maiden voyage she was escorted by three battle-savvy destroyers and manned by a crew of thousands. Who could have ever foretold that she would sink within days of leaving drydock?

From Publishers Weekly: Shinano was the largest warship in history to be sunk by a submarine, and Enright was the skipper of the sub that sank it. This firsthand account, based on Enright's recollections and statements by American and Japanese veterans of the action, can be recommended without hesitation as a WW II naval classic. While the basic story is simple, its unfolding is as complexly gripping as a chess match between grandmasters. The opponents: Commander Enright and his counterpart, Capt. Toshio Abe, commander of Shinano. On November 29, 1944, the aircraft carrier, escorted by three destroyers, was only 17 hours into its maiden voyage when four perfectly placed torpedoes, launched by Enright's Archer-Fish, sent it to the bottom near the entrance to Tokyo Bay. The meticulously unfolding narrative, told alternately from the points of view of the plotting-room and periscope of Archer-Fish and the captain's bridge aboard Shinano, is mainly concerned with Enright's struggle to gain position ahead of the zigzagging carrier and maneuver into an elusive firing-window that would be open only for a few seconds. Coauthor Ryan's previous books include Who Killed the Red Baron? Photos. Military Book Club main selection.
Copyright 1987 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Bibliographic Details

Title: SHINANO : THE SINKING OF JAPAN'S SECRET ...
Publisher: The Bodley Head
Publication Date: 1987
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Very Good
Dust Jacket Condition: Good