Gallant Lady / Ken Henry & Don Keith / USS Archerfish SS-311 / Submarinebooks.com

She looked much like any other diesel powered, Balao-class submarine crafted in the 1940s. But the USS Archerfish (SS-311) was named for a fish that kills its victims with a lethal blast of water from below. This submarine won a unique and heroic place in military history and the memories of her crew members. Here is her story: from her assembly in New England and her dedication at the hand of Eleanor Roosevelt, to her service in World War II, where she broke the back of the Japanese Navy, and her critical role in the Cold War, crisscrossing the oceans for six years to foil Soviet naval intelligence. Here too, is the story of her officers and enlisted men, who waited years to serve on the Archerfish. In their own words, these men tell how, against all odds, they sent a Japanese aircraft carrier to the ocean floor... served in peacetime in the Navy's only all- bachelor crew... steered their ship into exotic ports all over the world... and welcomed B-girls, Japanese war veterans, royalty, Playboy bunnies, and a goat aboard ship, with equal hospitality. As they helped their submarine outlast fires and even an earthquake, they worked hard, played hard, and lived even harder. An extraordinary real-life odyssey, "Gallant Lady" is a vivid, unforgettable portrait of a submariner's life. "Gallant Lady" co-author Don Keith also wrote, "Final Patrol."
New hardback with dust jacket. 352 pages with 25 B/W photographs and an index.

Just $25.95

The Authors

Ken Henry, retired from the U.S. Navy in 1974 as a Senior Chief Engineman. He was one of the first volunteers for Operation Sea Scan aboard the USS Archerfish. Henry lives in South Florida.

Don Keith is an award-winning author, journalist, and broadcast personality. He was twice named Personality of the Year by "Billboard Magazine." His first novel, "The Forever Season," was named Fiction of the Year by the Alabama Library Association. Keith also wrote "Final Patrol" and "In The Course Of Duty." Don lives in Indian Springs Village, Alabama, with his wife, Charlene.

BOOK REVIEWS

"I picked this book up figuring it would be another WWII account of a submarines' exploits then on seeing the jacket I had to find out what this sub did... I laughed and felt fear, I felt sorrow at the parts where members of the crew left.. I can only imagine what it was like from the fires to the storms to the beauty that was there both in nature and in the closeness that was her crew... few are that fortunate to actually belong to a group of men that are all like brothers... and feel that their "boat" was in fact a living being... it must've been some ride...

"Rollicking" is probably the term Hollywood would use, and probably such a movie from the latter part of this book would be a hit. There is little question of the drama of Archerfish wartime patrols and her singular distinction in stalking and sinking the world's largest enemy ship on it's maiden voyage. Like many other accounts of submarine warfare, "GALLANT LADY" vividly describes the stuffy quarters, grimy tension, and grim excitement of WWII submarine life. Where the book becomes unusual is in the story of Archerfish's third commission as auxiliary to a modernized fleet in which she has become an anachronism. Not intimidated by her diminishing status, she forges her own direction for the next ten years, embracing with gusto a series of routine jobs and a unique assignment that no other ship can be spared for. In the process her maverick (and envied) crew lives an experience of exploration, adventure, and hi-jinks worthy of the sea sagas of earlier centuries. No other commissioned ship of the Navy has enjoyed such a voyage, and no others are likely to. This is a fascinating tale of camaraderie and initiative in service to our country that belongs in every seafarer's locker. Frank S. Virden, Captain, USN (Ret.)

"Gallant Lady traces the history of a remarkable "boat" from its WWII pinnacle with the sinking of Japanese super-carrier Shinano to the final Cold War mission.
This latter segment of the story is told from the 'rag hat' perspective and gives insights that are informative, entertaining and funny as hell." M.D. Giambattista