In the early hours of June 24, 1944,
U.S, Navy warplanes patrolling the Atlantic attacked a Japanese submarine, the
I-52. But this was more than the sinking of another enemy warship. It was
an event of enormous strategic importance. For the I-52's mission was to
return to Japan with the lethal ingredients of a doomsday weapon—which remained
a government secret for years. In 1944, German scientists were failing to keep
pace with their American counterparts—many of them refugees from Nazi
brutality—in the race to develop a nuclear weapon. But they had learned to
separate the U-235 isotope, which when mixed with dust or ash and packaged with
a conventional explosive would kill millions, slowly and painfully, and
contaminate a vast area for decades. London was the target, via the mighty V-2
German rocket, but Hitler, fearing retaliation, abandoned the idea. The Japanese
had no such misgivings and gladly stepped in, purchasing the uranium with their
own gold bullion—two tons of which were aboard the I-52 sub. In Japan,
meanwhile, aircraft-carrying
submarines were standing by for an attack on the California coast, but the
mission was detected in an Allied intelligence victory equal to the breaking of
the Enigma codes. The I-52's resting place—18,000 feet below the surface
of the mid-Atlantic—became public in 1995, when discovery by ship salvager Paul
Tidwell. Author Richard N. Billings has worked with Tidwell—whose attempts to
raise the I-52's precious gold cargo continue—in bringing her mission to
light. Finally, this is the story of how the I-52 mission may have
influenced President Truman's decision to drop atomic bombs on two Japanese
cities, thereby saving the United States from a similar fate and swiftly ending
World War II.
New
hardback book with dust jacket. 311 pages, with an index but no photos or maps.
New Book --- $23.95
"Richard
Billings tells a fascinating story about the submarine I-52, Japanese
naval personnel, and Paul Tidwell, the salvager. Billings weaves information
gathered from declassified World War II radio intercepts, personal
interviews, and observations during an expedition to the I-52,
transitioning between the events of 1943-44 and 1995-98. This is not a
"history" book, but lively non-fiction that reads like a novel."
Sandy Greenwood
"This is a
story of many facets: there's sunken treasure (two tons of gold), there's
broken secret codes, there's radioactive uranium, there's politicians and
it's World War II. Specifically this is the story of the Japanese submarine
I-52 carrying gold and other commodities to Germany and expecting to
return with three tons of uranium. Because of the breaking of the German and
the Japanese codes the Allies were fully informed of what was happening. The
I-52 was sunk. Beyond this there are other stories involved in this
book.
1. There is a pretty good summary of what was happening in the German and
Japanese Atomic programs.
2. There is some discussion about the development of a radiological 'dirty'
bomb that Japan might use on the United States.
3. There is some speculation about Japan trying to surrender before the
atomic bombs were dropped.
4. And there is the story of trying to get the two tons of gold from the
I-52.
All in all, a lot of material for one book, but it is well handled and
lively reading." John Matlock "Gunny"
"Battleground
Atlantic is one part intriguing mystery, one part pulse-pounding race
for sunken treasure, and one part jaw-dropping historical revelation. And
that, my friend, is a formula for some wonderful reading." Don Keith.
Author of "Final Patrol."
The Author
Richard N. Billings (at left) is a former Life magazine
Pentagon correspondent and the author of six previous non-fiction
books. He is also the former editorial director of the House Select
Committee on Assassinations.
How The Sinking
of a Single Japanese Submarine Assured the Outcome of World War II
by Richard N. Billings
New Hardback edition with Dust Jacket
311 pages, no photos
New $23.95
ISBN # 0-451-21766-7
