Clear The Bridge! - New / Richard "Dick" O'Kane / USS Tang SS-306 / R.A. Cline Publishing

The true story of one of America’s top-scoring World War II submarine’s––USS Tang (SS-306), written by her only skipper, Richard H. “Dick” O’Kane. Commissioned in October 1943, Tang averaged one enemy ship sunk every 11 days, a rate twice that of any other U.S. submarine. On lifeguard duty in 1944, O’Kane and his men rescued 22 navy flyers. On her final patrol, Tang was tragically sunk by her own circle-run torpedo––O’Kane was on the bridge at the time and became one of the few survivors of the sinking. As the submarine settled on the bottom, in 180 feet of water, thirteen men managed to escape from the forward torpedo room––only eight reached the surface, and of these, five were able to swim until rescued. All including O'Kane were imprisoned as Japanese POWs. The former World War II executive officer of the famed USS Wahoo (SS-238), in 1987, O’Kane wrote the book "Wahoo."

New Softbound edition. 480 pages, 23 B/W photos, 11 maps, a complete USS Tang crew roster and an index. A large map of Tang’s war patrols inside front cover, 1 diagram of a fleet submarine.

Just $17.95

BOOK REVIEWS

"If Hollywood is looking for a new action-adventure subject, they need look no further than the war patrols of the USS Tang. Join Richard O'Kane aboard the Tang as he weaves a tale of suspense and action better than any work of fiction. Under his command, the Tang ranked fourth in the number of tons of Japanese shipping sunk. We get a rare "periscope liberty" look over the author's shoulder as he tracks his prey across the vast Pacific. Whether rescuing a record number of downed fliers or launching torpedoes from the very center of a confused and sinking Japanese convoy, his no-nonsense style and matter-of-fact delivery leave no doubt that this man was—in every respect—a true submarine commander. This book provides one of the truly great depictions of the kind of heroes who served in World War II, especially those in the "Silent Service." Rick Bernskoetter

"I've read "Clear the Bridge" an estimated seventeen times. I first began reading it soon after its initial paperback printing about 1980. This is the book by which I judge all other books on WWII American submarine warfare. It is difficult to put down. One thing it contains, which I find lacking in many other fine submarine books, is the detail. Each attack is described thoroughly, so the reader can understand the circumstances and tactics being used. There is no hyperbole, yet this is one of the most exciting accounts you will ever read on the topic. Tang experienced first-hand to the nth degree the torpedo failures that plagued the silent service during the entire war, and you will read about it here. I generally consider O'Kane to be the top submarine commander of the war, but there were many fine ones, and it's a little bit like comparing apples with rocks. He seemed to have a sixth sense in rooting out enemy shipping. He trained his crew well and respected them. Yet despite the Tang's success, O'Kane does not come across as being overly risky. Each attack was carried out with the overall safety of his "ship" in the back of his mind. (He never calls the Tang a "boat".) The dedication of O'Kane and his crew to their war effort is awe inspiring. One in six submariners died in the war, yet submariners like Tang's continued to put their lives on the line patrol after patrol. I highly recommend this book not only to readers of WWII submarine warfare, but to anybody who likes to read period." David N. Currey