Thunder Below!: The USS *Barb* Revolutionizes Submarine Warfare in World War II | 
 enlarge | Author: Eugene B. Fluckey
Publisher: University of Illinois Press
Category: Book
List Price: $21.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  63 reviews
Sales Rank: 30331
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 464
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.2
Dimensions (in): 9.8 x 6.9 x 1.2
ISBN: 0252066707
Dewey Decimal Number: 355
EAN: 9780252066702
ASIN: 0252066707
Publication Date: July 1, 1997
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Product Description
The thunderous roar of exploding depth charges was a familiar and comforting sound to the crew members of the USS Barb, who frequently found themselves somewhere between enemy fire and Davy Jones's locker. Under the leadership of her fearless skipper, Captain Gene Fluckey, the Barb sank the greatest tonnage of any American sub in World War II. At the same time, the Barb did far more than merely sink ships - she changed forever the way submarines stalk and kill their prey. This is a gripping adventure chock-full of "you-are-there" moments. Fluckey has drawn on logs, reports, letters, interviews, and a recently discovered illegal diary kept by one of his torpedomen. And in a fascinating twist, he uses archival documents from the Japanese Navy to give its version of events. The unique story of the Barb begins with its men, who had the confidence to become unbeatable. Each team helped develop innovative ideas, new tactics, and new strategies. All strove for personal excellence, and success became contagious. Instead of lying in wait under the waves, the USS Barb pursued enemy ships on the surface, attacking in the swift and precise style of torpedo boats. She was the first sub to use rocket missiles and to creep up on enemy convoys at night, joining the flank escort line from astern, darting in and out as she sank ships up the column. Surface-cruising, diving only to escape, "Luckey Fluckey" relentlessly patrolled the Pacific, driving his boat and crew to their limits. There can be no greater contrast to modern warfare's long-distance, video-game style of battle than the exploits of the captain and crew of the USS Barb, where the sub, out of ammunition, actually rammed an enemy ship untilit sank. Thunder Below! is a first-rate, true-life, inspirational story of the courage and heroism of ordinary men under fire.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 58 more reviews...
 Great WWII submarine book November 4, 2008
I was a bit skeptical about this book but the reviews enticed me. The book did not disappoint. The author and the Barb's Captain, Eugene Fluckey may have written a somewhat self serving book, but it seems that he actually deserves credit for his superb job as skipper. He certainly deserves credit for writing an extremely entertaining book. It's a book that will awe you with Captain Flukey's crazy and bright ideas and choke you up with some of the painful experiences they encountered. Even my 26 year old son devoured the book and he's not a naval or WWII history buff.
Fluckey the `Barb'arian October 28, 2008
After reading this outstanding WWII combat submarine book, I now have a new war hero, and he is the late Admiral Eugene B. Fluckey, recipient of four Navy Crosses and the Medal of Honor as the commanding officer of the "Barb" in five combat patrols in the Pacific. Even though this book was my first submarine book, I cannot imagine how any other book can be a better, more entertaining, and more informative historical account of WWII submarine tactics and leadership.
In the preface, Fluckey stated his objective: "...to provide the reader with the best and most complete account of every attack, whether against land or sea targets, as reported by those concerned...I have not fabricated this history. I was there." Using his recollections, official U.S. Navy records, and over ten years of personal research in Japan and China, I believe Fluckey achieved his objective in the pages of this exciting book.
Besides learning of the actions that produced the "Barb's" 29+ ships and 146,808 tons sunk (plus three shore gun bombardments, four rocket attacks (a true Fluckey innovation initiative), seventy-four vessels destroyed by gunfire, a train with sixteen cars destroyed by a saboteur party, and one vessel destroyed by ramming), the book was filled with many insights of Fluckey's character and leadership that led to those actions, and the unique lifestyle and challenges of submariners:
"It seemed as if we were loafing, but submariners on the bridge have an instinct for relaxed tautness. With binoculars sweeping sky, horizon, and water surface, they know the lives of their shipmates depend on their spotting the enemy first. It takes only one hole to sink a sub. Survivors are a rarity."
"`Captain, I'm scared. I've never had a night like this. It's horrible. Those depth charges pounding against the hull as if I was in a coffin. It's like thunder below! We'll be lost!'"
"The "Barb" was never in competition with anybody but herself. We were determined on each patrol to do better than the last one. And we should have, since we had more experience as tactics, weapons, targets, and the war moved on. Not only our own experience, but that of others, motivated us."
(To a new chief of the boat unsure of his readiness for that leadership position): "On responsibility, you'll grow with it and enjoy it as you shape things and people. On goofing - so you goof. Don't hide it or cover up. Do your best to correct your mistakes and don't be afraid to ask for help from anyone from top to bottom. You'll find people are complimented when you ask for help...the other chiefs understand that as chief of the boat you become the senior chief [senior enlisted sailor] on board. In submarines we hang our rates on the gangway when we come aboard. It's what you can do that counts with me."
"I had to get something off my chest about the unspoken decision after the previous night's combat as to whether to head for the survivors [of a sunk Japanese transport filled with Allied prisoners of war] or reattack the convoy. Having seen the piteous plight of the 14 survivors we rescued, I could only say that I would forgo the pleasure of an attack on a Japanese task force to rescue any one of them. There is little room for sentiment in submarine warfare, but the measure of saving one Allied life against sinking a Japanese ship is one that leaves no question, once experienced."
"...The [American air] strike force knew our locations. Should it become necessary to ditch some aircraft for mechanical failure or enemy action, the pilot would head for the nearest lifeguard submarine. The sub was required to stay on the surface as much as possible. Consequently, as soon as a plane disappeared, the "Barb" would surface, if submerged, to be seen by friends and to receive any distress messages."
"Lying in my bunk reading war patrol reports was my favorite pastime at sea, and it was educational. Life is not long enough to personally garner sufficient experience for anything. Without blood, sweat, tears, responsibility, or danger, one can absorb vicariously and harvest the experience of others. Otherwise, their history of errors is bound to be repeated."
"What was I most proud of as commanding officer of the submarine "Barb" during World War II? My answer is simply this. No one who ever served under my command was awarded the Purple Heart Medal for being wounded or killed, and all of us brought our "Barb" back safe and sound - ready, eager, and willing to fight again after unparalleled patrols, lauded by naval seniors and authors."
I highly recommend this great book to anyone interested in learning about WWII submarine warfare from someone who lived it, and helped revolutionize it's tactics, weapons, and strategic importance in today's modern warfare. For me, Fluckey will now be remembered along with other American military heroes like Patton, Puller, and MacArthur.
Thunder, Below September 11, 2008
This book is an excellent first person view of submarine operations in the Pacific 1944-1945. The commander of the submarine "Barb" threw away the normal standard procedures and created a new series of operating methods that changed the nature of submarine warfare for the future.
thunder below August 29, 2008
Fluckey's memoire, "Thunger Below" , ranks with the best of the WW 2 submarine histories. I am thankful he was able to write such a stirring story even many years after the events. His action descriptions and hisrecounting of the actual dialogue among officers and crew during the actions makes for a truly memorable read. I recommend this book to anyone really into WW 2 history.
The USS-220 BARB Known as the Gallaping Ghost of the China Coast August 28, 2008
The story of the SS-220 Submarine BARB's WWII story as told by the Captain, Eugene 'LUCKEY' Fluckey. A wonderful story of one of the most successful WWII submarines in the US Navy.
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