The Fleet the Gods Forgot: The U.S. Asiatic Fleet in World War II

The dramatic tale of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet in World War II has, until now, been given little attention....But its short and tragic story of heroism and defeat is one that has long deserved telling and has finally found a worthy chronicler. To fill this gap in the history of naval operations during World War II, the author has provided the first complete account of the brave actions of the men and ships of America's forgotten Asiatic fleet. A proud little fleet that met the Japanese head on at the outbreak of the war, its officers and men knew full well they were engaged in a war they could not win. Greatly outnumbered by vastly superior forces, and saddled with defective equipment; a lack of supplies, reinforcements, and air cover; and, towards the end, an incompetent and bungled Allied combined command, the fleet fought on. Within a matter of three months, however, the beleaguered ships were totally wiped out. Captain Walter Winslow, a naval aviator aboard the USS Houston, flagship of the U.S. Asiatic Fleet, is in a unique position to tell the riveting story.