A Strange Whim of the Sea: The Wreck of the USS Macaw eBook

$20.00

. On January 16, 1944, the submarine rescue vessel USS Macaw ran aground at Midway Atoll while attempting to get a towing line to the stranded submarine USS Flier.

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About this eTextbook

. On January 16, 1944, the submarine rescue vessel USS Macaw ran aground at Midway Atoll while attempting to get a towing line to the stranded submarine USS Flier. The Flier was pulled free six days later, but another three weeks of salvage efforts plagued by rough seas and equipment failures failed to dislodge the Macaw.

On February 12, amid huge waves, the ship began to slip aft into deeper water. As night fell and the Macaw slowly sank, the twenty-two sailors on board—ship's captain Paul W. Burton, his executive officer, and twenty enlisted men—sought refuge in the pilothouse, but by 2:30 a.m., that compartment had flooded almost entirely.

Burton gave the order to open the portside door and make for the foremast. Three men climbed it but most of the others were swept overboard. Five of them died, including Burton.

Three sailors from the base at Midway also lost their lives in two unauthorized rescue attempts. Drawing on survivors' contemporaneous written statements and interviews conducted over a span of thirty years, A Strange Whim of the Sea: The Wreck of the USS Macaw traces the ship's service from its launch on San Francisco Bay to its disastrous final days at Midway. Ultimately, for Burton and the Macaw the real enemy was the sea, and in a deadly denouement, the sea won.

Highlighting the underreported role auxiliary vessels played in the war, A Strange Whim of the Sea engages naval historians and students alike with a previously untold story of struggle, sacrifice, death, and survival in the World War II Pacific. ISBNs for A Strange Whim of the Sea are 9780813196244, 0813196248 and the print ISBNs are 9780813196220, 0813196221. Additional ISBNs include 9780813196237, 9781985902299.

Publication details

Author: Tim Loughman
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
Additional ISBN: 9780813196237, 9781985902299

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About this eTextbook

On February 12, amid huge waves, the ship began to slip aft into deeper water. As night fell and the Macaw slowly sank, the twenty-two sailors on board—ship’s captain Paul W. Burton, his executive officer, and twenty enlisted men—sought refuge in the pilothouse, but by 2:30 a.m., that compartment had flooded almost entirely.

Burton gave the order to open the portside door and make for the foremast. Three men climbed it but most of the others were swept overboard. Five of them died, including Burton.

Three sailors from the base at Midway also lost their lives in two unauthorized rescue attempts. Drawing on survivors’ contemporaneous written statements and interviews conducted over a span of thirty years, A Strange Whim of the Sea: The Wreck of the USS Macaw traces the ship’s service from its launch on San Francisco Bay to its disastrous final days at Midway. Ultimately, for Burton and the Macaw the real enemy was the sea, and in a deadly denouement, the sea won.

Publication details

Author: Tim Loughman
Publisher: The University Press of Kentucky
Additional ISBN: 9780813196237, 9781985902299

What you receive

A licensed digital edition of this title, supplied as PDF or EPUB. The format is set by the publisher, so email us the ISBN before ordering and we will confirm which one it is.
Delivered to the email address on your order as a secure download link, usually within minutes and always within 24 hours of payment.
Download links do not expire and there is no cap on re-downloads. Readable on any computer, tablet or phone, online or offline.
This is a digital edition. Nothing is printed, packed or posted, and there is no delivery charge.