Cruise of the Lanikai: Incitement to WarIn early December 1941 in the Philippines, a young Navy ensign named Kemp Tolley was given his first ship command, an old 76-foot schooner that had once served as a movie prop in John Ford's "The Hurricane." Crewed mostly by Filipinos who did not speak English and armed with a cannon that had last seen service in the Spanish-American War, the Lanikai was under top-secret presidential orders to sail south into waters where the Japanese fleet was thought to be. Ostensibly the crew was to spy on Japanese naval movements, but to Tolley it was clear that their mission was to create an incident that would provoke war. Events overtook the plan, however, when Pearl Harbor was bombed before the Lanikaicould get underway. When Bataan and Corregidor fell, she was ordered to set sail for Australia and became one of the few U.S. naval vessels to escape the Philippines. In this book Tolley tells the saga of her great adventure during these grim, early days of the war and makes history come alive as he regales the reader with details of the operation and an explanation of President Roosevelt's order. Tolley's description of their escape in Japanese warship-infested waters ranks with the best of sea tales, and few will be able to forget the Lanikai's 4,000-mile, three-month odyssey. |
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... MacArthur, with somewhat uncharacteristic matteroffactness, made an announcement that was a blockbuster: “Gentlemen ... MacArthur's words toHart. To saythatHart was startled isto put it mildly.Hesprang from his chair. “What?”he ...
... MacArthur, with somewhat uncharacteristic matteroffactness, made an announcement that was a blockbuster: “Gentlemen ... MacArthur's words toHart. To saythatHart was startled isto put it mildly.Hesprang from his chair. “What?”he ...
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... passengersgazed back—for many of themthe last time—atManila framed in smoke. MacArthur'sdecision toopen Manila madeits huge oil stocks unavailable to the Navy. With the situation deteriorating at alarming speed, they must.
... passengersgazed back—for many of themthe last time—atManila framed in smoke. MacArthur'sdecision toopen Manila madeits huge oil stocks unavailable to the Navy. With the situation deteriorating at alarming speed, they must.
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... MacArthur's air commander, a 1911 Naval Academy graduate. The big, clumsy flying boat was plowing along at 40 knots, struggling to become airborne, when abanca loomed deadaheadinthe murk.PilotHarmon T. Utter kicked therudder over hard ...
... MacArthur's air commander, a 1911 Naval Academy graduate. The big, clumsy flying boat was plowing along at 40 knots, struggling to become airborne, when abanca loomed deadaheadinthe murk.PilotHarmon T. Utter kicked therudder over hard ...
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... MacArthur's open city pronouncement. She was to be left behindto service submarines coming in with antiaircraft ammunition and medicines and taking out key personnel. In spare time, her artificers made gun mounts for the forces ashore ...
... MacArthur's open city pronouncement. She was to be left behindto service submarines coming in with antiaircraft ammunition and medicines and taking out key personnel. In spare time, her artificers made gun mounts for the forces ashore ...
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... MacArthur, was given the rankof lieutenant general,U.S. Army,and command of the newly constituted U.S.ArmyForces Far East (USAFFE). Heretofore, Admiral Hart had been onthe verybest ofterms withhisU.S. Army opposite number commanding the ...
... MacArthur, was given the rankof lieutenant general,U.S. Army,and command of the newly constituted U.S.ArmyForces Far East (USAFFE). Heretofore, Admiral Hart had been onthe verybest ofterms withhisU.S. Army opposite number commanding the ...
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