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. |
From inside the book
Results 1-5 of 48
Page
... Pearl Harbor, in which fields heis eminentlyat home. In onebrief period of Lanikai's life, “before Pearl Harbor,” she sailed inseas of glamour. Thatwas whenshe played anactive rolein themotion picture spectacular “Hurricane,” and ...
... Pearl Harbor, in which fields heis eminentlyat home. In onebrief period of Lanikai's life, “before Pearl Harbor,” she sailed inseas of glamour. Thatwas whenshe played anactive rolein themotion picture spectacular “Hurricane,” and ...
Page
... Pearl Harbor were neithernecessarynor practicable. “Theareais too restricted... ships notwithin torpedo range ofthe entrance.” Earlier that samemonth, Britishaerial torpedo attacks had sunk threeItalian battleships in Taranto, a harbor ...
... Pearl Harbor were neithernecessarynor practicable. “Theareais too restricted... ships notwithin torpedo range ofthe entrance.” Earlier that samemonth, Britishaerial torpedo attacks had sunk threeItalian battleships in Taranto, a harbor ...
Page
... Pearl Harbor were experimented and manufactured from March of 1941 and they were able to complete just in time for the Task Force to leave for Hawaii. In October 1940, Admiral Richardson had hada setto withthe President over retaining ...
... Pearl Harbor were experimented and manufactured from March of 1941 and they were able to complete just in time for the Task Force to leave for Hawaii. In October 1940, Admiral Richardson had hada setto withthe President over retaining ...
Page
... Pearl Harbor ships were one outboard of the other at the same dock could point only to consideration of the use of torpedoes, obviously from the air, as it was not likely any major effort against the fleet while insidePearl Harbor would ...
... Pearl Harbor ships were one outboard of the other at the same dock could point only to consideration of the use of torpedoes, obviously from the air, as it was not likely any major effort against the fleet while insidePearl Harbor would ...
Page
... Pearl Harbor, swimming near its entrance, observing things from restaurant balconies which overlookedthe anchorage, and sending voluminous radio messages backto Tokyo on whathe hadobserved, as perthe“bomb plot” message instructions ...
... Pearl Harbor, swimming near its entrance, observing things from restaurant balconies which overlookedthe anchorage, and sending voluminous radio messages backto Tokyo on whathe hadobserved, as perthe“bomb plot” message instructions ...
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
aboard Adair Admiral Hart aircraft Allied alongside American anchor andthe Army arrived ashore Asiatic Fleet attack atthe Australia Bali Bandoeng boat bombers bombs British bythe Captain Cavite coast Corregidor crew crewmen cruisers December deck deckhouse defense destroyers Dutch East enemy engine Filipino fish forces Fremantle fromthe Geraldton Glassford gunboat guns hadbeen Hart’s headed heavy Helfrich Houston inthe Island itwas Japan Japanese Java Kimmel Lanikai later LCDR Lieutenant Commander Luzon MacArthur Manila Mariveles miles Naval Operations Navy’s night Oahu officer ofthe onthe Pacific patrol Pearl Harbor Pecos Philippines planes President President’s radio Rear Admiral Rockwell Roosevelt sail ship ship’s Singapore skipper soon Stark submarine Surabaya thatthe theJapanese Therewas Tjilatjap tobe Tolley torpedo tothe U.S. Naval U.S. Navy United USS Lanikai vessel Walruff warship wasa Washington wasnot witha withthe wouldbe wrote Yangtze Yangtze Patrol Yard