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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... aircraft carrier, nine destroyers, and four fast minelayers, all to report to the CinC, Asiatic, if and when they arrived. Thenews was confirmed by a letterfrom Starkto Hart,12 November1940: “.. . One thing (and thisis for yourearsonly) ...
... aircraft carrier, nine destroyers, and four fast minelayers, all to report to the CinC, Asiatic, if and when they arrived. Thenews was confirmed by a letterfrom Starkto Hart,12 November1940: “.. . One thing (and thisis for yourearsonly) ...
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... aircraft torpedo was so low that they had to release it from a low altitude (below less than 40–50 meters). Therefore in order to heighten the level they have been experimenting with a parachute or special fin which makes torpedo path ...
... aircraft torpedo was so low that they had to release it from a low altitude (below less than 40–50 meters). Therefore in order to heighten the level they have been experimenting with a parachute or special fin which makes torpedo path ...
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... aircraft, while in the vicinity ofNavyships,should fall under Navy operational control. MacArthur's long reply was twoweeksingestation and lowered theboom witha thud. Inpart,it said: Dear AdmiralHart,Ihavecarefully considered your ...
... aircraft, while in the vicinity ofNavyships,should fall under Navy operational control. MacArthur's long reply was twoweeksingestation and lowered theboom witha thud. Inpart,it said: Dear AdmiralHart,Ihavecarefully considered your ...
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... aircraft. His orders wereto shootdown anything obstructing him. A Tokyo intercept told Ambassador Kurusu to keeptalking, even though the American note wasa“humiliating proposal.” LordHalifax, British ambassador, anxiously inquired of ...
... aircraft. His orders wereto shootdown anything obstructing him. A Tokyo intercept told Ambassador Kurusu to keeptalking, even though the American note wasa“humiliating proposal.” LordHalifax, British ambassador, anxiously inquired of ...
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... aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable hadrun aground on Jamaica enroute. He optimistically hoped fortwo more battleships by20December, twomore in sixweeks,thenone morelater. Four heavyand 13light cruisershadbeen promisedhimas well.The ...
... aircraft carrier HMS Indomitable hadrun aground on Jamaica enroute. He optimistically hoped fortwo more battleships by20December, twomore in sixweeks,thenone morelater. Four heavyand 13light cruisershadbeen promisedhimas well.The ...
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