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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... atthe edge of thebay,where theelite lived. People were promenading, enjoying thebrilliant sunset andthe cool evening breeze. “Pleaseput up the top,”Ninasaid ina very smallvoice. “I really shouldn'tbe seen alone withyou in the car ...
... atthe edge of thebay,where theelite lived. People were promenading, enjoying thebrilliant sunset andthe cool evening breeze. “Pleaseput up the top,”Ninasaid ina very smallvoice. “I really shouldn'tbe seen alone withyou in the car ...
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... At the Marsman Building, “Champ” had found only Commander Dennison and the flag secretary, Lieutenant Commander A. S. McDill,taking care ofthe lastofthe filesandpreparing to smashtheradio equipment. If any oilwastobe burned,he had ...
... At the Marsman Building, “Champ” had found only Commander Dennison and the flag secretary, Lieutenant Commander A. S. McDill,taking care ofthe lastofthe filesandpreparing to smashtheradio equipment. If any oilwastobe burned,he had ...
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... at the Cavite NavyYard, Slocum explained, and her entire crewconsisted of fouror five assorted civilian Filipinos who hadcomeina package withthe ship,which had been chartered for “onedollara yearforthe duration.” “Arm herwithonecannon ...
... at the Cavite NavyYard, Slocum explained, and her entire crewconsisted of fouror five assorted civilian Filipinos who hadcomeina package withthe ship,which had been chartered for “onedollara yearforthe duration.” “Arm herwithonecannon ...
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... atthe ceremony. Beingtold off to hoist thecommission pennant and havinggot itproudly inplace, he turned with ... at the ship's nameplate, then called down to Picking,who already was checking out his “main battery.” “I've got orders to ...
... atthe ceremony. Beingtold off to hoist thecommission pennant and havinggot itproudly inplace, he turned with ... at the ship's nameplate, then called down to Picking,who already was checking out his “main battery.” “I've got orders to ...
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... at the club last evening. It was1935, or'25 or'15all overagain. My thoughts flashed back tothemany moonlight eveningsinthe tiny outrigger banca, the nativecanoeIkept under the club porch. The air wasso very soft, and the sea smooth as ...
... at the club last evening. It was1935, or'25 or'15all overagain. My thoughts flashed back tothemany moonlight eveningsinthe tiny outrigger banca, the nativecanoeIkept under the club porch. The air wasso very soft, and the sea smooth as ...
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Common terms and phrases
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