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
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... later recorded,“and as theyfinished it, Iassured them that theiroilwas in flames.” 1 Having arrived at Corregidorin Tanager,Adair's desire to head south was reinforced by whathefound. He scribbled downinhispocket diary: 1300 moved to ...
... later recorded,“and as theyfinished it, Iassured them that theiroilwas in flames.” 1 Having arrived at Corregidorin Tanager,Adair's desire to head south was reinforced by whathefound. He scribbled downinhispocket diary: 1300 moved to ...
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... later, McVey reported on Lanikai's radio installation. “Idon'trecall the type transmitter, but it was some ancient 'pooperdyne' that defied all treatment.” Then hecontinued: That “semiportable” wastheworld's greatest misnomer ...
... later, McVey reported on Lanikai's radio installation. “Idon'trecall the type transmitter, but it was some ancient 'pooperdyne' that defied all treatment.” Then hecontinued: That “semiportable” wastheworld's greatest misnomer ...
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... later departure, and for much the same reason—the Japanese were not much more than a fiveinch gun shot astern. I had been assigned tothegunboatWake, in the Yangtze Patrol, and as U.S. forces pulled out of China, theWakehadbeenleft ...
... later departure, and for much the same reason—the Japanese were not much more than a fiveinch gun shot astern. I had been assigned tothegunboatWake, in the Yangtze Patrol, and as U.S. forces pulled out of China, theWakehadbeenleft ...
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... later, the job is done. I respectfully pointed this out. “The rules do not apply in this easel” Slocum explained. “Cavite has been directed togive you the highest priority, onyour verbal request, without paperwork of any kind. Of this ...
... later, the job is done. I respectfully pointed this out. “The rules do not apply in this easel” Slocum explained. “Cavite has been directed togive you the highest priority, onyour verbal request, without paperwork of any kind. Of this ...
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... later, “Doc” Cossette, a pharmacist's mate equally useful at curing small ills, hauling in big fish or ignoring the Geneva Convention by manning a machine gun. Ironically, their records and pay accountswere leftatCavite for“safekeeping ...
... later, “Doc” Cossette, a pharmacist's mate equally useful at curing small ills, hauling in big fish or ignoring the Geneva Convention by manning a machine gun. Ironically, their records and pay accountswere leftatCavite for“safekeeping ...
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