Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #127979 in Books
• Published on: 1986-02
• Format: Illustrated
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 132 pages

Customer Reviews

Easy reading, chock full of history, photos and maps!
Stewart brings his first hand knowledge to show the what and why of the Japaneese build-up and demise at Truk (now called Chuuk) Lagoon. Prior to going there to dive, I ordered the book and read it cover to cover. While there are more detailed guides to the specific wrecks, none currrently available gives the detail to the background which Steward does. It was small enough to fit in my luggage so I had it with me to refer to during my trip. After the trip, while compiling the memories and photos into my web page, Stewart's book was a valuable reference.

For those who don't know, the US bombed, torpedoed, shot and sank about 60 Japaneese ships and hundreds of airplanes in Truk Lagoon during a 48 hour period in February, 1944. "Operation Hailstone" so devistated the supply and repair base that it was totally removed from strategic use by the Japaneese. There was no need for the US to invade. The supplies were cut off and the US forces advanced north and westward toward Guam, Saipan and Japan.

Usually historical and technical tomes are difficult to read. Stewart has walked a fine line, being easy and fun to read, while covering concepts like how to feed 50,000 Japaneese and 15,000 Chuukeese on an island group which only fed 15,000 in 1920! Not being one to leave a story, Stewart detals (in words and photos) the results of war-crimes trials against many Japaneese officers.

Interesting items include the photo and map of Eten Island (turned into a 3,283 foot long stationary "aircraft carrier" by forced labor), attack photos, damage assesment photos, copies of orders (including a photo of the August 15, 1945 cease-fire order.

Truk's Ghost Fleet
I have just read Ghost Fleet of the Truk Lagoon, Japanese Mandated Islands, An Account of Operation Hailstone - one of the great aerial battles of WWII.

I found this book fascinating and full of charts, photographs and drawings of this battle. I knew Bill Stewart when we were both working in the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, but I left the islands before he wrote this book.

This account was of particular interest to me for I headed up the Fisheries Programs for the Trust Territory (Palau, Yap, Saipan, Truk, Ponape, Kusaie and the Marshall Islands were included) and in the course of my work, I did a lot of diving and was probably the very first to dive on the ?Ghost Fleet of the Truk Lagoon?.

I spent a number of years, off and on, diving on these wrecks, but I was never able to get the information and background on this battle as Bill Stewart has done. He has included photographs taken during the attack and he has also prepared charts of the lagoon and all of Truk. His drawings or sketches of the ships in their sunken position are also accurate and his charts on the Japanese installations on Moen and Dublon are excellent. He has even included photographs of many of the ships before they were sunk and I found these of particular interest.

Other matters Bill covered in detail that I have found nowhere else include a chapter on the internment and torture and execution Americans on Dublon including some of crewmembers from the American submarine Sculpin. He also details how the Americans were transported to Japan to work in labor camps.

Another chapter I found of interest details the starvation problems facing the Japanese and Trukese after the attack was over and Truk was bypassed. The surrender of Truk is also covered as are many other subjects of historical interest I have never encountered elsewhere.

Anyone that has an interest in the Pacific war will certainly find this book of immense interest. Those that are interested in diving will find it even more fascinating and for those that are planning to go to Truk or have gone to Truk, this book is an absolute necessity.

Peter T. Wilson

excellent read
Author William Stewart mentions that the 'Ghost Fleet...' was a labor of love, taking 14 years to write, I'm glad he was finally able to finish it because he really brought to life the US air attacks on the island during WWII. Although one review commented negatively of a stream of conscious style of writing, I think it fits and indeed his final chapter in the end where this style is at its most, is the books most powerful moments. Perhaps there is too much reliance on teletype reports in a couple of the chapters, still this does not distract from a great read.