To the most exalted son of heaven. May this elevate you a little higher… Inscribed on a torpedo warhead

Hellcats : the epic story of World War II’s most daring submarine raid  Peter Sasgen  New York : NAL Caliber, c 2010  Hardcover. 1st ed. and printing. 320 p., [16] p. of plates : ill. ; 24 cm. Includes bibliographical references and index. Clean, tight and strong binding with clean dust jacket. No highlighting, underlining or marginalia in text. VG/VG

In 1945, American sub force commanders believed that if the Japanese merchant fleet was sunk, the enemy would be forced to surrender. The problem: the ships were protected in the Sea of Japan by a barrier of deadly minefields.

Here, Sasgen tells the gripping story of Operation Barney, a daunting mission in which nine submarines, nicknamed Hellcats, were tasked with getting through the mines and decimating the enemy fleet. Drawing on original documents and the personal letters of one doomed Hellcat commander, Sasgen crafts a classic naval tale of the heroic submariners and one of World War II‘s most ambitious and dangerous underwater raids.