{"product_id":"hellcats-the-epic-story-of-world-war-iis-most-daring-submarine-raid-9780451234858","title":"Hellcats: Hellcats: The Epic Story of World War II's Most Daring Submarine Raid","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA heart-stopping true tale of a submarine mission aimed at destroying Japan's merchant marine lifeline and ending World War II.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e By 1945, the U.S. Navy's submarine force in the Pacific had sunk over a thousand enemy cargo ships and tankers supplying the food, weapons, and oil Japan needed to continue to fight. Yet this once mighty merchant fleet continued to thrive in the Sea of Japan, where, protected from American submarines by a seemingly impenetrable barrier of deadly minefields, they provided a tenuous lifeline for the Japanese. Senior American commanders believed that if these enemy ships were sunk, Japan would be forced to surrender. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Here is the incredible story of Operation Barney, the daring plot to penetrate those minefields and decimate the enemy fleet. The brainchild of the dedicated sub commander Vice Admiral Charles Lockwood, the mission would hinge on a new experimental sonar system that would, with luck, guide American submarines safely past the mines and into the open sea. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e The nine submarines chosen, nicknamed Hellcats, were tasked with the impossible--the combined crews of 760 submariners all knew their chances of survival depended on an unproven technology and their own nerve. Based on original documents and the poignant personal letters of one doomed Hellcat commander, Sasgen crafts a classic naval tale of one of World War II's most dangerous missions. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePeter Sasgen\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of two previous nonfiction books on submarine warfare, including \u003ci\u003eStalking the Red Bear\u003c\/i\u003e, a selection of the Military Book Club, and three submarine techno-thriller novels. He is a U.S. Navy veteran who lives in Florida.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Penguin Publishing Group","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50324681097490,"sku":"9780451234858","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_4524ef7d-729c-47f5-95b1-a210fa2598e7.jpg?v=1727670418","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/hellcats-the-epic-story-of-world-war-iis-most-daring-submarine-raid-9780451234858","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}