Bibliography

These published sources have proven invaluable during the research for this site. For important destroyer-related web sites, see the links page.

Cruise Books
History of the U.S.S. ABBOT DD 629, F.W. Ingling (editor) et al.; Navy Print Shop, Puget Sound, Washington, 1945. More text than photos, a rarity among wartime cruise books.
1954 World Cruise / U.S.S. Abbot / DD 629, Anonymous; 1954.
USS Abbot (DD 629) Mediterranean Cruise 11 July-13 November 1958, R.S. Stoddart (editor) et al.; 1958.
Long Ears, A special publication of the officers and crew of the U.S.S. Abbot (DD 629); 1961.
Naval Histories
United States Destroyer Operations in World War II, Theodore Roscoe; United States Naval Institute; 1953. Pages 388, 389, 407 and 545. The definitive record of U.S. destroyers at war, 1939-1945.
History of United States Naval Operations in World War II, Samuel Eliot Morison; Little, Brown; 1947-1962. Especially these volumes:
   7. Aleutians, Gilberts, and Marshalls, June 1942–April 1944;
   8. New Guinea and the Marianas, March 1944–August 1944;
   12. Leyte, June 1944–January 1945;
   13. The Liberation of the Philippines: Luzon, Mindanao, the Visayas, 1944–1945;
   14. Victory in the Pacific, 1945.
The Price of Admiralty: The Evolution of Naval Warfare, John Keegan; Viking; 1989. The perfect general introduction to naval warfare. The Cold War submarine-centric conclusion may seem a bit dated, but the history lesson is unmatched.
United States Navy Destroyers of World War II, Frank D. Johnson & John C. Reilly Jr.; Blandford; 1983.
U.S. Warships of World War II, Paul H. Silverstone; Doubleday; 1972. Every U.S. Navy and Coast Guard vessel used in World War II is listed, plus a few others. The indispensable reference.
History of the USS Kidd and the Fletcher Class Destroyers; Larry W. Wolfe, Lisa J. Wolfe & Kelly O’Hara; Turner Publishing Co.; 1991.
Fletcher Class Destroyers, Alan Raven; Warship Design Histories series published by the Naval Institute Press; 1989. Good reference for model makers.
Ship of Ghosts, James D. Hornfischer; Bantam; 2006. Chapter 59 recounts the Kamaishi Raids and discusses their impact on nearby Allied prisoners of war.
The Destroyer The Sullivans, Al Ross; Naval Institute Press; 1988.
Complete Guide to United States Navy Medals, Badges and Insignia, World War II to Present, James G. Thompson; Medals of America Press; 2003. Excellent one-stop reference.
Tales from a Tin Can, Michael Keith Olson; Zenith Press; 2007. Terrific wartime memoirs from a famed Farragut-class destroyer.
The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors, James D. Hornfischer; Bantam; 2004. Epic tale of the destroyers of Task Unit 77.4.3 (Taffy 3) facing the main Japanese fleet in an epic surface action off Samar in the Philippines.
General Histories
The Penguin History of the Second World War, by Peter Calvocoressi, Guy Wint and John Pritchard; Penguin; 1999. Arguably the best who-did-what-to-whom overview of World War II.
Official Documents
Standard Organization Book for (2100-Ton Destroyers), issued by Commander, Destroyers Atlantic Fleet; September 1943. The owner’s manual for a Fletcher-class destroyer, so to speak.
U.S. Navy Filing Manual, Fourth Edition, issued by the Government Printing Office; 1941. Essential tool for anyone attempting to use U.S. Navy archives. Explains how everything is filed.
Operation Hardtack Preliminary Report. Defense Atomic Support Agency, Sandia Base, Albuquerque; 23 September 1959. The analysis of three Fletchers (and other Navy ships) that were used in nuclear tests in 1958. Surprisingly, the Fletchers did not sink. See sections 2.1.5 and onward for the gory details.
Newspaper & magazine articles
Bull’s-Eye, Time magazine; 23 July 1945. Cover story about Admiral Halsey and the Honshu raids.
Destroyer Abbot Is Launched, The New York Times; 18 February 1943. pg. 11.
GIANT BLOWS FALL; U.S., British Warships Heavily Bombard City 125 Miles From Tokyo…, By George E. Jones, Wireless to The New York Times; 30 July 30 1945. pg. 1.
Destroyers Fight Varied Pacific War; American Task Force Brings Down a Japanese Suicide Plane, By George E. Jones, Wireless to The New York Times; 10 July 1945. pg. 3. Written aboard Abbot.
Honshu City Fired/Kamaishi Iron Works Is Torn by Explosions in First Day’s Shelling…, By George E. Jones, Wireless to The New York Times; 14 July 1945. pg. 1.
12 Warships on Way Back, The New York Times; 16 February 1957. pg. 16.
Robert Salzer Dies at 68; Commanded Navy in Vietnam, The Washington Post; 3 February 1988.
Marshall E. Dornin, The San Francisco Chronicle; 26 January 1994, Wednesday, Final Edition, News; Pg. C4; Obituaries.
Unsung Hero to Receive Silver Star After 57 Years, The Tulsa World; 28 March 1998. Capt. Norman is decorated for Pearl Harbor actions.
Project Mercury
Mercury-Redstone 3 Press Conference, Cape Canaveral, NASA News Release 61-99; 5 May 1961.
Recovery MR-3, Memo for files, Martin A. Byrnes, STG; 11 May 1961.
MR-3 Recovery Operations, anon.; undated. See the on-line NASA documents.
Videography
The World at War, Episode 23: Pacific — The Island to Island War (February 1942-July 1945)., Thames Television 1974. Producer: Jeremy Isaacs. The best one-hour video synopsis of the Pacific war.
Victory at Sea, NBC News, 1952-3. A little dated now, but still gripping. Episode list:
  1. Design For War Battle of the Atlantic, 1939-1941; Release Date: October 26, 1952
  2. The Pacific Boils Over Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941; Release Date: November 2, 1952
  3. Sealing The Breach Anti-submarine warfare, 1941-1943; Release Date: November 9, 1952
  4. Midway Is East Japanese victories & the Midway Battle; Release Date: November 23, 1952
  5. Mediterranean Mosaic Gibraltar, Allied & enemy fleets, Malta; Release Date: November 30, 1952
  6. Guadalcanal Release Date: December 14, 1952
  7. Rings Around Rabaul Struggle for the Solomon Islands; Release Date: December 21, 1952
  8. Mare Nostrum Mediterranean Command, 1940-1942; Release Date: December 28, 1952
  9. Sea And Sand Invasion of North Africa, 1942-1943; Release Date: January 4, 1953
  10. Beneath The Southern Cross War in the south Atlantic; Release Date: January 11, 1953
  11. Magnetic North War from Murmansk to Alaska; Release Date: January 18, 1953
  12. The Conquest Of Micronesia Carrier warfare — Gilberts and Marshalls; Release Date: January 25, 1953
  13. Melanesian Nightmare New Guinea campaign; Release Date: February 1, 1953
  14. Roman Renaissance Sicily and the Italian campaign; Release Date: February 8, 1953
  15. D-Day Normandy; Release Date: February 15, 1953
  16. Killers And The Killed Victory in the Atlantic, 1943-1945; Release Date: February 22, 1953
  17. The Turkey Shoot Conquest of the Marianas; Release Date: March 1, 1953
  18. Two If By Sea Peleliu and Angaur; Release Date: March 8, 1953
  19. Battle For Leyte Gulf Release Date: March 15, 1953
  20. Return Of The Allies Liberation of the Philippines; Release Date: March 22, 1953
  21. Full Fathom Five U.S. submarines, 1941-1945; Release Date: March 29, 1953
  22. The Fate Of Europe Black Sea, south of France, surrender; Release Date: April 5, 1953
  23. Target Suribachi Iwo Jima; Release Date: April 12, 1953
  24. The Road To Mandalay China, Burma, India, and Indian Ocean; Release Date: April 19, 1953
  25. Suicide For Glory Okinawa; Release Date: April 26, 1953
  26. Design For Peace Surrender of Japan & aftermath of war; Release Date: May 3, 1953