In these oral histories, both Navy personnel and their patients recount their "forgotten war," the dirty little conflict that somehow has fallen through history's cracks since it was fought more than 50 years ago. --from inside jacket flap.

Americans think of the Korean War as death and hardship in the bitter hills of Korea. It was certainly this, and for those who fought this is what they generally saw. Yet every foot of the struggles forward, every step of the retreats, the overwhelming victories, the withdrawals and last ditch stands had their seagoing support and overtones. The spectacular ones depended wholly on amphibious power -- the capability of the twentieth century scientific Navy to overwhelm land-bound forces at the point of contact. Yet the all pervading influence of the sea was present even when no major landing or retirement or reinforcement highlighted its effect. When navies clash in gigantic battle or hurl troops ashore under irresistible concentration of ship-borne guns and planes, nations understand that sea power is working. It is not so easy to understand that this tremendous force may effect its will silently, steadily, irresistibly even though no battles occur. No clearer example exists of this truth in wars dark record than in Korea. Communist-controlled North Korea had slight power at sea except for Soviet mines. So beyond this strong underwater phase the United States Navy and allies had little opposition on the water. It is, therefore, easy to fail to recognize the decisive role navies played in this war fought without large naval battles.

Debunking common myths about American POWs during the Korean War, the author sheds new light on the true-life experiences of veterans of the conflict.

Airships are the forgotten weapon of World War II. Forgotten Weapons analyzes the development of airships as weapons for antisubmarine warfare, examines how scientists and airmen collaborated to combat U-boats and reveals the little-known accomplishments of airship crews. As William F. Althoff demonstrates, the naval airship logged an admirable operational record during the Battle of the Atlantic, the longest continued armed contest during the war. Their useful deployment depended first, however, on effective collaboration between naval airmen and government-sponsored research institutions, such as the National Defense Research Committee (NDRC). The Battle of the Atlantic saw a race to gain technological advantage German measures met by Allied counter measures with both sides producing various weapons and sensors designed either to destroy or to protect Allied merchant shipping. For the antisubmarine campaign, U.S. contract laboratories devised the magnetic airborne detector (MAD), microwave radar, the Loran long-range navigation systems, radio sono-buoys, and pattern ordnance, all of which were fitted to airships. Key NDRC projects exploited lighter-than-air platforms for airborne tests. Hurried into production, special devices for antisubmarine warfare were fitted onto fleet airships as well as in airplanes and surface forces. The result turned the tide against the U-boat menace and saved countless lives, supplies, and shipping. This book is an invaluable history and reference for readers interested in airships, antisubmarine warfare, the Battle of the Atlantic, and the bygone squadrons of unique airmen who helped defeat the Nazi war on commerce from 1939 to 1945.

This is the gripping story of Task Force 77, the US Navy carrier commitment to the Korean War that was vital to the success of the UN forces battling the Chinese and North Koreans. Naval and air power were crucial to the United Nations' success in the Korean War, as it sought to negate the overwhelming Chinese advantage in manpower. In what became known as the 'long hard slog', naval aviators sought to slow and cut off communist forces and support troops on the ground. USS Leyte (CV-32) operated off Korea in the Sea of Japan for a record 93 continuous days to support the Marines in their epic retreat out of North Korea, and was crucial in the battles of the spring and summer of 1951 in which the UN forces again battled to the 38th Parallel. All of this was accomplished with a force that was in the midst of change, as jet aircraft altered the entire nature of naval aviation. Holding the Line chronicles the carrier war in Korea from the first day of the war to the last, focusing on front-line combat, while also describing the technical development of aircraft and shipboard operations, and how these all affected the broader strategic situation on the Korean Peninsula.