Humble Heroes: How the USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII

by Steven George Bustin

“Top Secret” mystery missions, many without other ships in support, were becoming uncomfortably familiar for the crew of the USS Nashville CL43. It started like a Hollywood thriller, secretly transporting from England $25 million in British gold bullion, delivered to the ship in unguarded bread trucks, a pre-war “Neutrality Patrol” that was really an unofficial hostile search for the far bigger and more powerful German battleship Prinz Eugen, and sneaking through the Panama Canal at night with the ship’s name and hull number covered for secrecy. Now, with the ship bulging with an unusual load of fuel and supplies, in the company of a large fleet quietly passing under San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the crew was about to learn of their latest (but not last) and most improbable adventure yet as the captain made an announcement that would change the war and their lives forever, “We are going to Tokyo!”. Over three years, scores of battles and hundreds of thousands of ocean miles later, the Nashville and her crew had earned 10 Battle Stars, served from the North Atlantic to the South Pacific, from the Aleutians to the Yangtze River, as McArthur’s flagship and suffered heavy casualties from a devastating kamikaze attack. Tokyo Rose reported her sunk, repeatedly. Earlier, with goodwill trips that included France, England, Scandinavia, Bermuda and Rio de Janeiro, the new, sleek Nashville built a pre-war reputation as a “glamour ship”. But with war came the secret missions, capturing the second and third Japanese POWs of the war, having a torpedo pass just under the stern, being strafed and bombed by Japanese planes, losing a third of the crew in a single Kamikaze attack, swimming in shark infested waters protected by marines with machine guns, enjoying the beauty of Sydney and her people, planning a suicide mission to destroy the Japanese fishing fleet, and bombarding Japanese troops and airfields across the Pacific. The Nashville crew served their ship and country well. They came from Baltimore rowhouses, New York walk-ups, San Francisco flats, Kansas wheat farms, Colorado cattle ranches, Louisiana bayous and Maine fishing towns. Many had never traveled more than 25 miles from home and had never seen the ocean until they joined the service. They were part Irish, part Italian, part Polish and All-American. Battered, burnt and bombed, they made the USS Nashville their home and lived and died as eternal shipmates. This is the story of their beloved Nashville and their personal experiences. A hardcover version is available on Booksurg.com (866-308-6235), an Amazon company.

Genres: World War II

226 pages, Paperback

First published April 9, 2007

Reviews

[Charles van Buren · Rating 5 out of 5]

WW2 ship history

This review is from: Humble Heroes, How The USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII (Kindle Edition)

This is a well written and told story of the light cruiser USS Nashville and her crew in World War 2. It flows almost as well as a novel which makes what could have been dull, an interesting read as well as informative.

[Ken Rossignol · Rating 5 out of 5]

The readers who think about what a self-centered and selfish nation we live in today will be reassured when learning about the stories of the nation which launched the USS Nashville. The response of the country to the vivid attack by the Japanese and how the Nashville transformed from a glamour ship visiting foreign ports to one of the most effective fighting machines also tells the story of America and how while we prefer peace, find liberty worth sacrificing for and defending. Mr. Bustin's fine book brings a genuine understanding of fighting ships and the men who served on them. Well Done and thank you to all of our veterans who have sacrificed so we may live in freedom

[Roger · Rating 4 out of 5]

History of the light cruiser USS Nashville from the time its keel was laid in 1937, its action in the Atlantic and Pacific during WWII to the time it was decommissioned and sold for scrap.

[William R. · Rating 4 out of 5]

My father served about a year and half in the Marine Detachment of the USS Nashville CL-43. He was one of the ten Marines wounded in the December 13, 1944 Kamikaze attack that saw twenty-eight other Marines killed. With thirty-eight of forty-one Marines killed or wounded the ship's Marine Detachment was wiped out. I found after action photographs of the Nashville in a book while doing a high school project. My father's comment when I showed him the photographs was, "... those must be the ammo bins they picked me up from behind." Even after I enlisted in the Marine Corps he had little to say about his wartime experiences, saying "... that the Kamikaze was on them before they even could react and that 20mm AA gunfire did nothing to stop it." He spoke fondly about pulling liberty in San Francisco and Sydney. My first permanent duty station after enlisting in the Corps was onboard the USS Long Beach CGN-9 for two years. During that time I made two West Pacs, cruised the Indian Ocean and sailed around the Gulf of Tonkin toward the end of the Vietnam War. I learned about shipboard life in those two years sailing the Pacific in my father's wake. He attended the Nashville Reunion in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1986 reconnecting with his shipmates and was looking forward to attending the 1989 reunion when he died. When we buried him he still had shrapnel in his back from the Kamikaze attack from forty-five years before. Steven Bustin's book has connected me to my father's war. While there maybe some minor typographical errors and misstatements the book is an excellent accounting of the USS Nashville's service. Taken from interviews of the men who served on her and written by the son of Gunners Mate George L. Bustin who served on the USS Nashville for three and a half years of her eight years of wartime service.

[Brent · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting account of a gallant ship, the light cruiser USS Nashville CL-43, and her crew who served with honor and bravery before and during WWII. Built as a "neutrality" ship in the late '30s, she performed goodwill missions before the war. Served mainly in the Pacific during the war, initially in the Aleutians then the southwest. She was often a task force flagship, a favorite of Gen. MacArthur, and was known by the invasion forces for the accuracy and effectiveness of her 6-inch and 5.5-inch guns. She was the victim of a seriously damaging kamikaze attack with many casualties, and almost chosen as the host for the surrender signing. The ship had a second career in the Chilean navy and ended up being sold for scrap.

[Jack · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting account of a WWII cruiser that fought in many battles. Carriers and Battleships usually get all the attention and Internet, so it is interesting to get a different perspective about a smaller ship.

Yes, there are some typos and yes, the editor or proofreader should have caught these, but they weren't that bad.

I also read a review where a reader complained of how insensitive the author was. What? It was a horrible war! Yeesh! That reader should read the chapter on the kamikaze attack. Or read about Pearl Harbor.

Anyway, a good read if you are interested in WWII naval history.

[Christopher Hill · Rating 1 out of 5]

I quit reading at 35%...can't take the writing and the insensitive nature of the author's portrayal of an event that took place during a mission in the Aleutian Islands was enough for me to finally stop. I don't doubt the sailors on the Nashville are true American heroes, but I'm glad I borrowed this via Amazon Prime and did not invest anything more than a couple of hours.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

The story of USS Nashville CL-43 from commissioning to scrapping. Only one flaw, author talked about crossing the International Dateline and then described the initiation ceremony for crossing the equator. Other than that.....

[Dave Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Learnt some surprisingly new facts about the Australian war.

[Timothy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a good read for anyone wanting a glimpse of what life was like aboard a ship in the Seventh Fleet during World War II.

[Mills College Library]

940.5459 B982 2007