Swift, Silent, and Deadly: Marine Amphibious Reconnaissance in the Pacific, 1942-1945

by Bruce F. Meyers, James L. Jones (Foreword)

Bruce Meyers, an experienced reconnaissance Marine officer, paints a colorful and accurate picture of the special recon landings that preceded every major amphibious operation in the Pacific during World War II. Credited with saving countless lives, the Marine scouting missions went in stealthily at night from submarines, PT boats, Catalinas, and high-speed transports. Swift, silent, and deadly, they landed on more than two hundred enemy beaches from Guadalcanal to Tarawa, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa, collecting intelligence on potential landing sites. They measured water depths, charted coral heads, gathered soil samples, sought out enemy locations, and took photographs. In short, they obtained information vital to the success of American operations in the Pacific.
With this book World War II Marine recon landings are chronicled for the first time - only in later wars have their contributions been fully documented. Here Meyers explains the start of it all, letting readers appreciate the courage and daring of these intrepid Marines as they slipped over the sides of their rubber boats and made their way inland.

Genres: History

167 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ron Wroblewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was with 3rd Recon Bn in Vietnam 1968-69. So I was very interested in Marine recon in WW2. It was amazingl how they reconed the island beached in the Pacific.

[Steven Jorgenson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Swift, Silent, and Deadly: Marine Amphibious Reconnaissance in the Pacific, 1942-1945 is a short book packed full of technical terms or language. It was a very good read. There was a glossary in the back. I wish the author had also included references for each chapter, other than ibid, etc... This was done in a military history book I recently read and the references for each chapter of that book made it more enjoyable reading.

[Daniel · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting and enjoyable book on Marine Amphibious Recon durring WWII.