Sweet Pea at War: A History of USS Portland

by William Thomas Generous Jr.

Few ships in American history have had as illustrious a history as the heavy cruiser USS Portland (CA-33), affectionately known by her crew as 'Sweet Pea.' With the destructionof most of the U.S. battleship fleet at Pearl Harbor, cruisers such as Sweet Pea carried the biggest guns the Navy possessed for nearly a year after the start of World War II. Sweet Pea at War describes in harrowing detail how Portland and her sisters protected the precious carriers and held the line against overwhelming Japanese naval strength. Portland was instrumental in the dramatic American victories at the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, and the naval battle of Guadalcanal―conflicts that historians regard as turning points in the Pacific war. She rescued nearly three thousand sailors from sunken ships, some of them while she herself was badly damaged. Only a colossal hurricane ended her career, but she sailed home from that, too. Based on extensive research in official documents and interviews with members of the ship's crew, Sweet Pea at War recounts from launching to scrapping the history of USS Portland, demonstrating that she deserves to be remembered as one of the most important ships in U.S. naval history.

Genres: History, World War II, Military Fiction, Naval History

312 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2003

Reviews

[JD · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good and entertaining read about the service history of the treaty cruiser USS Portland, both in peace and in war. The book is very well researched and has a good balance in operational history and personal recollections from the crew. The Portland received 16 battle stars during World War 2, and served in most of the major naval campaigns in the Pacific. Though it was not present at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, some of it's sailors were there and was then involved at the 3 major engagements (Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal) that were seen as the turning points in 1942 where it suffered major damage at Guadalcanal. It formed the backbone of the Pacific Fleet along with the few carriers after the loss of the battleships at Pearl Harbor, and was used in many different ways not foreseen for cruisers. It then served in the powerful Pacific Fleet later in the war that brought destruction to Japanese forces and has a unique distinction as never being hit by a kamikaze during these later campaigns. Good read and recommended to naval enthusiasts.

[Amdoerr · Rating 5 out of 5]

My father-in-law was Chief Engineer on the Portland for most of the war, though he wasn't mentioned in the book. (Officers were older and less likely than crew members to be alive for the author to interview.). Regardless, this book is amazing, as was the ship. What a record she had! I really had no idea of what it must have been like. Now I know a bit more, and I have the very highest regard for those who sailed aboard the Portland or any of the other ships that helped win the war. It's a compelling story; hard to put down; and bears little resemblance to war "thrillers" I have read.

[Al · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. I saw the author on Cspan-3 and liked his presentation on the book.... I have read about PT Boats, AIrcraft Carriers, Battleships and tin cans but other than a book about the Indiannapolis (same class) this is the first one about the life of a cruiser..... Good job and a good read....

[Mike Grady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well written account of the USS Portland’s exploits during World War II. The author uses recollections by her veterans to really personalize her story.

[Charles Collyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew the author, the late Tom Generous, as a cousin by marriage on my wife's side of the family. He served in the US Navy during Vietnam, and then taught history for many years at Choate in Connecticut. He was a bright and energetic man, an eager conversationalist, and a challenging competitor as an athlete. He was very curious, and masterful at the details of storytelling - traits that come through in Sweet Pea at War.

Tom's book about the USS Portland is a marvel. The writing is crisp and engaging, well-researched, and presented with a confident flair informed by the author's own immersion in Navy culture. He tells the history, but also provides a richly textured account of life on a heavy cruiser - life in a floating town of several hundred men.

The story of the Portland as told in the book is a surprisingly effective tour of the Pacific War, because the Portland was involved in so many of the critical battles. Tom provides illuminating context for the sequence of engagements, explaining the factors that turned the tide of war and led to the final victory over Japan. I can therefore recommend the book to those who are mainly interested in a narrative of the war in the Pacific.

[Bp93yj · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. I felt like I got to know the ship. It felt as though it was an actual character, which I guess in some sense it was. A lot of the battles were briefly described, which is fine as most have numerous volumes devoted to them. Getting a glimpse into daily life was fascinating. The pre World War II and post World War II accounts were also interesting.

[John Bohnert · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an ex-USN cruiser sailor, it was very interesting to read about a WWII USN cruiser.