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The Last Cruise
By Commander William J. Lederer, USN. As the cold war between Russia and the America began, the U.S. Navy sent USS Cochino (SS-345) on one of the first spy missions. However due to censorship at the time of publishing this book fails to mention the true patrol orders. Commissioned in August 1945 the World War II Balao Class submarine ran into trouble in the stormy Atlantic in 1949. Four-hundred miles north of the Artic Circle, for 14 hours Commander Rafael Benitez and 78 brave men battled to save their boat. On August 25, 1949 Cochino sank beneath the frigid waters. Operating close by, sister sub USS Tusk (SS-426) rescued most of Cochino’s crew and sadly lost some of their own. A true but tragic story.
- GenresNonfiction
Hardcover
First published January 1, 1950
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About the author
William J. Lederer
59 books30 followersWilliam Julius Lederer, Jr. was an American author.
He was a US Naval Academy graduate in 1936. His first appointment was as the junior officer of a river gunboat on the Yangtze River.
His best selling work, 1958's The Ugly American, was one of several novels co-written with Eugene Burdick. Disillusioned with the style and substance of America's diplomatic efforts in Southeast Asia, Lederer and Burdick openly sought to demonstrate their belief that American officials and civilians could make a substantial difference in Southeast Asian politics if they were willing to learn local languages, follow local customs and employ regional military tactics. However, if American policy makers continued to ignore the logic behind these lessons, Southeast Asia would fall under Soviet or Chinese Communist influence.
He was a US Naval Academy graduate in 1936. His first appointment was as the junior officer of a river gunboat on the Yangtze River.
His best selling work, 1958's The Ugly American, was one of several novels co-written with Eugene Burdick. Disillusioned with the style and substance of America's diplomatic efforts in Southeast Asia, Lederer and Burdick openly sought to demonstrate their belief that American officials and civilians could make a substantial difference in Southeast Asian politics if they were willing to learn local languages, follow local customs and employ regional military tactics. However, if American policy makers continued to ignore the logic behind these lessons, Southeast Asia would fall under Soviet or Chinese Communist influence.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
February 24, 2022
A nice quick account of the sinking of an American diesel submarine Cochino due to hydrogen buildup and fire in the North Atlantic while it was engaged in testing new machinery. Loss of life was slight due to the bravery of two crews, but it must have been a terrifying experience. My father served aboard boats like these. Made me think about him and some of the stories he used to tell me.
March 12, 2010
The Last Cruise is a very short book that is an easy read. It detail the loss of the U.S.S. Cochino in 1949. Lederer's account is written shortly after and leaves out some important information about the Cochino like she was on a intelligence gathering mission. This is revealed in Sontag's excellent Blind Man's Bluff. However Lederer's account is riveting in discussing the seamanship and courage from both crews of the Cochino and the Tusk. If read from that perspective this is a good book but if you want the background about the mission read Blind Man's Bluff after reading The Last Cruise. By doing that a clear picture of the event will given to the reader.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews