Tidal Wave: From Leyte Gulf to Tokyo Bay

by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver

The United States Navy won such overwhelming victories in 1944 that, had the navy faced a different enemy, the war would have been over at the conclusion of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. However, in the moment of victory on 25 October 1944, the U.S. Navy found itself confronting an enemy that had been inconceivable until it appeared. The kamikaze, 'divine wind' in Japanese, was something Americans were totally unprepared for; a violation of every belief held in the West. The attacks were terrifying: regardless of the damage inflicted on an attacking airplane, there was no certainty of safety aboard the ship until that airplane was completely destroyed. Based on first-person accounts, Tidal Wave is the story of the naval campaigns in the Pacific from the victory at Leyte Gulf to the end of the war, in which the U.S. Navy would fight harder for survival than ever before.

Genres: History, World War II, Nonfiction, Military History

320 pages, Hardcover

Published May 22, 2018

About the author

Most of my non-fiction writing is in the field of aviation, primarily the history of people, units and events, though I am also interested in technological developments and their influence on events.

I first ran across "serious" aviation writing when I was 10 and found William Green's "All The World's Aircraft, 1954" - the first book I read that seriously dealt with aircraft development beyond picture books. Over the years I read many books by Bill (as I came eventually to know him), and 25 years later he was the first editor to professionally publish an article by me about an aviation topic (a feature about people in California who restored, owned and operated antique airplanes). Not only did he publish the article, he used my photograph for the cover of that issue of Air Enthusiast Quarterly! In the years that followed, Bill became a friend through the mail, a source of valuable insight about writing, and an enthusiastic supporter of my efforts. I've had a lot of success that way with fellow authors.

My interest in the field of aviation must be genetic. My mother's favorite tale about me was that my first word, spoken around age 1, was "o-pane!" when we were in a park in Denver, and I pointed up at a P-38 as it flew overhead.

My father was involved in aviation in the 1930s, and knew most of the Major Names of the era, like Jimmy Doolittle, Roscoe Turner, and even Ernst Udet. (As an aside, I met General Doolittle myself in 1976. Upon hearing my name, he looked me up and down, then shook his head and said "Nope, too young and too tall." Taken aback for a moment, I realized he was thinking of my father, also a Tom Cleaver. Once I identified myself, he told me a story about my father I had never heard before. I later discovered he had near-perfect recall of names and events.) I grew up looking at my father's photo albums of the old airplanes he had been around, which is probably why I most enjoy airplanes from those years.

In addition to writing about airplanes, I take pictures of them in flight. As a result of both activities, I have flown in everything from a Curtiss Jenny to an Air Force F-4E Phantom (definitely the best rollercoaster ride ever), and have additionally been up in World War II airplanes - the P-51 Mustang, P-40 Warhawk, SBD Dauntless, B-25 Mitchell, and many many many times in a T-6. As a pilot myself, I have about 200 hours in a Stearman biplane trainer as a member of a club back in the 1970s. I am certain my personal knowledge of flying as a pilot has helped me put a reader "in the cockpit" in my writing.

While I have advanced college and university degrees, I consider myself an autodidact, and I see the involvement with airplanes as my key to the world of self-education, as I would ask myself "what was that airplane used for?" which led to such questions as "how did that war happen?" I was also fortunate to grow up in a home with lots of books and a father who enjoyed history; between that and forays to the Denver Public Library (a Saturday spent in the stacks at the Main Library was a day in heaven), my education was very eclectic in subject matter.

My "film school" education came on Saturday afternoons spent at the old Park Theater on South Gaylord Street in Denver, where I went every Saturday from age 7 to age 15 when the theater closed, and watched everything that played on-screen. Somewhere along there, I learned the meaning of "good movie."

Reviews

[CoachJim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tidal Wave: From Leyte Gulf to Tokyo Bay
by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver

If you are looking for a book that tells of individual pilots, the planes they flew, the squadrons they belong to, the ships the flew from, the enemies they shot down, and the locations of all this, then this book might appeal to you. There is also a detailed description of the various aircraft used by the Navy.

There is an interesting section on Churchill’s attitude towards the Pacific and Far East and his conflicts with Admiral King.

There is also a section describing Halsey’s Typhoons. Again I read where Halsey seemed to have a guardian angel in the Navy, probably Nimitz. When a Court of Inquiry found Halsey negligent during the second typhoon Nimitz reversed the finding. Halsey’s value as a public relations figure and for morale purposes was too valuable. Admiral Clark who Halsey attempted to make the fall guy for the second typhoon stated:

“I concur that exposing Halsey’s faults publicly in the summer of 1945 would have served no useful purpose.”

There is quite a detailed description of the Kamikaze attacks that shows the horrifying aspects and deadly consequences at this stage in the war.

I enjoy History with a bigger picture. Given names of individuals i quickly forget them and look for the account of the overall picture. Consider the following sentence from Page 260:

“A second mission was flown with eight TBMs, four F4Us and four F6Fs to strike the kamikaze bases at Hirara and Nobara airfields on Miyako Jima in the Sakishima Islands, where they took their first loss when a TBM flown by 2nd Lieutenant Douglas M. Herrin and crewed by Sergeant Joseph L. Butehorn and Staff Sergeant Edward T. Gunning was shot down during a rocket-firing pass over Nobara.”

Any History here is loss in the clutter of facts.

I wonder sometimes whether these narrative histories are aware that people’s accounts of events can be very different from the actual event.

Similar to several books I have read lately the best part of this book is in the end. The last almost 100 pages deal with the conflicts in the leadership on how to end the war with a country determined to fight to the bitter end. After Okinawa if was apparent that an invasion of Japan would result in tremendous casualties and given the Kamikaze attacks a blockade was not going to be easy. There was concern that Russia was about to enter this theater and the United States had concerns about Japan becoming part of Russia’s sphere of influence. There is also mention that allowing the Emperor to remain was inconsistent due to his role in this War.

One of the things I have admired about Japan is the intelligence and the innovations of its people. People at one time mocked the “Made in Japan” idea but consumers certainly bought their products (e.g. Automobiles). How could a country with its most valuable resource — its people — consider sacrificing that resource. What if one of those Japanese sailors, soldiers, or pilots had become a scientist and cured some disease, or advanced development of solar power? The island of Japan certainly wasn’t rich in any other resource.

I almost quit reading this book near the halfway point. I am glad I continued reading to the end.

[J.S. · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was ostensibly a history of the the end of WWII in the Pacific, from October 1944 to August 1945. However, it's actually narrower than that, focusing almost exclusively on the US Navy and more closely on the actions of the Navy pilots (the book's description says "the story of the naval campaigns in the Pacific from the victory at Leyte Gulf to the end of the war...") and their interactions with the Japanese kamikazes.

And it's almost excruciatingly detailed. You'll read every pilot's name, rank, what ship they're on, what their group name was, what kind of plane they flew, and how many of each kind of Japanese plane they shot down, over and over and over again. Occasionally the detail will focus on shipboard gunners, particularly if they died. And while I don't mean to minimize the outstanding contributions of these brave men, it becomes exceedingly tedious for a casual reader of WWII history such as myself. (I've read over 75 non-fiction books dealing with WWII - by my count - but I still consider myself a casual reader who reads WWII history simply because I find it interesting.) And I just didn't find this one very interesting.

Furthermore, Cleaver cherry picks the stories he tells. You get a lot of interesting individual accounts but he completely skips over important events like Iwo Jima and Hiroshima (probably because it didn't involve the Navy much, but he spends considerable time on Nagasaki). But even more unusual was that he glossed over "Halsey's Typhoon" (at least the first disaster caused by Admiral Halsey and weather), never mentioning that Halsey was foolishly lured away from his post by a Japanese decoy, lost a couple of ships and a thousand or so men, and managed to blame the weather guy. Fortunately, he spends a little time discussing when it happened a second time.

I just can't recommend this book. Sure, it has some interesting individual accounts you probably won't get elsewhere, but you have to wade through a LOT of intricate detail that just isn't very interesting. 2 stars for an "okay" book.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tidal Wave: From Leyte Gulf to Tokyo Bay by Thomas McKelvey Cleaver is the story of the string of victories by the United States Navy over the Japanese. The author has written a number of historical books about battles of our naval and air forces and in Tidal Wave follows the US Navy from its victory in the Battle of Leyte Gulf through the end of the war. He documents the American's disbelief of the new strategy of the Japanese to use piloted planes that were essentially human-steered bombs, called kamikazes or divine wind by the Japanese, where the pilots were expected to intentionally fly and crash into American ships. The only way to stop them was to shoot them down before they reached a ship. Americans had never witnessed anything like these suicide attacks that underscored the desperate nature of the Japanese war effort to resort to such a strategy. It also demonstrated the fanaticism engrained in the psyche of members of the Japanese military and was one of several factors that were considered when the decision to invade or to drop the newly developed atomic bombs to end the war more quickly. That decision is still controversial to some people today but that is why it is important to understand the military and political environment in place at that time. Nicely laid out and easy to follow the operations that took place in those desperate times.

[Baustman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleaver is a specialist in detail and first person accounts. This volume about the end of the WW II Pacific air campaign does not disappoint!

[Baustman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent volume for history nerds interested in the Pacific air campaign of WW II. Cleaver always includes great details and personal stories from the people who were there.

[John Purvis · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Tidal Wave" eBook was published in 2018 and was written Thomas McKelvey Cleaver. Mr. Cleaver has published eight books. 

I received an ARC of this novel through https://www.netgalley.com in return for a fair and honest review. I categorize this novel as ‘R’ because it contains scenes of Violence. The book covers action in the Pacific Theatre during the period in World War II from the fall of 1944 until the end of the war. 

This is a detailed account of action, primarily naval air warfare carried out by both sides. There are many individuals, aircraft and ships named, along with their activities. This is not a book that is easy to read due to all the facts laid out. I do think this would be a good read for the serious student of World War II history. I did find the 10 hours I spent reading this 320 page non-fiction history interesting. The cover art is a good selection. I give this novel a 3.8 (rounded up to a 4) out of 5.

Further book reviews I have written can be accessed at https://johnpurvis.wordpress.com/blog/.

[Ted · Rating 3 out of 5]

Detailed to the point of being tedious at times. We seemingly learn the names of every British, American, and Japanese pilot that flew in combat during the closing days of the war in the Pacific. We certainly learn the names of the fighters, bombers, and torpedo planes they flew and the squadrons they were in. I awarded one less star because Chapter 1 is about the final days of the war and Japan's surrender then the remaining chapters begin at Leyte Gulf in 1944. I didn't appreciate this sequence at all.

[Alexandre · Rating 2 out of 5]

Painful read ... it dragged . Could have been half as long easily .

[Robert Haase · Rating 5 out of 5]

USS Mississippi (BB-41)

I was expecting more on surface task force movement and strategies and a little less of aviation technology. My father, Lt(jg) Robert Haase, was Communications Officer aboard the USS Mississippi (BB-41) at Leyte Gulf and Okinawa. Very little description of Admiral Oldendorf's task force catching the Japanese in the classic "crossing the T" broadside at Surigaio Strait, virtually putting the Imperial surface fleet out of the war. The only mention of the Mississippi involves a single sentence statement on the 3-day artillery assault on Shuri Castle in which that stronghold was uprooted. What is not mentioned is that the vessel sustained 2 kamikaze hits prior to that assault. My father was involved in fire direction control during that assault and he told me that one of their 15" rounds was a direct hit on a munitions dump, and he actually saw Japanese bodies flying during that explosion. The Mississippi was awarded 8 Battle Stars for her service and at one time was under the command of Admiral Ray Spruance. It certainly deserved more than one passing sentence.

[Rod · Rating 4 out of 5]

Detailed account of the last year of the War in the Pacific

Most accounts of warfare focus on major battles. This perhaps makes sense, since these battles may decide the course of the war. Think of the number of books written about Trafalgar, Midway, and the like. But what about what happened in between times?

The year 1944 in the Pacific saw the end of Japanese Naval Aviation (at the Battle of the Philippine Sea in June) and the effective end of the Imperial Japanese Navy (at the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October). But the US Navy would spend the last year of the war in ferocious and bloody daily conflict with the repurposed remnants of those two fighting elements, morphed into the Kamikaze. Cleaver recounts these action in minute detail, down to the individual air and surface actions. While there was no major naval encounter after Leyte, the ability of the US Navy to counter the Kamikaze let to a successful conclusion to the war, and Cleaver recounts this story well.

This is an outstanding account and highly recommended. “Only” four stars given since, at times, the detail was almost too great (at least for me.)

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, providing a vivid and human-centered account of the final year of the Great Pacific War. The author, noted aviation historian Thomas McKelvey Cleaver, focuses on the individual stories of pilots and maintainers, grounding the broader narrative of the U.S. Navy’s final victory against Japan within the experiences of those who made that victory possible. This approach keeps the history personal and immediate, highlighting the courage, exhaustion, and ingenuity required to sustain combat operations in the endgame of the vast Pacific conflict. Cleaver’s storytelling captures the intensity of naval warfare, emphasizing the logistical and tactical challenges of fighting a war at sea. The book describes the relentless pace and high risk faced by the aviation and surface forces, despite their overall material advantage. This approach offers readers a deeper appreciation for the human dimension of military history. A great book for understanding the operational realities of the final year of World War II in the Pacific. Highly recommended for readers interested in naval aviation and wartime logistics.

[patrick Lorelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book covers the time frame from 1944 to the Japanese surrender in the Tokyo Bay. The naval battle and the way that the Japanese began to use the Kamikaze attacks after the Leyte Gulf battle. The U.S. and British Navies were not prepared for these attacks even after they began to increase. The battle for Okinawa took out many ships and lost many sailors, and Marines aboard the ships. What was good about this book was the author going through our side and also the British which gets forgotten in the Pacific Battles. There were times that this book dragged somewhat, so I think that if you are not into history this book might not be for you. I found this book to be an interesting book and found out some information that I did not know about before I began reading this book. Overall a good book. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com

[Craig Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good military history book. The war in the Pacific has been pretty well covered before now up to the battle for Okinawa. What makes this book different is its treatment of the events leading up to the surrender ceremony in Tokyo Bay on board the USS Missouri. Very little had been previously written about the British Pacific Fleet or the naval bombardments of the Japanese home islands. Cleaver has given a colorful description of these previously little known events. I gave this book only four stars due to the sometimes cumbersome recitations of units, ships, and numbers of shot down aircraft, on both sides. Those things are certainly part of warfare but they were hard to plod through.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

While these books often cover a lot of familiar territory, it never fails to strike me that Thomas McKelvey Cleaver also includes multiple chapters and anecdotes that I’ve never read before. For example, this book’s focus on the contributions of the British Pacific Fleet, which is often overlooked in other histories.

[Robert Bremer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a story

There’s a lot of detail in this book, as there was in the previous volume by the author. However, the author captures so much information in a manner that is captivating. There’s certainly enough material here to entertain any avid reader of Pacific war history

[Peter L · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final days in the last year of WW2 recounted

Not only are the final days recounted, but are explained in detail leaving little out & some readers this may be their first reading of this bloody period in history. This is one of the better accounts.