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Typhoon: The Other Enemy: The Third Fleet and the Pacific Storm of December 1944
This penetrating account details for the first time the events surrounding the storm that claimed 778 men, 3 destroyers, and more than 100 aircraft.
247 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1981
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
July 1, 2009
Calhoun's Typhoon at 221 reading pages is amazing in that it is part biography, leadership primer, naval architecture text, meteorological text, human interest story and seamanship text rolled into one. This is a quick read but a valuable read to anyone interested in ship management, seamanship and leadership. There were a few times where I went to my copy of Bowditch to go over what Calhoun was discussing about how to avoid a major storm.
What was impressive was that three destroyers were sunk during the December 1944 typhoon and two were sunk because they had a too low metacentric height and this could have been dealt with before the typhoon. What this means is that with a big enough roll the ships wouldn't or couldn't recover from the roll and capsize. This is what happened to the Hull and Monaghan during the December 1944 typhoon. This is important because many writers blame Halsey solely for the loss of the three destroyers. While he bears a great deal of responsibility for the losses it is Calhoun's belief that the Bureau of Ships bears a similar amount of responsibility. He makes this argument clearly and well. The only rebuttal to the argument would be were the Farragut's needed to help with the war effort as escorting the fast fleet support group enabling Task Force 38/58 out at sea. This is one question I was left wondering about why the Farragut's were sent out with overwhelming evidence that they were unstable in even moderate sea conditions.
Calhoun's work is very much a book about how as a commanding officer he dealt with the hardships of the typhoon and his command decisions. He explains the decisions he made and how they were beneficial to his ship's survival. In one instance he describes how the loss of the whaleboat and davits which were swung out may have been the exact amount of topside weight to have allowed the U.S.S. Dewey to recover from an estimated 80 degree heel. Calhoun also describes the loss of the forward stack as loss of sail area that also aided in stability. However he is justifiably proud of his best assets in the typhoon, his crew. His descriptions of conditions in the engineering spaces are harrowing as he describes the effect of free surface water (flooding from above through supposed watertight hatches) and how one sailor almost died from drowning in the fireroom's airlock trying to maintain watertight integrity for the fireroom. His admiration for his officers and crew was apparent and generous. His respect and admiration for his squadron commander embarked on the Dewey was also evident.
Throughout the book Calhoun's professionalism was readily apparent and refreshing. I kept on thinking this book could be a how to lead book in the first part and in the second part a primer on how to think critically. Calhoun also wrote the excellent Tin Can Sailor which chronicles his service aboard the U.S.S. Sterret and is a prized member of my library and Typhoon: The Other Enemy will be as highly regarded. I highly recommend both books by Calhoun for their critical but for their great respect for the US Navy.
What was impressive was that three destroyers were sunk during the December 1944 typhoon and two were sunk because they had a too low metacentric height and this could have been dealt with before the typhoon. What this means is that with a big enough roll the ships wouldn't or couldn't recover from the roll and capsize. This is what happened to the Hull and Monaghan during the December 1944 typhoon. This is important because many writers blame Halsey solely for the loss of the three destroyers. While he bears a great deal of responsibility for the losses it is Calhoun's belief that the Bureau of Ships bears a similar amount of responsibility. He makes this argument clearly and well. The only rebuttal to the argument would be were the Farragut's needed to help with the war effort as escorting the fast fleet support group enabling Task Force 38/58 out at sea. This is one question I was left wondering about why the Farragut's were sent out with overwhelming evidence that they were unstable in even moderate sea conditions.
Calhoun's work is very much a book about how as a commanding officer he dealt with the hardships of the typhoon and his command decisions. He explains the decisions he made and how they were beneficial to his ship's survival. In one instance he describes how the loss of the whaleboat and davits which were swung out may have been the exact amount of topside weight to have allowed the U.S.S. Dewey to recover from an estimated 80 degree heel. Calhoun also describes the loss of the forward stack as loss of sail area that also aided in stability. However he is justifiably proud of his best assets in the typhoon, his crew. His descriptions of conditions in the engineering spaces are harrowing as he describes the effect of free surface water (flooding from above through supposed watertight hatches) and how one sailor almost died from drowning in the fireroom's airlock trying to maintain watertight integrity for the fireroom. His admiration for his officers and crew was apparent and generous. His respect and admiration for his squadron commander embarked on the Dewey was also evident.
Throughout the book Calhoun's professionalism was readily apparent and refreshing. I kept on thinking this book could be a how to lead book in the first part and in the second part a primer on how to think critically. Calhoun also wrote the excellent Tin Can Sailor which chronicles his service aboard the U.S.S. Sterret and is a prized member of my library and Typhoon: The Other Enemy will be as highly regarded. I highly recommend both books by Calhoun for their critical but for their great respect for the US Navy.
April 20, 2016
My uncle, Donald Wilson, aboard the USS Hancock, was part of the Pacific fleet which was trying to refuel in December 1944. They were caught in a Typhoon Cobra, also called Halsey's Typhoon. The large attack carriers, including Donald's ship, were far enough south to miss the worst of the storm. Even so, waves broke over the Hancock's flight deck, some fifty-five feet above her waterline. Although the ship rolled, pitched, twisted, and groaned, it hung together.
It was the roughest weather the Hancock had ever been in, but Donald couldn't even acknowledge the storm in his letters home. Watch the news, he said, to find out what he was doing, he said. It's as simple as that.
Uncle Don had me get a copy of the book in order to become educated about what he'd been through in World War II. What an ordeal to add to being in combat. The book also takes you through the court proceedings to lay blame for the loss of three ships and hundreds of men. Very informative.
Capt. C. Raymond Calhoun attended the US Naval Academy, enjoying a career of thirty years. He received a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and a Presidential Unit Citation. After retiring, he worked for the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded the Legion of Merit for his contributions to the National War College when he was a faculty member there.
It was the roughest weather the Hancock had ever been in, but Donald couldn't even acknowledge the storm in his letters home. Watch the news, he said, to find out what he was doing, he said. It's as simple as that.
Uncle Don had me get a copy of the book in order to become educated about what he'd been through in World War II. What an ordeal to add to being in combat. The book also takes you through the court proceedings to lay blame for the loss of three ships and hundreds of men. Very informative.
Capt. C. Raymond Calhoun attended the US Naval Academy, enjoying a career of thirty years. He received a Purple Heart, a Bronze Star, and a Presidential Unit Citation. After retiring, he worked for the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded the Legion of Merit for his contributions to the National War College when he was a faculty member there.
July 21, 2021
Overall this is a very good book. I thought a couple of areas were somewhat redundant though. One thing I appreciated in this book is that Captain Calhoun is not afraid to go after the Third Fleet Commander (Halsey). Too many books gloss over his egregious errors with the two typhoons. One does have to wonder, though, how the Navy can have gone from not firing a commander for losing over 700 men in a storm to firing ship CO's if they but even scrape the paint on the side of their ship...
November 14, 2019
I treasure this book. My dad served aboard the USS Dewey in WWII, and Captain Calhoun was his captain during this horrible typhoon. My dad would tell us the story before he passed away, and I have the scroll that he received after the typhoon hanging on my wall.
The scroll reads:
To All Non-Believers:
Know ye that {my dad}. was a member of the USS Dewey crew when she was caught in the fury of a tropical typhoon on 18 December yr 1944. On this date, his Royal Majesty Neptune’s Rex put the ship to test before accepting her into that group of truly great ships of the Navy. The barometer dropped to 2730; the wind rose to 125 knots, and mountainous waves towered over the tiny vessel, causing a roll to starboard many times - at the climax the ship was subjected to a roll of 80 degrees plus, and the hatch of Davy Jones Locker opened wide to receive the sturdy ship and her gallant crew. At this crucial moment, when Neptunis was ready to take his new member below the raging sea, an Angel of the Lord came forth, sighted the ship and watched over her the remainder of the mightiest storm in Naval History. All hands witnessed the evidence of their salvation for the port yardarm was bent where the hand of God had touched the ship.
My most prized possession, and I am so fortunate there is a book that documents this ordeal.
The scroll reads:
To All Non-Believers:
Know ye that {my dad}. was a member of the USS Dewey crew when she was caught in the fury of a tropical typhoon on 18 December yr 1944. On this date, his Royal Majesty Neptune’s Rex put the ship to test before accepting her into that group of truly great ships of the Navy. The barometer dropped to 2730; the wind rose to 125 knots, and mountainous waves towered over the tiny vessel, causing a roll to starboard many times - at the climax the ship was subjected to a roll of 80 degrees plus, and the hatch of Davy Jones Locker opened wide to receive the sturdy ship and her gallant crew. At this crucial moment, when Neptunis was ready to take his new member below the raging sea, an Angel of the Lord came forth, sighted the ship and watched over her the remainder of the mightiest storm in Naval History. All hands witnessed the evidence of their salvation for the port yardarm was bent where the hand of God had touched the ship.
My most prized possession, and I am so fortunate there is a book that documents this ordeal.
May 19, 2013
A very detailed account of the storm encountered by the third fleet in December 1944. Gripping! My heart grieved for all those men and ships. Paints a clear picture that top commanders made outrageous mistakes that cost ships and men. Happens all the time in war though doesn't it? WWII is such a big history, and I find trying to delve into specific times/battles helps to get context and perspective. I'm particularly fond of the naval history of WWII and this book covers a different enemy. A storm that really caught them by "surprise". Imagine waves so big that aircraft carriers, when pitching down the face of the wave, have their props OUT of the water! Were talking HUGE waves. Its a miracle more ships weren't lost.
September 9, 2020
This book probably has more details than any but the most dedicated naval historian would care for, but for those it’s a treasure trove of minutiae on the encounter of the Third Pacific Fleet with Typhoon Cobra, which formed almost on top of the fleet in December, 1944, with disastrous results. Subsequently, I read The Last of the Tin Can Sailors which exposed Admiral Halsey’s poor judgement in exposing a platoon of boats to the Japanese Army. Continued poor judgement by Halsey led, in part, to this Cobra disaster.
June 9, 2022
While not for everyone, Calhoun's professional analysis and amazing storytelling are gold for the right audience. Recommend for those interested in a well written first person account and technical analysis from one who survived this famous storm.
January 15, 2016
Highly technical, includes much information on the operation of the fleet prior to the typhoon.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews