“Dive! World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines in the Pacific,”
by Harry Allard, illustrated by Deborah Hopkinson.
Scholastic Press, New York, 2016, 367 pages, Grades 7-9.
Isolationism is the theory that a country can exist by itself and not be effected by historical events. The United States has traditionally embraced isolationism, allowing the country to stay neutral during international conflicts. But the pleasant illusion of isolationism came to a crashing end with the devastating attack on the American naval and army air force bases in Hawaii December 7, 1941.
Now, whether the United States wanted to or not, the country would be involved in a life and death struggle for the next four years. With the annihilation of much of the Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, the country’s naval leaders knew that the Pacific Ocean had to be protected with the rest of the battle fleet. Fortunately, the submarine fleet was only partially damaged during the Pearl Harbor attack. With the remaining submarines, the U.S. Navy commanders developed a number of military strategies that would prove to be effective in helping to win World War II.
Award-winning author Deborah Hopkinson has written the definitive account of this heroic sacrifice and triumph. The title of this exciting book is “Dive! World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines in the Pacific.”
After the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese High Command ordered a lightning strike on the Philippine Islands. The American Air Force was virtually destroyed on the ground. After a series of brutal battles, the Japanese forces press into the city of Manila. The Filipino/American Army will be forced onto the peninsula of Bataan and the island of Corregidor. Completely surrounded, the Filipino/American Army keeps fighting. The only supplies they receive are from submarines braving Japanese destroyers and depth charges. The submarines quickly unload the military supplies and evacuate a small number of fortunate military personnel. The American Commander, General Wainwright tries to get as many nurses as possible out of Corregidor. The submarines save many of the nurses, but when Corregidor falls on May 6, 1942, 77 nurses become prisoners of the Japanese.
Meanwhile, the submarine fleet has been going on the offensive. The submariners have a number of spectacular victories but can’t figure out why many of the torpedoes don’t explode when striking a target. The Ordinance Bureau refuses to believe that their torpedoes are defective. But after a year of misfires under battle conditions, it is discovered that the torpedoes go too deep when fired, resulting in dud explosions. The light finally clicks on at the Ordinance Bureau and the torpedoes begin to be manufactured correctly.
Hopkinson traces a number of famous submarines and crews and gives detailed accounts of their sea duty and attacks. She also recounts the terror of the depth charge attacks made by the Japanese on the American submarines. As the war continues, the American submarines grow more deadly and make a significant contribution to the defeat of Japan.
How does all this happen? What kind of heroic sacrifices were made by the submariners? What was it like to live in a tightly enclosed submarine? Do you think you would like to fight a war on a submarine? Why do you think these men were willing to give their lives to serve the United States? To find out the answers to these and other questions, go to the library and check out this compelling read, “Dive! World War II Stories of Sailors & Submarines in the Pacific” by Deborah Hopkinson.
This is an award winning account of the submarine war in the Pacific during World War II. Hopkinson writes with great skill and describes the battle scenes in great detail. The book will be of high interest to students and adults interested in World War II. Highly recommended.
