So Close to Home: A True Story of an American Family's Fight by Michael J. Tougias, Alison O'Leary

By Michael J. Tougias, Alison O'Leary

A real tale of guys and ladies pitted opposed to the ocean in the course of international battle II—and an unforgettable portrait of the selection of the human spirit.
On might 19, 1942, a U-boat within the Gulf of Mexico stalked its prey fifty miles from New Orleans. Captained via twenty nine-year-old Iron move and King's go recipient Erich Wu¨rdemann, the submarine set its points of interest at the freighter Heredia with sixty-two souls on board.

Most aboard have been service provider seamen, yet there have been additionally a handful of civilians, together with the Downs relations: Ray and Ina, and their teenagers, eight-year-old Sonny and eleven-year-old Lucille. quick asleep of their berths, the Downs kinfolk had no concept that torpedoes have been heading their means. while the send exploded, chaos ensued—and every one loved one needed to locate their very own route to survival.

Including unique, unpublished fabric from Commander Wu¨rdemann's struggle diary, the tale offers stability and standpoint by way of chronicling the bold venture of the U-boat—and its commander's decision-making—in the Gulf of Mexico.

An inspiring historic narrative, So just about domestic tells the tale of the Downs family members as they try opposed to sharks, hypothermia, drowning, and dehydration of their attempt to outlive the aftermath of this lethal assault off the yankee coast.

Show description

Read or Download So Close to Home: A True Story of an American Family's Fight for Survival During World War II PDF

Similar military books

The Great War: The British Campaign in France and Flanders, Volume 3

If ever a author wanted an advent Arthur Conan Doyle wouldn't be thought of that guy. in any case, Sherlock Holmes might be the main literary detective of any age. upload to this canon his tales of technological know-how fiction and horror, his ancient novels, his political campaigning, his efforts in setting up a court docket Of attraction, his poetical works and there's little room for the rest.

Victory in the Falklands

The Hundred Days that observed the British reaction to common Galtiere of Argentina's invasion of the Falklands are for plenty of British humans the main striking in their lives.

It describes the darkish days of early April, the feverish reaction and forming of the duty strength, the anxieties and uncertainties, the naval and air battles that preceded the landings by way of three Commando Brigade and fifth Infantry Brigade. the intense battles corresponding to Goose eco-friendly, Mount Tumbledown, instant Ridge and so on are narrated absolutely yet succinctly.

This is a truly balanced review of a never-to-be-repeated yet positive bankruptcy in British army history.

Dresden and the Heavy Bombers: An RAF Navigator's Perspective

This can be the tale of a tender man's access into the conflict in 1941 and culminates in his flying at the bombing raid to Dresden in February 1945. this isn't a gung-ho account of flying with Bomber Command yet nor is it a breast-beating avowal of guilt. those memoirs take the shape of a simple narrative of the author's RAF occupation and pay specific awareness to worry, morale and, because the writer explains, the parable of management.

Himalayan Blunder: The Curtain-Raiser to the Sino-Indian War of 1962

Himalayan Blunder: The indignant fact approximately India's such a lot Crushing army catastrophe is an account of the 1962 Sino-Indian struggle throughout the narrative of Brigadier J. P. Dalvi, who fought within the struggle. Himalayan Blunder: The indignant fact approximately India's so much Crushing army catastrophe is Brigadier J. P. Dalvi's retelling of the Sino-Indian warfare that happened in 1962 - a conflict that India misplaced.

Additional resources for So Close to Home: A True Story of an American Family's Fight for Survival During World War II

Sample text

Responding to the President's well-reasoned plea, on 12 April 1808, Congress added five infantry regi- EXPERIMENTS, EXPEDIENTS ments, one of riflemen, one of light artillery and one of light cavalry - all to be recruited for five years - to the regular army. The Regiment of United States Light Dragoons was commanded by a colonel, a lieutenant colonel and a major, assisted by one adjutant, one paymaster, one quartermaster, a sergeant major, a surgeon, a surgeon's mate, one quartermaster sergeant, one riding master and two principal musicians.

S. Army down to a skeletal twenty companies of infantry and twenty of artillery, completely abolishing the two troops of dragoons. This last cut was more an act of mercy, however, as the cavalry had lacked horses for some time. Nevertheless, the United States was to be without any regular mounted soldiers for the next six years. During that time, Great Britain, still engaged in her epic life-or-death struggle with France, wrested away control of the seas, and then, growing arrogant, intensified her blockade of Napoleon's Europe.

Ninety-five of Moylan's 4th Dragoons and a draft of eighteen men from Sheldon's Horse accompanied them. Moving quickly, the two allied leaders concentrated nearly 16,000 regulars and militia against Yorktown by 30 September, and on 19 October 1781, Cornwallis and his 8000 soldiers and seamen surrendered. Yorktown may have decided the outcome of the War of Independence, but it did not mark an end to the fighting. The 4th Dragoons were transferred to Greene's army, which had cleared the whole of South Carolina of British troops except for their last bastion, the port of Charleston.

Download PDF sample

Rated 4.45 of 5 – based on 13 votes