Escape from the Deep

Escape from the Deep chronicles the true story of the USS Tang submarine and its crew during World War II. The Tang, commanded by Richard O'Kane, conducted several combat patrols in the Pacific theater between 1943-1944. The book follows the Tang's missions through enemy waters and its encounters with Japanese vessels. Through interviews and historical records, Kershaw reconstructs the submarine's operations and the experiences of its sailors during intense underwater combat. After disaster strikes the Tang, the narrative focuses on the survival ordeal faced by the remaining crew members. Their struggle against the elements, injury, and capture becomes a testament to human endurance. The book stands as both a submarine warfare account and an exploration of courage under extreme circumstances. Through the Tang crew's story, Kershaw examines the physical and psychological limits of human resilience.

Readers found this to be a fast-paced account of the USS Tang submarine crew's survival story. The narrative maintains tension throughout, even though the outcome is known. Readers appreciated: - The personal accounts and interviews with survivors - Clear technical explanations of submarine operations - Balance between human stories and military details - Respectful handling of both American and Japanese perspectives Common criticisms: - Some repetition in the narrative - Limited coverage of the survivors' post-war lives - Not enough maps and diagrams Average ratings: Goodreads: 4.14/5 (1,900+ ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (300+ ratings) "Reads like a thriller but carries the weight of truth" notes one Amazon reviewer. Multiple readers mentioned becoming emotional during the survival sections. Several Goodreads reviews pointed out the book's accessibility for readers unfamiliar with submarine warfare. A recurring comment was that the story deserved more attention in WWII history.

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🌊 The USS Tang, subject of this book, still holds the record for most ships sunk in a single patrol by a U.S. submarine, with 33 ships destroyed during her five patrols. ⚓ Only nine of the Tang's 87 crew members survived the sinking, enduring 44 hours in the cold waters before being captured by Japanese forces. ✍️ Author Alex Kershaw conducted extensive interviews with the last surviving crew member of the Tang, Floyd Caverly, who passed away in 2011 at age 91. 💥 The Tang's final sinking was caused by one of its own torpedoes making a circular run and striking the submarine—a malfunction that was later traced to a faulty steering mechanism. 🏆 The USS Tang's commanding officer, Richard O'Kane, received the Medal of Honor for his actions during the submarine's final patrol, making him one of only seven submariners to receive this honor during World War II.