WORLD WAR II PT BOAT CAPTAIN — James Law

This book is an adventure story of a Patrol Torpedo Boat (PTB) officer during the start of the Pacific War. It is historical fiction that takes some liberty with events, places, and people. The characters are primarily fictitious. The author attempts to portray real persons in the story truthfully. The build-up to WW II and the early Pacific War campaign against Japan provides the background to dramatize the training, courage, and leadership of American PT Boat commanders and their crews. Many of the tactical situations, weapons, and communications are products of the author's imagination. Early wartime PT Boat operations in the Philippines are presented, as is General MacArthur's extraction from Corregidor. The early June 1942 battle for Midway Island is featured to honor the Navy, Marine, and Army troops that defended the Midway Islets. It is a tribute to the courageous personnel who fought back after the 7 December 1941 sneak attack on Pearl harbor and turned the tide of war against Japan. This third book in Law's Pacific War Series features characters from Volume One (Captain Harry Rats Mueller, USMC) and Volume Two (Commander David A. Pelham, USN). It introduces Ensign Wilbur O. Wright, USNR. Wilbur volunteers for the Patrol Torpedo Boat program and sees combat during the Battle of Midway. CDR Law has added some intriguing chapters where he speculates on what life was like for Rear Admiral Chester Nimitz before the war with Japan, as a four-star Admiral after Pearl Harbor, and during the Battle for Midway Island. The presence of a PT Boat Squadron at NAS Midway during the historic battle in June 1942 is a little-known fact. Its boats played a significant role in the anti-air defense of the atoll and were ready to attack enemy ships that came within a hundred miles of the base. Readers will learn what it was like to train in PT Boats before the war. Also, how and why Admiral Chester Nimitz set his trap for the four Japanese aircraft carriers. The defensive preparations before the Battle of Midway made it a very tough nut to crack. CDR Law also brings back characters from Volumes One and Two, Captain Harry Rats Mueller, USMC, and CDR David A. Pelham, USN, CO of USS Selfridge (DD-357). The main character, Wilbur O. Wright, grows up in Seattle during the Great Depression. As an NROTC graduate, Ensign Wright volunteers for duty in the newly forming PT Boat force at Newport, Rhode Island. He is involved in the design and development of a series of craft and journeys to New Orleans to oversee the production of the first Higgins' PT Boats.....When Pearl Harbor was attacked, PT Boats downed a few planes. In Manila, the six boats under the command of LT John Bulkeley fought valiantly and took MacArthur and his staff safely from Corregidor to Mindanao (500+ miles). CDR Pelham and USS Selfridge perform combat missions during the Battle of Midway that feature little known pieces of Nimitz's plan to surprise and destroy the Japanese carrier forces. The novel follows Rear Admiral Nimitz from Washington D.C. duty to Hawaii. Once there, the four-star had to rebuild the Pacific Fleet and use outnumbered military forces to stop the Japanese advances. Beta reviewers have warned that readers may not be familiar with Navy and Marine Corps terms and slang. A glossary follows the story to decipher the military jargon. Twenty-four-hour military time is repeatedly used. For example, 0630 is 6:30 a.m., 1000 is 10:00 a.m., 1200 is noon, 1500 is 3:00 p.m., 1800 is 6:00 p.m., 2100 is 9:00