Small Ships Courageous Men

Small Ships, Courageous Men, first published in 1962 as Lt. John F. Kennedy— Expendable!, is an action-packed look at the role played by U.S. Navy PT Boats in the South Pacific during the Second World War. New to the Navy, PT boat tactics and armament were just being developed and tested by their crews, who would set-off on their missions against much larger and better-armed ships of the Japanese. Featured is an in-depth look at the missions and fate of the PT-109, skippered by a young John F. Kennedy, and the story of the 109's crew struggle to survive after the craft's collision with a Japanese destroyer. During the war, author Chandler Whipple was a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy. Included are 11 pages of photographs and maps.