Splinter on the Tide
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
"Casemate has a long history of publishing high quality military history non-fiction. Lately, they have expanded their range of work to include well written novels using wartime settings." – WWII History MagazineThe engaging story of a young American naval officer undertaking his first command, in the middle of World War II.
Having survived the sinking of his first ship, Ensign Ash Miller USNR is promoted and assigned to command one of the sleek new additions to "the splinter fleet," a 110-foot wooden submarine chaser armed with only understrength guns and depth charges. His task is to bring the ship swiftly into commission, weld his untried crew into an efficient fighting unit, and take his vessel to sea in order to protect the defenseless Allied merchant vessels which are being maliciously and increasingly sunk by German U-Boats, often within sight of the coast. Ash rises to the deadly challenge he faces, brings his crew of three officers and 27 men to peak performance, and meets the threats he faces with understated courage and determination, rescuing stricken seamen, destroying Nazi mines, fighting U-Boats, and developing both the tactical sense and command authority that will be the foundation upon which America's citizen sailors eventually win the war. During rare breaks in operations, Ash cherishes a developing relationship with the spirited Claire Morris who embodies the peaceful ideal for which he has been fighting.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This enjoyable if tension-free sea adventure from Parotti (Fires in the Sky) spotlights a seldom-seen aspect of WWII—the escort ships that protected ocean travel along the U.S. East Coast from German U-boat attacks. Capt. Ash Miller, an earnest, hardworking seaman, takes command of a new sub chaser in early 1942 after surviving the sinking of his first ship. The untested Ash, previously an ensign, supervises an equally inexperienced crew. Together, they successfully steer thousands of ships to safe harbors, blow up mines planted by the Germans, and occasionally pick up sailors left in the water after their boats were sunk. They even run into a U-boat every now and then, dropping a depth charge or shooting at its periscope. The action is always brief and undramatic, and it all goes as planned for Ash. He eventually gets promoted and marries a great gal, who's exceptional in the kitchen and hints at being good in bed, too. Some readers may wish for more conflict or that the waves were a little choppier for Ash and crew. Others will find this low-key thriller a refreshing change of pace.
