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Gunner, hold your fire!  Look at that! It's a comprehensive ship's history of a front- line World War II amphibious transport.  I've been waiting over sixty years for a book like that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Text Box:        Admiral Richmond Kelly Turner, the commander of the Pacific Fleet’s amphibious forces in World War II, called the attack transports    (APAs) and attack cargo ships (AKAs), the “unsung, battle-scarred work horses of the Navy.”  Yet, it took sixty-two years for the first authoritative  history of any of these nearly 350 front-line amphibious transports to be published.  Thanks to the vision and professionalism of  Texas A&M University Press, Combat Loaded: Across the Pacific on the USS Tate was released in 2007.   While the previous non-fiction books on this subject did not enjoy the benefits of the modern academic press process, they still offer a variety of useful perspectives on an important and  largely ignored subject.  For those who wish to further pursue this topic, the following is a description of the other books about ships of the APA and AKA classes: Marsden, Lawrence A., Attack Transport: The Story of the U.S.S. Doyen, University of Minnesota Press, 1946.  Released the year after  World War II ended, this book was the first to tell the story of a front-line amphibious transport.  The author who was a supply officer on     Doyen (APA-1) crafted a compelling narrative fresh from his memory covering the assaults on Tarawa and Iwo Jima.  The story’s emotional impact and descriptions of the human experience in war are profound.  Despite its lack of operational detail, maps, notes, index, or bibliography, this book provides a fascinating look into the mind of an amphibious warrior at a time when the smoke had just cleared from the Pacific War.  Marsden, Lawrence A., Gemini Ship: The Story of the U.S.S. Doyen (APA-1) and its Civilian Calling as the Bay State.  Infinity Press, 2002.  A re-released electronic press version of Attack Transport.  This book also contains a collection of personal stories from those who served on the ship after it became the Massachusetts Maritime Academy’s training vessel.  Glasson, Woodrow R., Attack Transport: We Led The Way And Wrote The Book—First Offensive In The Pacific WWII—U.S.N. and U.S.M.C. 1st Books, 2001.  A self-published diary of a sailor on President Hayes (APA-20).  This book provides a good portrayal of the     daily grind of an amphibious sailor in the southwestern Pacific.  Its numerous photographs and period documents offer a nice personal touch.     This book contains no notes, index, or bibliography. Witter, Robert E., Attack Transport: The U.S.S. Zeilin in World War II-An Oral History.  Infinity Press, 2001.   A touching and effective     look at the remarkable service of Zeilin (APA-3), which participated in the invasions of Guadalcanal, Aleutian Islands, Tarawa, Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, Luzon, and Iwo Jima.  While the research is modest, the author makes good use of the primary sources and oral histories he    had available.  The book was published by an electronic press and contains a number of useful appendices as well as notes, an index, and a bibliography. Goldman, Kenneth H. USS Charles Carroll APA 28: An Amphibious History of World War II, Trafford, 2004.   Clearly the best non-fiction work on an attack transport.  This book covers the complete history of Charles Carroll (APA-28), which saw service in the North African, Italian, Normandy (D-Day) and Okinawa campaigns.  It mixes a good deal of operational detail with a healthy amount of first-person accounts.    It is richly illustrated with impressive photography and many original World War II maps and drawings.  The book contains some minor footnoting as well as an index and bibliography.  It is available via an on-demand electronic publisher.  The author is actively pursuing a re-release through an academic press, which should dramatically improve the quality of this already outstanding book.  Heggen, Thomas, Mister Roberts.  Houghton Mifflin, 1946.  A novel loosely based on the author’s service on Virgo (AKA-20), besides  Combat Loaded it is the only other book even remotely related to an attack cargo ship. Converted to a successful stage play and a major motion picture, Mister Roberts focuses on the human relationships on board the cargo ship Reluctant, while paying only minimal attention to the ship’s role in the Pacific War.  Although the account is fictional, Heggen still provides one of the most poignant stories or service at sea in World War II. Dodson, Kenneth, Away All Boats.  Little and Brown, 1954.  An impressive novel written by an officer who served in the Pacific War on    Pierce (APA-50).  While fictional, it contains detailed accounts of the operational aspects of amphibious warfare.  Beautifully written, Dodson  was mentored by Robert Frost who assisted him with editorial advice.  This book excels in its portrayal of the war’s impact on the human spirit and provides a fabulous leadership study describing the advantages and limitations of the different sub-cultures within a predominately mobilized civilian crew.  Made into a major motion picture in 1956, the book was re-released by the Naval institute Press as part of its Classics  of Naval Literature series in 1982.  If you are just going to read just one book on World War II amphibious warfare—it should be Away All Boats. For a detailed bibliography relating to amphibious operations in the Pacific War: beg, borrow, buy or steal a copy of Combat Loaded: Across  the Pacific on the USS Tate.