Run Silent, Run Deep

The subs [Submarine!, 1952, nonfiction] I did okay, but writing about women–I never had so much trouble in my life as with this one.The novel was on The New York Times Book Review list for several months.

The narrative is presented as the transcript of a Navy tape recording made by Commander Edward J. Richardson, recounting the events resulting in his receipt of the Medal of Honor.

They and their crew work at the Philadelphia Navy Yard to fit out their boat and commission her, and in August take her to New London, Connecticut, for training.

Richardson and his crew, including Bledsoe, are soon assigned to a newly launched submarine, the USS Walrus, and take her to Pearl Harbor to destroy Japanese shipping in the Pacific Ocean.

After heavy drinking during a shore party, Bledsoe reveals to Richardson that he had only pretended to be a loyal friend and subordinate, grudgingly remaining as executive officer during their patrols together "for the crew's sake."

During his stint ashore, Richardson works on reliability problems with American torpedoes and receives another command, the new boat USS Eel.

A great battle ensues in a raging storm between the Eel, fighting on the surface, and Bungo Pete's special anti-submarine warfare group, which consists of a Q-ship, a Japanese submarine, and the Akikaze.