War at Sea #27

A U.S. destroyer caught in treacherous Aleutian waters faces a Japanese cruiser—but two officers, Lt. Turner and Lt. Hedges, have an advantage few possess: they charted these dangerous straits years before, exploring on their own time. When enemy ships exploit the uncharted reefs to escape American forces, Turner and Hedges use their knowledge of hidden passages and underwater hazards to turn the tables and trap the Japanese vessel where it can't flee.

Lt. Comdr. Kresky's submarine, the Ray, infiltrates a German U-boat wolf pack by posing as one of their own, waiting for the right moment to strike from within. When a convoy appears and Kresky spots his chance to alert the Allied destroyers, he sets in motion a daring plan that turns the hunters into the hunted. It's a tense cat-and-mouse game where one man's quick thinking and nerve could mean the difference between victory and disaster for both sides.

The Cardley, a destroyer on picket duty off Okinawa, faces wave after wave of kamikaze attacks as Japanese suicide pilots attempt to break through the ship's defenses to reach the transports and carriers beyond. With experienced gunners like Dave working the guns, the crew must hold the line against overwhelming odds—but as the days wear on and damage mounts, even their best efforts may not be enough to survive the onslaught. Based on true Pacific combat, this story captures the relentless strain of fighting an enemy willing to trade their lives for a chance to sink American ships.

A sleek Nazi pocket battleship preys on Allied convoys along the Murmansk Run, striking only when the odds favor her—until Lt. Waugh and the survivors of a sunken destroyer escort are handed an unlikely weapon: a rust-bucket ship rebuilt with guns that match the raider's firepower. In "Rust-Bucket Decoy," Waugh trains his crew for a desperate reckoning with the Nuningen, knowing one chance is all they'll get.

Captain Elihu Slater runs the tightest ship in the Navy—a carrier with an unmatched combat record, earned through iron discipline and uncompromising safety rules that his crew calls brutal. When a badly wounded pilot tries to limp back to the ship, Slater faces a moment that tests whether the iron skipper's rules bend when lives hang in the balance.