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the way”: Morris, The Fightin’est Ship, 24–25. “For the next two weeks”: Spencer, The War Years: Hellfire and Glory, 51–52. “The best simulation of action”: USS Salt Lake City, “Offset Battle Practice.” “Outstanding development of the war” and “We are still not getting”: CINCPAC, “Gunnery Bulletin No. 2–42,” June 6, 1942, 1–2. “Quite a lot of technique”: Mustin interview, 456. Internal gunnery communications: USS Salt Lake City, “Report of Action, Night of October 11–12, 1942,” 18. “With a sickening thump”: Spencer, The War Years, 53. “In trying to give you an idea”: Ibid., 52. “Quick and slick as precision machinery”: Morris, The Fightin’est Ship, 23. “He’ll be a Helena man”: Ibid., 25–26. “We knew things were going”: Howe interview, 15. “In his leather jacket”: Morris, The Fightin’est Ship, 27. “The Helena craved action”: Ibid., 12. “We want to be consistent”: Ibid., 2. “Have you ever heard”: Ibid., 19–20. “The whole ship is enveloped”: Ibid., 22–23. “Too short a time to justify”: COMINCH, “Battle Experience: August and September 1942,” 14–4. “His training section was constantly”: Eller interview, 565–566. “Had practically lapsed”: Ghormley, “The Tide Turns,” 87. “It is continually proved”: COMINCH, “Battle Experience: August and September 1942,” 12–25. “Scott had balls”: Graff interview.

14: The Devil May Care

So this is war: Smoot interview, 95. Nimitz court-martial: Hoyt, How They Won the War in the Pacific, 39. “My gunnery officer saw”: Smoot interview, 95. “The sky was soon crisscrossed”: Thomason, quoted at www.destroyerhistory.org/benson-gleavesclass/ussmonssen/thomason_03.html. Smoot and Puller: Smoot interview, 101. When the first rescue boats were taken under heavy fire, a coxswain named Samuel B. Roberts volunteered to serve as a decoy. He steered his small craft directly toward the Japanese lines and drew their fire. His initiative was successful, and the marines were evacuated. But as Roberts was about to move beyond range of the enemy guns, his boat was hit and he was mortally wounded. Roberts was posthumously awarded the Navy Cross. The destroyer escort USS Samuel B. Roberts (DE-413) was christened in his honor. For more on that ship and its own epic story, see Hornfischer, The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors. “As the first marines appeared”: Thomason, quoted at www.destroyerhistory.org/benson-gleavesclass/ussmonssen/thomason_03.html. Douglas Munro: Hough, History of U.S. Marine Corps Operations I, vol. 1. 316–317. “Everything we could do”: Smoot interview, 101–102.

15: The Visit

“Today, September is going to pass”: Ugaki, Fading Victory, 221. Laffey’s stores: USS Laffey, Deck Log for March 31, 1942. “So far removed from the critical area”: Nimitz to Ghormley, October 8, 1942, Ghormley Papers. “We recognized the fact that”: Arnold, Global Mission, 322–323. “It was obvious that”: Ibid., 340–342. “I presented the need for aircraft”: Ghormley, “The Tide Turns,” 126–127. Combined Chiefs of Staff planning: Hayes, The History of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in World War II, 183–186. “Under constant pressure”: Hoyt, How They Won the War in the Pacific, 151–152. “My God, what are we going to do”: Potter, Nimitz, 236. “If the Japanese desired”: Ghormley, “The Tide,” 126–127. “I never saw an admiral before”: Hal Lamar, in Elarco Productions, The Nimitz Story. “Planes are too expensive”: Hoyt, How They Won, 153. “I feel that our present operations”: Ibid., 158. “Such a blow cannot”: Ibid., 162. “Satisfied in every way … It was just the kind of trip”: Trumbull, “Nimitz Confident After Pacific Trip,” 6. “When this war is over”: Vandegrift, Once a Marine, 171–172. “Have striking force operate”: Ghormley to Scott, October 5, 1942 (1202) (CINCPAC Command Summary II, 891).

16: Night of a New Moon

USS San Francisco’s “scarlet letter”: Spencer interview. “New-type heavy units” and “mystery ship”: Ghormley to MacArthur and Fitch, October 8, 1942 (1035). “A steady, chattering stream”: Morris, The Fightin’est Ship, 32. Japanese October dispositions: Frank, Guadalcanal, 374–375. “Battles can only be won”: USS Quincy, Action