Sink the Rising Sun: A Gritty Look at WWII Submarine Life

Jon Gabriel’s Sink the Rising Sun transports readers into the tense, harrowing world of World War II submarines. With historical accuracy and detail, the novel follows 25-year-old Ben Holt, a green officer thrust into command after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

As the story begins, we meet Holt, who toils as an executive officer on an aging World War I sub unofficially stationed near Fremantle, Australia. An older, cautious officer commands the sub with little taste for combat. Holt thinks, "No man and no command ever achieved greatness by playing it safe." Later, the CO is injured during a mistaken attack by allied aircraft, opening the way for Holt's command of the S-33.

Later, Holt's confidence, coupled with a cool-under-fire manner, earns him command of the Knifefish, a modern, larger sub with a crew of about 60. The boat perfectly matches his desire to wage war on Japanese vessels.

Holt says his mission is "To sink Japanese tonnage. With torpedoes, with deck guns, small arms--ramming if it comes to it." His crew's intent: "They (sailors) wanted to sink ships. They wanted to kill sailors. They wanted to murder."

I liked that the author conveyed the crew's focus on defeating the enemy. The book stays true to the time, avoiding modern reinterpretations.

The boat and Holt soon make a name for themselves with a risky maneuver that sinks a Japanese cargo ship. The commander and crew continue to impress with missions that rack up enemy tonnage.

Garbriel, a former U.S. Navy submarine nuclear reactor operator, explains technical details with an expert eye and gives the reader a realistic view of life on a submarine. He notes weeks of routine and drills interrupted by brief moments of pure terror.

"A click-bang (depth charge) rolled the Knifefish to starboard, a second and third after that. The destroyer dropped more ash cans, this load higher and off target. Two more explosions, and the sub shuddered from the pressure waves. Every smoker inhaled all the nicotine he could. They counted ten more ash cans in rapid succession. The destroyer poured them out in piles. Lights shattered in the conning tower, and the battle lanterns switched on just in time to illuminate glass gauges cracking."

The author also notes the prevalence of faulty torpedoes that often missed targets or failed to detonate. This added authenticity to the fear and the tenseness of battle. It's a solid piece of historical insight.

I rate the book four stars. I recommend it to readers who enjoy reading about the era and the men and machines who sacrificed themselves to keep the free world safe. The prose feels and reads like history.