Review (PDF) Two Tankers Down: The Greatest Small-Boat Rescue In U.S. Coast Guard History
Off the coast of Cape Cod in 1950, a February blizzard tore not one but two oil tankers in half. This is the suspenseful true story of a U.S. Coast Guard captain and his small crew who were called out to rescue the tanker crews without a cutter or chopper or a sea plane. But Captain Bernie Weber knew well the infamous Coast Guard motto: “You have to go out. You don’t have to come back.” He took a small boat and crew out in 60-foot waves and rescued 30 men. Weber’s subsequent gold medal for valor is still revered within the U.S. Coast Guard, and this thrilling first-ever narrative is a gripping adventure story for fans of The Perfect Storm and The Hungry Ocean.
Paperback: 224 pages
Publisher: Globe Pequot Press (August 3, 2008)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1599213370
ISBN-13: 978-1599213378
Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 0.7 x 8.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #1,114,080 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #173 in Books > History > Military > Weapons & Warfare > Conventional > Armored Vehicles #1043 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Social Sciences > Disaster Relief #2751 in Books > History > Military > Naval
While the rescues of the crews of the Pendleton and Fort Mercer are the main focus of the book - it's about more than that. The book isn't simply a retelling of the events surrounding the rescue - which the author does a good job of. The book is also a look at the life of Bernie Webber the coxswain of the CG-36500 who displayed outstanding seamanship during the rescue and with the assistance of his crew managed to save the lives of 32 men that day. He went out in conditions that exceeded the limits of his motor lifeboat, packed aboard many more survivors than his boat was rated to carry - and brought them all back to safety.The story could have begun and ended with the Pendleton and the Fort Mercer - but it didn't. There was more to Bernie Webber than just this rescue. This rescue had a profound impact on Bernie Webber's career - and the way the senior CG leadership treated him in the following years affected his opinions of the service for years to come.
"Two Tankers Down" is the third book about the T-2 tanker disasters of February 1952, and the only one that delves into the break-up and rescue of the crew of the Fort Mercer. Robert Frump (who wrote "Until the Sea Shall Free Them" about another T-2 disaster in 1983) has done a magnificent job of bringing together all the known facts about the Pendleton rescue and some new information heretofore unknown. "Two Tankers Down" is a great contribution to the literature of marine safety and maritime rescues. Anyone who loves the sea will appreciate this gripping tale.
Since I am retired Coast Guard and held a Merchant Marine license, I found the basic story quite interesting. I was not aware of the scope of the problem of T-2 tankers spontaneously breaking up. The authors view of the inter workings of the Coast Guard's organization were more or less on target given the era of the tale, and the subjective nature of such observations.
I know someone who was intimately involved with this story. It is a wonderful story of some very under-appreciated men and women in the United States Coast Guard, who are often called upon to do the near impossible with almost nothing.
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