Hellcats of the Sea: Operation Barney and the Mission to the Sea of Japan

Author Charles Lockwood ('Sink ‘Em All') brings his unique flair for submarine warfare story-telling to his account of Operation Barney, the secret mission during World War 2 to extend the conflict in the Pacific beyond the Sea of Japan and closer to the enemy’s coastline.

On June 9, 1945, torpedoes from nine American submarines – ‘The Hellcats’ – were launched at dozens of Japanese freighters, paralyzing maritime operations between Japan and Korea. Each U.S. sub was equipped with newly designed mine-detectors and Mark-18s -- electronic torpedoes that left no traceable wakes or fume exhausts.

Operation Barney continued for 15 days and proved a crucial breakthrough in the war, with U.S. submarines sinking 28 Japanese ships totaling some 70,000 tons.

Hellcats of the Sea is a riveting account of the planning and events of those 15 days.