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PRELUDES TO VICTORY:
THE BATTLE OF ORMOC BAY IN WWII
BOOK REVIEWS "THE BATTLE OF ORMOC BAY
ANOTHER DECEMBER 7TH REMEMBERED"
"DE Sailor William L. Griggs tells a story that any DE sailor could
cite a connection, add a personal note, and say "Yep, that's the way it
was."
Griggs, plank owner of USS KEPHART DE 207 / APD 61, begins his detailed
account titled "Preludes to Victory" fifty years after the battle,
describing a reunion of the Battle of Ormoc Bay Association in Alexandria,
Virginia, on December 2, 1994, and on the following day at the Navy Memorial in
our nation's capital, honoring those who gave their lives for freedom of our
country at Ormoc Bay "a cemetery without gravestones."
For exciting details of convoy duty as a DE and later being among the
first DEs to be transformed to APD - HIGH SPEED TRANSPORT --Griggs has it in
his own words, and words of shipmates who experienced the rugged beauty of
being part of destroyer- escorts' WWII service.
Noteworthy to point out that in the battle for Leyte, USS LIDDLE APD 60
was the first DE type high speed destroyer transport crash-dived by a
kamikaze in the Battle of Ormoc Bay, P.I. Located off Western Leyte, Ormoc
Bay is too cramped for aircraft carriers, cruisers or battleships.
KEPHART's exploits are part of an APD division that lands the 77th Inf
Division in the first wave at Ormoc Bay on 7 Dec. 1944. The APD division
carries out 12 amphibious assault landings in the Philippines, Borneo and
Korea.
This thoughtful 286-page paperback contains remembrances of that special
time to live in the middle of the American Century. Based on recollections of
men who served--survived--being sunk by torpedoes, hit by kamikazes in the
crucial battles that led to victory on Leyte. Sonarman Griggs tells a
powerful story. " John Costello, DESA NEWS.
"PRELUDES TO VICTORY" PROVIDES
SAILOR'S LOOK AT WW II BATTLE
"Before reading "Preludes to Victory," I had never heard of
the Battle of Ormoc Bay. Now I will never forget it.
The personal recollections of 31 survivors, including those of author
William L. Griggs, highlight the story of an overlooked Naval battle that led
to victory over the Japanese on Leyte in 1944.
When Griggs goes to sea, his own memories are mixed with those of his
fellow sailors. Battle scenes are recounted with accuracy, yet with a
sensitivity that keeps the accounts from becoming too repulsive to read. The
reader is left with a sense of the horrors of battle, but without the
sensationalism often present in personal accounts.
Griggs provides impressive information about the U.S. and Japanese ships,
submarines, and aircraft involved in the Battle of Ormoc Bay, as well as
detailed casualty lists, maps, and U.S. Navy Archive records.
Additionally, there are photos of the ships and sailors, and even a
picture of Hashmark, the USS KEPHART's official dog mascot. The detailed
glossary explains technical and military terms in plain language, and there
is a complete bibliography for those interested in doing further research on
the battle.
"Preludes to Victory" was written as a memorial to the hundreds
of men who
lost their lives in the Battle of Ormoc Bay, and as such, is a success. It
is a well-researched and informative account of a Naval battle that may have
otherwise been forgotten." Susan Farrone, Hanover Weekly News.
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